Bochum 2015 – scientific programme
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P: Fachverband Plasmaphysik
P 23: Plasma Technology II
P 23.4: Talk
Wednesday, March 4, 2015, 17:40–17:55, HZO 30
Pulsed laser speckle imaging of switching arcs — •Jan Carstensen, Patrick Stoller, Emmanouil Panousis, and Valeria Teppati — ABB Corporate Research, Baden-Daettwil, 5405, Switzerland
High voltage circuit breakers (hvcb) are vital for the protection of electricity transmission networks. When a hvcb interrupts alternating current, the arc established between its contacts is axially blown by a transonic gas flow until it is extinguished at a current-zero crossing. Improvement of circuit breaker design to achieve higher short circuit current ratings or more compact equipment relies on an understanding of the processes involved in cooling and interruption of the arc. At present, current, voltage, and pressure measurements together with CFD simulations give only limited insight into how the arc is cooled. We have developed a Speckle imaging technique that permits determination of the arc and boundary layer width and the temperature in the high current and the current zero phase. In this contribution we focus on the dependence of the arc width on blowing conditions and on the comparison to theoretical predictions.