Arc splitting process in low voltage switching devices considering variable magnetic field

Abstract

Electric arc is a complex phenomenon that associates high current densities and temperatures; therefore, this must be extinguished rapidly to avoid future damage in low voltage devices. An early extinction of electric arc in low voltage switching devices leads to safety in industrial processes and protects electronic devices as well as their operators. Since the formation and propagation time is small (micro-seconds), the decision-making through experimentation for the design of new switch models is costly and often ineffective for not being capable of quantifying specific variables of the electric arc. To obtain and propose improvements in the design of low voltage switches, modeling is an excellent tool to analyze the most influential parameters in the current interruption. This option allows systems optimization by a magnetohydrodynamic model without building and testing a lot of expensive prototypes.