Study of transient arc properties near current zero in an experimental CO2 high-voltage circuit breaker
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: CO2 has emerged as a leading candidate in the search for a more environmentally friendly alternative to SF6. In high-voltage circuit breakers, where the gas serves as both gaseous insulation and switching medium, commercially available solutions use CO2 either alone or as the primary component of a mixture. In order for breakers to provide the performance necessary to support growing energy demands, a thorough understanding of the transient arc properties of CO2 during the current interruption process is urgently needed. To support these efforts, an experimental puffer circuit breaker has been developed to study thermal interruption in CO2 with a high degree of control, under conditions otherwise comparable to a commercial breaker exposed to short-line fault-like current and voltage stresses. This test setup was used together with high-speed imaging and optical emission spectroscopy (OES) to measure the temporal evolution of a CO2 arc's radial temperature profile in the stagnation region near the instant of current interruption, over a period ranging from −200 μs to 40 μs relative to current zero. A novel diagnostic technique, intensified video optical emission spectroscopy, has been applied for detailed analysis of plasma properties. This technique allows for evaluation of time-dependent temperature decay with microsecond resolution through current zero, which is not possible with OES methods. Results showed little temperature variation more than 50 μs before current zero, with changes in current mainly found to affect the arc cross-section. Fast temperature decay was limited to a period within 20 μs of current zero, when maximum temperatures dropped from 12000K to 7000 K, with a stable temperature near 6000K measurable up to 40 μs after current interruption. The results also revealed the influence of nozzle erosion on the arc temperature profile, showing that new nozzles provide stronger cooling, resulting in a higher temperature, more constricted arc.
Authors: Engelbrecht, Joseph T., Gortschakow, Sergey, Methling, Ralf, Pietrzak, Pawel, Franck, Christian
Language: English
Topic: Vacuum and Plasma Arcs
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6966221160
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