Modelling of arcing phenomena during opening contacts in novel circuit breaker

作者：Jing Nan, George Z. Chen, Igor O. Golosnoy · 发表于：IET conference proceedings. · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1049/icp.2024.0548 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Vacuum and Plasma Arcs、Electrical Fault Detection and Protection、Power System Reliability and Maintenance

With the resurgence of interest in long-distance transmission and the integration of green energy projects into the power grid, high voltage DC (HVDC) technology has emerged as a promising solution. This is due to its lower investment cost and losses, as well as its superior controllability and stability compared to AC transmission systems. Consequently, equipment manufacturers and network operators are increasingly focused on high voltage DC circuit breakers as essential components for AC and DC grid interconnectivity and for interrupting DC faults without causing widespread power outages. However, challenges persist in breaking HVDC circuits during electrical faults, given the absence of zero crossings and the rapid spread of faults. Arcing is inevitable between the separating electrodes, and understanding its behaviour is crucial for the design of new switching devices. In this paper, we present a 2D arc model between two axisymmetric cylindrical copper electrodes and calculate the arc core resistance for a stationary arc. Subsequently, we propose a simplified analysis of the circuit breaker, effectively introducing the circuit with a variable arc resistor. This conceptual model can predict the commutation process and arc interruption using a straightforward circuit model with variable arc resistance.