Transition from the anodic arc phase to the cathodic metallic arc phase in vacuum at low DC electrical level

L. Morin, N. Ben Jemaa, D. Jeannot, Hideaki Sone

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Contact material transfer in relays has been described in several papers. Transfer from the anode to the cathode has been attributed to the anodic arc phase, and opposite transfer from the cathode to the anode has been attributed to the cathodic arc phase. In previous paper we showed that the transition from the anodic to the cathodic arc occurs when a break arc becomes longer than a critical arc length, independently from electrical and mechanical parameters. In this paper, we completed our work with using the same breaking apparatus (14VDC, 40A) equipped with an arc length control device. We showed that the transition from the anodic to the cathodic arc occurs always at the same critical arc length independently from the opening speed and the ambient pressure. Through measurements of material transfer in vacuum, indications are that transfer direction is independent from metallic and gaseous phases, though further work is needed for full confirmation. And finally, we showed that it was possible to distinguish the transition from the anodic to the cathodic arc by observing the evolution of the arc spots on the rivets.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)88-93
Number of pages6
JournalElectrical Contacts, Proceedings of the Annual Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2001 Jan 1

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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