Numerical Study on Arc Plasma Behavior During Arc Commutation Process in Direct Current Circuit Breaker

This paper focuses on the numerical investigation of arc plasma behavior during arc commutation process in a medium-voltage direct current circuit breaker （DCCB） contact system. A three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic （MHD） model of air arc plasma in the contact system of a DCCB is developed, based on commercial software FLUENT. Coupled electromagnetic and gas dynamic interactions are considered as usual, and a thin layer of nonlinear electrical resistance elements is used to represent the voltage drop of plasma sheath and the formation of new arc root. The distributions of pressure, temperature, gas flow and current density of arc plasma in arc region are calculated. The simulation results indicate that the pressure distribution related to the contact system has a strong effect on the arc commutation process, arising from the change of electrical conductivity in the arc root region. In DCCB contact system, the pressure of arc root region will be concentrated and higher if the space above the moving contact is enclosed, which is not good for arc root commutation. However, when the region is opened, the pressure distribution would be lower and more evenly, which is favorable for the arc root commutation.

DETECTION AND ANALYSIS OF WELD POOL SHAPE FOR CO_2 SHORT CIRCUITING ARC WELDING

A general industrial CCD( ICCD) camera is redesigned to detect the weld pool without arc at the period of short circuiting, so that the interference of arc and spatter during CO2 short circuiting arc welding is eliminated. Through the analysis of weld pool image, both size parameters (such as weld pool area A, weld pool length L1, L2 and weld pool breadth b) and contour parameters (b, which describe the curves of weld pool boundany) ,which could indicate the shape features of weld pool, had been defined to express weld pool information quantitatively. The investigation of the relationships between weld pool shape parameters and welding process parameters may be beneficial to the quality control of CO2 welding.

Study on chaos in short circuit gas metal arc welding process

Based on the chaos theory, an idea is put forward to analyze the short circuit Gas Metal Arc Welding （ GMAW-S） process. The theory of phase space reconstruction and related algorithms such as mutual information and so on, are applied to analyze the chaos of the GMAW-S process. The largest Lyapunov exponents of some current time series are calculated, and the results indicate that chaos exists in the GMAW-S process. The research of the chaos in the GMAW-S process can be help to get new knowledge of the process.

Simulation and Experimental Analysis of Arc Motion Characteristics in Air Circuit Breaker

In this paper, to simulate the arc motion in an air circuit breaker （ACB）, a three- dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic （MHD） model is developed, considering the influence of ther- mal radiation, the change of physical parameters of arc plasma and the nonlinear characteristic of ferromagnetic material. The distributions of pressure, temperature, gas flow and current density of arc plasma in the arc region are calculated. The simulation results show some phenomena which discourage arc interruption, such as back commutation and arc burning at the back of the splitter plate. To verify the simulation model, the arc motion is studied experimentally. The influences of the material and position of the innermost barrier plate are analyzed mainly. It proved that the model developed in this paper can efficiently simulate the arc motion. The results indicate that the insulation barrier plate close to the top of the splitter plate is conducive to the arc splitting, which leads to the significant increase of the arc voltage, so it is better for arc interruption. The research can provide methods and references to the optimization of ACB design.

Analysis of Arc Characteristics and Flow Field in Arc Chamber of High-Voltage SF_6 Auto-Expansion Circuit Breaker

A new magnetic hydro-dynamics model for nozzle arc emphasizing the interaction of arc with PTFE （polytetrafluorethylene） vapour is established based on the conservation equations. The interruption of auto-expansion circuit breaker is simulated numerically by finite element method and the influence of PTFE vapour on the arc is analysed with this model. The results reveal that the flow field inside the arc chamber is determined by the arc current, the arcing time, the nozzle arc and the clogging of its thermal boundary. The establishment of quenching pressure relies on both SF6 gas and PTFE vapour that absorbed arc energy in the nozzle. The PTFE vapour leads to an increase in the pressure of nozzle arc obviously, and a decrease in the temperature of arc. But it enhances the temperature of arc at zero current and slows down the decreasing rate of arc temperature as the current decreases.

Simulation of Arc Rotation and Its Effects on Pressure of Expansion Volume in an Auto-Expansion SF_6 Circuit Breaker

A 3D Magnetohydrodynamics （MHD） arc model in conjunction with an arc move- ment model is applied to simulate the arc rotation as well as to solve its effect on the pressure in an auto-expansion circuit breaker. The rotation of the arc driven by an external electromagnetic force is simulated in the case with 200 kA of the short circuit current and 16 ms of arc duration. The arc rotating process and the speed of arc rotation have been obtained in the simulation. A comparison of the pressure in the expansion volume with and without an external magnetic field has been carried out based on the calculation results of two cases. The results of the simulation reveal that the arc rotation, which causes more energy exchange between the arc and its sur- rounding gas, can evidently bring about the pressurization in the expansion volume, which would contribute to more effective arc quenching at current zero and further reducing operation power.

Short-circuit process model in underwater welding using rotating arc sensor

In order to detecting and tracking along the weld seam with rotating arc sensor in underwater welding,the highpressure water environment rotating arc welding hardware platform is established and welding experiments using rotating arc sensor is done. Different radius of rotating arc sensor is used. And the corresponding welding current and voltage is obtained,which is compared with the results of rotating arc sensor short-circuit process simulation model under high-pressure water environment established in this article. The results show that under high-pressure water environment,rotating arc radius should be optimized,otherwise the short-circuit-arcing cycle will transit to a short-circuit-arcing-abruption cycle,making the welding quality poor. At last the critical radius between the short-circuit-arcing cycle and short-circuit-arcing-abruption cycle under high-pressure water environment is obtained.

Simulation of the Process of Arc Energy-Effect in High Voltage Auto-Expansion SF_6 Circuit Breaker

A new magnetic hydro-dynamics （MHD） model of arc in H.V. auto-expansion SF6 circuit breaker that takes into consideration nozzle ablation due to both radiation and thermal conduction is presented in this paper. The effect of PTFE （polytetrafluorethylene） vapor is considered in the mass, momentum and energy conservation equations of the constructed model. Then, the gas flow fields with and without conduction considered are simulated. By comparing the aforementioned two results, it is indicated that the arc＇s maximal temperature with conduction considered is 90 percent of that without considering conduction.

The Influence of Contact Space on Arc Commutation Process in Air Circuit Breaker

In this paper, a 3D magneto-hydrodynamic （MHD） arc simulation model is applied to analyze the arc motion during current interruption in a certain air circuit breaker （ACB）. The distributions of pressure, temperature, gas flow and current density of the arc plasma in the arc region are calculated, and the factors influencing the commutation process are analyzed according to the calculated results. Based on the airflow in the arc chamber, the causes of arc commutation asynchrony and the back commutation are investigated. It indicates that a reasonable contact space design is crucial to a successful arc commutation process. To verify the simulation results, the influence of contact space on arc voltage and arc commutation is tested. This research can provide methods and references to the optimization of ACB design.

Numerical Simulation of Gas Flow During Arcing Process for 252 kV Puffer Circuit Breakers

A numerical simulation model for 252 kV puffer circuit breaker is constructed, by using a proven commercial computational fluid dynamics （CFD） package, PHOENICS. The model takes into account the moving parts in the circuit breaker, turbulence enhanced momentum and energy transport, radiation transport. The arcing process in a SF6 puffer circuit breaker with two hollow contacts is simulated under different conditions, and the simulation results are verified with experimental results. Through simulation, the pressure, temperature and velocity in the arc quenching chamber can be obtained. The simulation model is also capable of predicting the influence of design parameters variations on breaker performance, and can thus help to reduce the number of short-circuit tests during the design stage.

真空与气体一体化串联机械开关及其直流快速转移应用

为提升中压混合式直流断路器的自然换流性能,该文提出一种真空与气体一体化串联机械开关,分析真空与气体一体化串联用于电流转移性能的工作原理。并基于此设计了双超程联动的真空与气体一体化串联开关实验样机,研究了气体类型、气压、触头结构、触头材料等参数对电弧电压特性的影响规律,确定了W70Cu桥式两触点结构,采用H2和N2体积比为2:3、气压为0.3 MPa的氢氮混合气体,弧压可由20 V提升到120 V,电流转移时间由1 900μs缩短至300μs。同时测试了静态瞬态开断电压(TIV)分布特性,真空间隙承担主要电压(55%),串联整机耐压水平为20 kV。验证了真空与气体一体化串联开关应用于中压混合式直流断路器的可行性和有效性。

高海拔环境下大容量直流空气断路器灭弧性能研究

高原轨道交通和电工产业转型对起关键保护作用的大容量直流空气断路器(LC-DCCB)提出了更高要求,但现有产品在高海拔地区的开断仍存在一定问题。该文以轨道交通用LC-DCCB为研究对象,首先基于磁流体动力学(MHD)理论,考虑湍流效应的影响,对其在高海拔环境下开断18 kA短路电流进行仿真;然后对电弧形态及灭弧室内温度场、电磁场、气流场进行分析,得出高海拔地区空气电弧开断困难的主要原因;最后根据仿真与理论分析,考虑采用合理数量和布局的间插式U型栅片改善电弧开断特性。结果表明:随着海拔的升高,电弧前期运动速度加快,但断路器的灭弧性能降低;在高海拔环境下电弧存在严重的弧根粘滞和弧根拖尾现象,弧根拖尾畸变空间电场,不利于熄弧;同时,在不同海拔环境下,电弧会产生不同程度的反向运动现象,易导致弧后重燃。该研究深入揭示了高海拔环境下LC-DCCB电弧演变过程及复杂开断现象背后的物理本质,可为该类产品研发提供理论指导。

低压直流断路器拓扑参数对燃弧时长影响研究

基于LC振荡换流的机械式直流断路器能够抑制开断电弧,可靠切除故障线路,保障系统安全运行。为分析机械式直流断路器拓扑参数对其开断的影响,基于人工过零点抑弧原理,在MATLAB/Simulink中搭建直流断路器仿真模型,分析不同模型下电弧抑制效果。在此基础上,针对断路器不同换流方式下的拓扑参数进行电弧抑制仿真,讨论可控参数与不可控参数对燃弧时长的影响。仿真结果表明,在强制振荡与自激振荡换流方式下可控参数对燃弧时长的影响不同,电弧时间常数、电弧散热功率等不可控参数对燃弧时长影响相同。该研究成果可为直流断路器抑弧拓扑设计提供有效参考。

混合式直流断路器内部关键参数对电弧电流转移特性的影响研究

真空电弧电流转移是自然换流型混合式直流断路器开断过程中的一个重要组成部分。文中通过建立真空电弧电流转移的理论分析模型,得出影响真空电弧电流转移的主要因素为真空电弧电压、内部杂散电阻电感参数和电力电子器件的串并联结构。实验方面,通过改变电力电子开关中电力电子器件的串联或并联个数研究了电力电子器件的串并联结构对真空电弧电流转移特性的影响,通过改变电力电子开关中杂散电感或电阻的数值和所处位置研究了内部杂散电阻电感参数对真空电弧电流转移特性的影响。最后,探究了促进电弧电流转移的方法。本研究将为混合式直流断路器的结构设计和参数优化提供理论依据。

基于弧触头接触振动特征分析的高压SF6断路器电寿命在线监测方法

高压SF6断路器电寿命评估对保障电力系统安全稳定运行具有重要意义。然而,现有的电寿命评估仍旧依赖累计开断电流法与动态回路电阻法,缺乏有效的在线监测手段。该文针对真实126 kV高压SF6断路器设备,研究了基于弧触头接触点分析的电寿命评估方法。结合变分模态分解(VMD)与短时傅里叶变换(STFT)分析,发现弧触头接触时产生了10 kHz以上的高频振动特征信号。通过调整机构拉杆的位置以改变弧触头刚合点,发现了高频振动特征频率出现时刻与弧触头刚合点之间的相关性,进而提出了一种基于弧触头接触振动特征分析的高压SF6断路器电寿命在线监测方法。现场瓷柱式断路器的实验结果表明,弧触头刚合点测量误差约为0.905 mm,因此该文提出的方法有望在高压SF6断路器电寿命在线监测领域实现推广应用。

限流型直流变压器拓扑结构及其暂态特性研究

能量路由器的核心元件为双有源桥(dual active bridge,DAB)直流变压器,针对其短路故障时电流上升速率快,峰值大,导致DAB内部电力电子器件闭锁的问题,该文提出一种具有限流型结构的直流变压器,限流装置结构为从DAB高压侧H桥连接单相整流桥,再与输出端口的限流电感相连。当直流系统发生短路故障时,限流型直流变压器采用混合控制算法进行整流,为限流电感提供钳位电压,限制故障电流的峰值,并与断路器配合实现无弧开断,该方法避免DAB中电力电子器件发生闭锁,快速实现故障限流和隔离。在仿真系统中搭建了基于10kV/750V直流变压器的限流型直流变压器的模型,仿真结果表明限流型直流变压器与断路器配合实现故障限流和隔离的有效性和可行性。

SF_(6)断路器模拟烧蚀过程中气体分解产物特性研究

SF_(6)断路器灭弧室中的SF_(6)、微水微氧及固体绝缘材料在电弧作用下会分解重组,生成新的组分气体。为研究SF_(6)断路器完整电寿命周期内,开断电流后各气体分解产物体积分数的变化规律,搭建了断路器全寿命模拟烧蚀试验平台,进行了69次烧蚀试验,测量了烧蚀过程中的电压电流参数和各气体分解产物体积分数。结果表明:SOF_(2)、CF_(4)、SO_(2)为主要产物,SO_(2)F_(2)、SOF_(4)体积分数较低,H_(2)S不能稳定检出;SOF_(2)、CF_(4)、SO_(2)、SO_(2)F_(2)体积分数均随烧蚀次数增加而增加。主要产物中,SOF_(2)和SO_(2)的生成量与电弧能量呈线性关系;CF_(4)生成量与电弧能量之间没有明显规律,其原因可能在于电弧对于固体绝缘材料的烧蚀具有随机性。吸附剂对SOF_(2)与SOF_(4)吸附作用显著,对其余产物未表现出明显的吸附效果。最后提出了通过SO_(2)体积分数评估断路器剩余电寿命的方法。

导向式框架断路器拉弧分析及预防

本文基于导向式框架式断路器在使用过程中,发生连接排触头及框架母线触头发生故障拉弧及触点烧毁实际情况,提出技术和管理上的改进。发生故障电弧时,其电流并未达到脱扣器设定的脱扣电流。对故障断路器位置指示的摇进机构进行解体后发现,位置指示磨损,工作人员的不规范操作,造成止动片断裂,从而使断路器发生拉弧事故。结合以上情况制定的预防措施为:定期检查摇进机构的位置指示情况、止动片磨损或断裂情况,对操作人员进行正规操作的培训。

变压器内部电弧故障快速检测方法研究与对比

变压器内部短路电弧故障是变压器最危险、最严重的故障,极有可能造成变压器油箱的形变和破裂,乃至变压器油的燃烧与爆炸,对人员生命安全、变电站财产安全、电网运行安全都造成了严重威胁。实现变压器内部短路电弧故障的快速检测有利于及时发出断路器分闸信号,从而缩短电弧燃弧时间,减小电弧能量,降低燃爆可能性。为寻找适用于电弧故障快速检测的信号及特征,首先搭建了基于电容电感串联谐振的油中工频大电流电弧实验平台,并实现了油中工频电弧的电压、电流、压力波、光、电磁脉冲、气泡形态等关键电弧特性的测量;发现压力波存在前期快速振荡-后期持续上升两阶段,光信号存在间隔约10 ms的脉冲,电弧电流过零点时必定会产生电磁脉冲,上述压力波、光和电磁脉冲3种信号及其特性有望应用于变压器内部短路电弧故障的快速检测;最后对比了这3种故障检测方法的优缺点,并指出这些方法在工程实际应用前急需进一步解决的问题。

大容量发电机保护断路器用弧触头系统动力学研究

大容量发电机保护断路器是大型发电机组重要的保护装置,其灭弧室内采用主、弧触头异速的运动装置,弧触头系统采用了新型的五连杆机构,文中分析了该运动装置的弧触头系统的受力特性。针对大容量发电机断路器用弧触头系统高速运动、大动力传动且通过分段连续轨道实现异速的特点,首先采用向量和矩阵相结合的解析法计入惯性力;然后研究各段曲线轨道对滚子作用力的共性关系,建立了计入惯性力的通用矩阵模型;最后采用数值分析的迭代法计入摩擦力,获得了异速弧触头系统的动力学特性。文中介绍的动力学研究模型及分析方法可为大容量发电机断路器系列产品用弧触头系统的受力分析提供理论依据,适用于大容量发电机断路器用弧触头系统的设计及优化。