Research on dynamic characteristics of arc under electrode relative motion

The relative motion of the electrodes is a typical feature of sliding electrical contact systems.The system fault caused by the arc is the key problem that restricts the service life of the sliding electrical contact system.In this paper,an arcing experimental platform that can accurately control the relative speed and distance of electrodes is built,and the influence of different electrode speeds and electrode distances on arc motion characteristics is explored.It is found that there are three different modes of arc root motion:single arc root motion mode,single and double arc roots alternating motion mode,and multiple arc roots motion mode.The physical process and influence mechanism of different arc root motion modes are further studied,and the corresponding relationship between arc root motion modes and electrode speed is revealed.In addition,to further explore the distribution characteristics of arc temperature and its influencing factors,an arc magnetohydrodynamic model under the relative motion of electrodes is established,and the variation law of arc temperature under the effect of different electrode speeds and electrode distances is summarized.Finally,the influence mechanism of electrode speed and electrode distance on arc temperature,arc root distance,and arc root speed is clarified.The research results enrich the research system of arc dynamic characteristics in the field of sliding electrical contact,and provide theoretical support for restraining arc erosion and improving the service life of the sliding electrical contact system.

Arcing Model of a Disconnector and its Effect on VFTO

In the computational process of very fast transient over-voltage （VFTO）, it is essen-tial to find an accurate model for a gas insulated substation. The arcing model of the disconnector is particularly important. The general arcing model is not able to give a good description of the arc development process. In this paper, based on the physical process of arcing and existing arc models （the exponential time-varying resistance model and the segmental arcing models）, a dy- namic arcing model is proposed, which is divided into two stages before and after the zero crossing. The dynamic arcing model combines hyperbola time-varying resistance and the Mayr model to describe the dynamic process of arcing. The present paper creates an arc model blockset upon the Matlab/Simulink software platform. Moreover for a specific 1100 kV station, VFTO is simulated in detail based on different arcing models. It is demonstrated that the dynamic arcing model can describe the physical arc process precisely and is useful for improving the accuracy of VFTO simulations.

Welding of Ti-6Al-4V alloy using dynamically controlled plasma arc welding process

A novel dynamically controlled plasma arc welding process was introduced,which is able tominimize heat input into the workpiece materials while maintaining desired full penetration,and it was used to weld Ti-6Al-4V alloy sheets.The microstructures,facture surfaces and microhardness of the welded joints were characterized by using optical microscope,scanning electron microscope （SEM） and Vickers microhardness tester.Comparing with welds such as gas tungsten arc and conventional plasma arc processes,the experimental results revealed the improvements when using the present process including：1） reducing prior-beta （β） grain size and prohibiting formation of hard martensite phases in the fusion zone due to the decreased heat input;and 2） better toughness and higher hardness.