蒸气压对激光辐照靶材烧蚀速率的影响

研究了强激光辐照碳/碳复合材料靶材引起的烧蚀现象及蒸气压对烧蚀速率的影响。基于傅里叶定律,建立了强激光辐照靶材的热传导模型,模拟了忽略蒸气压影响时烧蚀速率随功率的变化;通过Mott-smith近似方法描述了Knudsen层间断区域,分析了间断两侧表面粒子状态参数;结合质量连续方程和蒸气压与温度关系方程,并由气体状态方程描述蒸气流状态,对蒸气压条件下激光烧蚀碳/碳复合材料靶材的速率随功率变化的关系进行了数值模拟。结果表明,在高能激光对靶材的烧蚀过程中,蒸气压力变化会导致靶材的饱和蒸气温度发生变化,进而影响烧蚀速率且使其随功率呈非线性变化,与忽略蒸气压作用时的线性变化规律相差较大,从理论上解释了忽略蒸气压导致的实验数据与理论结果的差异。     

Visualization of arcing process in an auto-expansion circuitbreaker

The arcing process in an auto-expansion circuit breaker, a new generation of high voltage circuit breakers, has been simulated and visualized by implementing an arc model into a general purpose computation fluid dynamics (CFD) package, PHOENICS. The model takes account of radiation transport, arc radiation induced inner wall ablation, turbulence enhanced momentum and energy transport and the moving parts of the breaker. Details of the temperature, pressure, velocity and electric fields within the breaker can be visualized thus helping the optimization of the geometry and operation characteristics of a breaker     

Electric power switches

A review is given of the physics and engineering behavior of arcs in vacuum and axial gas blast under the conditions found in high-voltage circuit breakers. The topics included are: the zero energy switch; current limiting switches; arc control; the gas-blast circuit breakers; the low-current gas-blast arc; arcing with ablation; interruption dynamics; arc modeling; vacuum as a switching element; the vacuum arc; the constricted arc; and the properties of SF₆     

Simulation of the thermal radiation effect of an arc on polymer walls in low-voltage circuit breakers

A model of sputtering (ablation) of polymer walls caused by the thermal effect of an arc in low-voltage circuit breaker is suggested. The model takes into account heating, volume thermal decomposition, and fusion of the polymer, as well as the screening action of the vapor from the surface. The ablation of the walls is due to the UV component of the arc radiation, most of which is absorbed in the vapor. It is shown that the ablation conditions change drastically with distance to the center of the arc. The parameters of the reaction zone and of the area occupied by the melted polymer are estimated.     

Instabilities and Statistical Behavior of Low Current Cold Cathode Arcs

This paper presents a study of instabilities and of spontaneous extinctions which occur in low current dc arcs between metal electrodes. A theoretical model for the behavior of emitting sites on the cathode surface is proposed. This model explains experimental results obtained in arc duration measurements and arc noise correlation. The model yields figures for site life time and elementary current of emitting sites. These values are compared with those given by other authors. The proposed model can be applied to explain arc duration and related erosion occuring in telecommunication relays and circuit breakers.     

LTE computation of axisymmetric arc-flow interaction incircuit-breakers

A numerical procedure for the computation of arc-flow interaction in gas-blast circuit breakers is presented. In the proposed approach the flow is obtained via the solution of the Euler equations and the coupling with the arc by a source term in the energy equation. This source term is composed of an ohmic energy production part and a radiative transport part. The equations are solved by a time-marching procedure using a finite-volume discretization. The model is applied to the computation of an axisymmetric arc in a model breaker. The results reproduce qualitatively the major features of arc-flow interaction and show the presence of a localized form of choking of the flow around the arc boundary     

Ablation-Stabilized Arcs in Nylon and Boric Acid Tubes

Using the isothermal ablation-stabilized arc model of Kovitya and Lowke [1], the high-current arcing behavior in tubes made from nylon or boric acid can be predicted from the tube length and radius. In the analyses of such arcs that occur in expulsion fuses and circuit breakers, the physical properties of the vapors formed from the ablated liner materials are required. Values of viscosity, thermal and electrical conductivities, density, specific heat, enthalpy, and sonic velocity for nylon and boric acid plasmas have been calculated for pressures of 1, 10, and 100 atm (1 atm = 101.3 kPa) over the temperature range from 5000-30 000 K.     

Study of the Arc and of the Interaction between Arc and Operating Mechanism in SF6 Puffer Breakers

The article deals with studies of the arcing performance of SF6 puffer breakers at currents of up to 80 kA and voltages of up to 200 kV, using an interrupter unit fitted with viewing windows. The studies are mainly concerned with the behavior of the arc at current zero and with restrike phenomena under various conditions. In addition to measurements of the electrical variables and the pressure variation, the tests cover the use of high-speed cameras, spectroscopic diagnostic methods, and schlieren methods. The density fields and flow fields derived from the latter are used to optimize the gas flow. On the basis of the breaker data and those of its operating mechanism a method for computing the essential variables, e.g., pressure, gas flow, back pressure, and contact travel, is developed. The variation of these parameters as a function of the interrupter data for various currents and with due allowance for the interaction between the arc and the operating mechanism must be known if the breaker design is to be optimized. The method uses simplified equations for the gas flow and the arc. The relationship between the gas data (e. g., density, enthalpy, speed of sound, electrical conductivity, and dielectric strength) and the temperature is taken into account by using approximation functions. The temperature of the arc core is matched to the test results.     

Experimental and numerical studies of arc restrikes in low-voltagecircuit breakers

This paper is devoted to the study of the arc restrike phenomenon in low-voltage circuit breakers. We focused our interest on the type of arc restrike that can be described as a sudden reignition in the arcing contact region while the arc was situated in the quenching chamber a few tens of microseconds before it occurs. Our experimental investigations have established that the critical arcing contact region is still crossed by a so called residual current on the order of several amperes. A gas temperature around 4200 K was derived from electrical measurements in this region before the arc restrike occurrence, We also demonstrate that the restrike takes place through the growth of the remaining current of several amperes in the arcing contact region. A numerical approach was carried out with a two-dimensional hydrodynamic code in order to simulate the gas behavior in the arcing contact region before and during the arc restrike phenomenon. The same temperature as the measured one is calculated just before the restrike. It is demonstrated that the current density appears to be the most sensible quantity. A critical value of 5 A/cm² was calculated     

Theoretical and Experimental Investigations of the Flow Field for Asymmetric Dual-Flow Interrupter Nozzles

Experimental investigations have indicated that electrode vapor can have a significant negative effect in thermal interruption speed for the gas-blast circuit breakers. This electrode vapor contamination can be minimized by the use of asymmetric dual-flow nozzle configuration. A computer program was developed to design the nozzle and electrode geometries of the asymmetric dual-flow interrupter and to calculate both the subsonic and supersonic cold flow fields. The Variational Principle of the finite element method, together with a Newton-Raphson iterative scheme, was used to solve the continuity equation for compressible flow. The supersonic flow field in the conical nozzle was calculated by the one-dimensional flow relationship. Two asymmetric dual-flow nozzle models were constructed to investigate the effects of orifice opening and nozzle divergent angle. The cold flow experiments were conducted in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Transonic and Supersonic Wind Tunnel Laboratory. Various upstream-to-downstream nozzle pressure ratios were used to obtain the subsonic and supersonic experimental flow-field data. The experimental flow measurements were correlated with the calculated values to validate the computer program.     

Use of Axial Magnetic Fields to Improve High-Current Vacuum Interrupters

When an axial magnetic field is applied to a vacuum arc, the arc tends to be stabilized in its diffuse mode. A minimum arc voltage is found for a certain magnetic field. In this condition, interrupting current is significantly increased, and it is nearly proportional to the diameter of electrodes. About ten years ago, a practical axial magnetic field electrode was developed for vacuum circuit breakers. Since then, through various improvements in its structure, this electrode has been refined for practical application in vacuum circuit breaker interrupters. The application has successfully covered not only medium-voltage circuit breakers, but also high-voltage (84 kV), dc high-voltage, and high-current circuit breakers. In this paper, ten years experience in this area is described.     

Axially blown SF6-arcs around current zero

The increase of the interrupting capability of modern SF6 puffer breakers demands a better knowledge of the interaction of the arc with the gas flow. During the current interruption in an SF6 breaker the arc temperature in the stagnation zone is of decisive importance. The temporal evolution of the arc temperature and the diameter is studied by means of interferometry and emission spectroscopy. Experimental results are presented which show the influence of the current slope and the gas pressure on the arc decay. These results are compared with a theoretical model describing the temperature decay after current interruption.     

Mass spectrometry of arcs in SF6 circuit breakers

Today, SF₆ is used to a great extent as insulating and arc-quenching medium in high-voltage gas-blast circuit breakers. The arcing in SF₆ during current interruption forms decomposition products. These can influence the arc-quenching properties of the circuit breaker. Furthermore, they can cause corrosion of the circuit breaker housing. In this comprehensive study we present results obtained for the first time from a direct mass spectrometric investigation of the exhaust gases of a high pressure SF₆ arc in a model circuit breaker. Our mass spectrometric system consists of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) equipped with a molecular beam sampling systems. This device allows us to measure mass spectra of high pressure sources with a time resolution of up to 10,000 spectra per second. We have determined the formation rate of the most abundant decomposition products in a SF₆ arc at 1 bar. These products are SF₄, CF₄, WF₆, SOF₂, SO₂, CS₂ S₂F₂ and HF. The fast detection time inherent to our system permits also the determination of the formation of SF₄, which is 0.45–0.50 Vol. %/(kJ/1SF₆). In addition, we have studied the influence of water and oxygen impurities which are responsible for the production of highly corrosive HF. Finally, we have considered the influence of the thermal degradation of teflon (P.T.F.E.), which is used as nozzle and insulating material in circuit breakers. On this occasion we have demonstrated that CF₄, which exhibits dielectric properties similar to SF₆, is the main decomposition product formed from teflon. However, we have found that besides CF₄ also excess carbon is formed, which is deposited on insulators of the model circuit breaker.Our time-resolved mass spectra reveal that the CF₄ production from teflon is delayed by a few milliseconds with respect to the SF₆ dissociation in the arc. This delay can influence the interrupting process of the circuit breaker by changing the plasma composition during the arcing period. Although our experiments have been performed on a model circuit breaker we claim that the results presented in this study can be applied to real circuit breakers, since the arc current density and the energy dissipated per liter SF₆ are of the same order of magnitude in both devices.     

激光烧蚀聚甲醛的热-化学耦合模型及其验证

针对激光辐照聚甲醛的烧蚀现象,建立了一种包含升温、相变、热解及热解产物飞散等过程的热-化学耦合模型.采用无规热解模型描述聚甲醛升温后的热解过程,给出了不同热解率下热解产物的组成.利用基团贡献法计算烧蚀产物组分的热力学性质,并按照混合法则确定烧蚀产物混合物的名义标准沸点和临界温度.当烧蚀产物温度低于临界温度时,以液态蒸发机理表征热解产物的烧蚀,用Knudsen层关系式计算烧蚀质量;反之热解产物飞散由气体动力学机理控制,采用间断守恒关系及Jouguet条件描述烧蚀进程.本模型可给出激光辐照下聚甲醛的烧蚀质量、烧蚀温度、烧蚀产物组成和不同机理的烧蚀比率.与实验结果对比表明,当激光能量密度小于30 J/cm2时本模型能准确地描述烧蚀过程.     

Spatial and time characteristics of short gap, highdi/dt discharges

Under certain network conditions, vacuum circuit breakers may generate high-frequency currents. The quenching capability of vacuum circuit breakers for line-frequency currents and high-frequency currents plays an important role in the generation of unwanted voltage transients. This may occur when the gap distance at current zero is still too short to withstand the external voltage to the switch (TRV). The results of simulation calculations regarding these phenomena in the vicinity of current zero are described. Simulations are based on a detailed physical model, taking into consideration the basic conservation laws, the Maxwell equations, and the current continuity. The numerical solution takes into account the results of experimental streak photographs, revealing that the visible discharge covers only a small part of the contact diameter     

Pressure Transients in a Model Gas-Blast Circuit Breaker Operating at Extra High Current Levels

Test results for model circuit breakers operating at high current levels and with large diameter nozzles show evidence of pronounced pressure transients although the circuit breaker nozzle is not severely blocked. The magnitude and duration of these transients are sufficient to affect the arc properties and hence influence arc control during the peak current phase and to influence arc extinction at current zero. However, despite their inherent importance there exists only limited information concerning such pressure variations. The purpose of this contribution is to identify the nature and sources of the transients, to establish typical thresholds for the onset of the transients, and to determine the influence of different operating conditions upon the transients. Measurements of pressure and thermal mantle variations are used in conjunction with an electrical analog model of the aerodynamic test facility to show that the pressure transients arise not only from arc generated flow impedance effects but also aerodynamic resonances. The resonant pressure transients are shown to be pronounced during the high current phase even below the thermal blocking threshold. Above the threshold, excitation of negative increment resonance following current peak produces depressed pressures during the current-zero period which may lead to a deterioration in circuit breaker performance. Higher frequency resonances also occur and become more pronounced with electrode wear. Activation of such resonances is symptomatic of axisymmetric arc instabilities which also may cause a deterioration in performance.     

吸收式热泵降膜吸收过程传热传质理论分析及实验关联

本文对吸收式热泵的降膜吸收过程中动量、能量及质量传递进行了较全面的理论分析，建立了变膜厚降膜吸收数学模型，揭示了吸收过程中热量、动量、质量传递过程间的相互作用关系并提出以ＰＥ数为核心的凝结式降膜吸收理论。依据该理论，成功地对降膜吸收过程传热实验数据进行关联，获得了实用传热计算的无因次准则公式。     

Heat transfer and cold cathode erosion in electric arc heaters

A simple thermophysical model is proposed for cold electrode erosion in electric arc heaters. The model regards erosion as characterized by an effective enthalpy of electrode material ablation, resulting in heat unbalance between heat supply and heat removal by conduction. Replacing the arc spot by a moving surface heat source, the space-time evolution of the electrode surface temperature is studied in coordinates coupled to the source. Applying heat diffusion equations, we show that the erosion problem can be represented by a system of three simple equations. An experimental coaxial setup, with a magnetically driven arc, has been used for the erosion measurements in copper electrodes. Special thermal experiments were carried out for measuring needed arc spot parameters. A comparison of the model with our own and other experimental data demonstrates a reasonable agreement. The present model reveals the relative significance of the different parameters in the erosion process, and permits us to predict the erosion behavior in cold electrode electric arc heaters in a wide range of parameters     

考虑金属蒸汽的钨极惰性气体保护焊电弧与熔池交互作用三维数值分析

基于局域热平衡状态假设并考虑金属蒸汽的作用, 建立了钨极惰性气体保护焊电弧与熔池交互作用的三维数学模型. 电弧等离子体的热力学参数和输运系数由温度和金属蒸汽浓度共同决定, 并使用第二黏度近似简化处理金属蒸汽在氩等离子中的输运过程. 在考虑熔池流动时, 主要考虑了浮力、电磁力、表面张力和等离子流拉力的作用. 通过对麦克斯韦方程组、连续性方程、动量守恒方程、能量守恒方程和组分输运方程的耦合求解, 得到了金属蒸汽在电弧中的空间分布、电弧和熔池的温度场、速度场和电流密度分布等重要结果. 通过与未考虑金属蒸汽的结果对比, 研究了熔池上表面产生的金属蒸汽对电弧等离子体行为的影响, 以及电弧等离子对熔池行为的影响. 结果表明, 金属蒸汽主要富集在熔池上表面附近; 金属蒸汽对电弧等离子体有明显的收缩作用, 而对等离子速度和电势影响较小; 金属蒸汽的出现对熔池上表面速度分布和剪切力分布以及熔池形貌并无明显影响. 求解结果与已有的实验结果和计算结果符合良好.