Numerical solution of axisymmetric multi-species compressible gas flow: towards improved circuit breaker simulation

Nozzle wall ablation caused by high-temperature electrical arcs is studied in the context of high voltage SF₆ circuit breakers. The gases generated by the ablation mix with insulating gas, thereby modifying the thermodynamics and chemistry of the problem. To simulate these phenomena, an axisymmetric Euler equations model for multi-species flow at local thermodynamic equilibrium has been developed. The governing equations are solved using a finite-volume method based on Roe's flux-splitting scheme and a new procedure is proposed to obtain the mean values used in Roe's matrix involving multi-species. The change in the gas composition due to dissociation, ionisation and recombinations are taken into account by a dynamic coupling to a thermodynamic database. The formulation is appropriate for general equations of state. The scheme has been verified by comparisons with the analytical solution of a classic shock-tube problem. An experimental validation is presented involving the simulation of shock interactions with helium cylinders and bubbles in air. The scheme is also compared to experimental ablation results, as well as a previous version of the code. The model is then applied to a well controlled experimental arrangement with an arc inside a small Teflon^® tube. Finally, a simulation with a model circuit breaker completes the study.