Visualization of arcing process in an auto-expansion circuit breaker

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.