Novel Black-Box Arc Model Validated by High-Voltage Circuit Breaker Testing

In this paper, we present a new black-box arc model that was validated using tests with short-line fault interruption of high-voltage circuit breakers. This new arc model shows superior performance compared with four types of existing black-box arc models. Black-box arc models are widely used to simulate current and voltage waveforms during the interruption process. Applied together with arc parameters, they determine arc conductance and interruption behavior. In this study, the arc parameters of each arc model are derived from an optimization approach in a defined time interval to minimize the difference between the measured and simulated arc voltages. The black-box arc models with optimized arc parameters are applied to a simplified circuit for short-line fault simulation, and the model accuracy of the interruption prediction and waveform fitting is quantitatively scored.