Focused Shadowgraphy in the Heating Volume of a High-Voltage Gas Circuit Breaker

The gas or plasma flow in the heating volume is central for the interruption performance of a circuit breaker (CB). This flow is visualized in a real breaker for the first time. Transparent parts were added to the breaker to use the focused shadowgraphy technique. Several experiments show the flow and distribution of the hot gas in the heating volume. The results can be used for further analysis of the gas/plasma flow in a CB.