On the Influence of Contact Dimensions on the Loss of Metal During Switching of Alternating Currents in Oil and in Air

The influence of the contact dimensions on the erosion behavior of copper contacts using a current ranging from i = I - 18 kA (50 Hz) has been investigated under insulating oil and in air. High-speed photographs of the arcs and photographs of the arc traces on the contact surfaces reveal that the formation of plasma streams, which is dependent on the current load and the dimension's ratio of the contact pair, have a decisive influence on contact erosion.