Improved Mathematical Model of the Operation of Two Adjacent Chambers of the RMKE-10 Multi-Chamber Arrester for Lightning Protection of Overhead Power Lines

Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and Streamer Inc. have been joint theoretical and experimental researching multi-chamber arresters for lightning protection of overhead power lines for a number of years. The goal of those investigations is an improving of arc extinguishing properties of the arresters. The goal of the theoretical investigations is to develop an adequate model of the processes of an electric arc extinguishing in arresters which could be used to improve the design of a multi-chamber arresters. The article presents an improved model of plasma processes in two adjacent chambers of a multi-chamber arrester, in which a method is proposed for taking into account an erosion of the electrodes and an ablation of the walls of the discharge chambers. A new design of the discharge chambers with an additional cavity is proposed. The results of calculations for two designs of discharge chambers are presented, and a comparative analysis of the results is carried out. It is shown that an additional cavity inside the discharge chamber leads to the accumulation of high-pressure gas in it during the arrester operation, which contributes to the removal of plasma to the chamber outlet and to the electric arc extinguishing.