Investigation of DC circuit breaker with extinguishing chamber at reduced ambient pressure for an application in avionics

With the increased demand for commercial aviation and CO2 emission-reduction, aircraft electrification is becoming more important. This paper investigates the switch-off performance of a mechanical switch (considering the laboratory equipment, the test condition is set to approximately 480 V and 800 A). A particular focus will be placed on the effect of ambient pressure (in the range of 0.25 bar to atmospheric pressure) on the switch-off process, and on the properties of the arc. A combination of sensors and high-speed camera will be used to measure and collect the electrical and physical parameters of the arc.