Research Progress of Modeling and Simulation of Vacuum Arcs Considering Multicomponents With Different Anode Modes

Vacuum arc widely appears in vacuum interrupters, ion sources, thrusters, and other related application fields. Understanding the components’ characteristics in vacuum arc is very important for the above application fields. At present, modeling and numerical simulation technology is becoming more and more important for the study of vacuum arc mechanisms. In this article, multicomponent magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models of vacuum arc with passive and active anode modes will be reviewed, and the commercial alloy electrode materials in vacuum interrupters will be considered. The influence of the spatial magnetic field generated by commercial electrodes on the arc was studied. Furthermore, transient plasma characteristics and component evolution processes of vacuum arcs with different situations (fixed gap distance and electrode movement) in vacuum interrupters are reviewed. Vacuum arc plasma jet characteristics with a ring anode under different external magnetic fields will also be introduced, and the separation mechanisms of light and heavy ions in vacuum arcs will also be studied. Finally, the challenge of vacuum arc modeling in the future is also discussed.