Current limiting switching by squeezing arcs into narrow insulating slots

For low-voltage circuit breakers, arc breaking by squeezing the arc in a narrow insulating slot is an alternative to the conventional technique of using arc chutes with steel plates. The performance of a switching device based on this principle was experimentally investigated. The influence of slot dimensions, switching speed, insulating material, and other test parameters on the arc breaking characteristics was determined. By using a simplified arc model, the curves of arc voltage and arc current can be simulated. There is a good agreement between the experimental and the calculated results.<
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