Overload Capacity Experimental Research and the Improved Design Method for the Contact System of an SSER

The overload capability is very important for a small sealed electromagnetic relay (SSER). The detailed design of the experiment can help analyze the overload capacity of an SSER. This paper addressed at the different levels of the load requirements and its improvement method. A series of experiments (double, four-time, six-time and eight-time) have been designed based on IEC test standard. Interference restraint methods are used to guarantee the accuracy of the experiments. The experiments include different contact springs, contact materials, and different dynamic characteristics (break speed). Focusing on the influence of the arc suppression ability, the experimental system is established, including high-speed camera system under certain conditions. The images of the arc under different overload are compared and analyzed. The test results show that the experimental methods can indicate the breaking capacity clearly. From the view of different types of energy level, thickness of the spring and the break speed, arc suppression ability is discussed. The improvement has been made to optimize the SSER. Moreover, the optimized SSER has been manufactured and tested, which proved the validity of the improve method based on the experimental design and energy analysis.