Short-time extinguishing of arc discharges by high-speed airflow ejected from the inside of an electrical contact

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K04441
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 21010:Power engineering-related
• Research Institution: Shizuoka University
• Principal Investigator: Sekikawa Junya 静岡大学, 工学部, 教授 (80332691)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: アーク放電

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Electrical contacts are mounted in the electro-magnetic relays and contactors that are used to switch electrical circuits. Arc discharges occur in these devices when the circuit is interrupted. In this study a novel method is proposed to extinguish arc discharges. Air flow is generated from a contact surface in the method. The air flow is occurred by the motion of the electrical contact. Using this method, arc discharges generated between electrical contacts were successfully blown-out from the contact gap by the air flow, and the duration of arc discharges was shortened to a degree comparable to magnetic blowing-out.

Free Research Field

アーク放電、電気接点

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で提案した気流噴出によるアーク放電の吹き消しは、接点そのものに気流を発生させる機構が組み込まれていることに特徴がある。この手法はこれまでにない新たな手法である。気流噴出によるアーク放電の駆動効果の最適化のために、接点構造の改良を続けた結果、ある実験条件においては、従来手法としてよく用いられている磁気吹き消しに匹敵するかそれをやや上回るアーク放電の継続時間短縮効果が得られた。