In order to realize better understanding of influential order sequences of surrounding atmospheres on break arc durations of electrical contacts in DC load conditions, a quantitative mathematical model, which aims to indicate dependences of break arc durations on several gas parameters such as molecular mass, viscosity, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, electro-negativity, and ionization potential, was analyzed. Break arc durations of AgCdO contact pairs were measured in several kinds of surrounding atmospheres (N2, Ar, He, air, O2 and CO2) under different DC voltage and current conditions, and data fitting processes were conducted. As a result, a candidate mathematical model was established, which could indicate possible influential order sequences of surrounding atmospheres on break arc durations in the range of the tested conditions.

Various DC power supply systems such as photovoltaic power generation, fuel cell and others have been gradually spreading, so that DC power distribution systems are expected as one of energy-saving technologies at houses and business-related buildings as well as data centers and factories. Under such circumstances switches for electric appliances are requested to interrupt DC current safely in DC power systems (DC 300-400V). It is well-known that DC current is much more difficult to be interrupted than AC current with current-zero. In this paper a model switch is developed and fundamental characteristics of DC current interruption in a resistive circuit is experimentally and theoretically examined. Consequently arc duration is found to be approximately a function of interrupted power rather than source voltage and circuit current. In addition arc length at its extinction is obtained by the observation of a high-speed camera. Then the arc length is found to be decided only by interrupted power like the gap length, independent of separation velocity. From these results it can be made clear that the arc form becomes arc-shaped at its extinction when the interrupted power is larger than about 500W. In addition the effect of magnetic blow-out on arc extinction is examined.

To clarify the dependence of arc duration on atmosphere, experiments were conducted under conditions of air, N$_{2}$, Ar, He and CO$_{2}$ with the pressure of 0.1,MPa in a 14,V/28,V/42,V circuit respectively. A quantitative relationship between arc duration and gas parameters such as ionization potential, thermal conductivity was obtained from the experimental data. Besides, the inherent mechanism of influence of atmosphere on arc duration was discussed.

Arc discharge at breaking electrical contact is considered as a main source of not only degradation of the electrical property but also an undesired electromagnetic (EM) noise. In order to clarify the effect of holder temperature on the bridge and arc-duration, opening-waveforms at slowly separating silver-tin dioxide contact with different holder temperature are measured and discussed experimentally in this paper. Firstly, as opening-waveforms, the contact voltage, the contact current and the movement of moving contact related to the gap length are measured simultaneously. Secondly, the relationship between temperature of the holder and duration of the arc was quantified experimentally. It was revealed that as the initial temperature of the holder becomes higher, arc-duration becomes slightly longer. More importantly, the holder temperature dependencies of percentage of each-phase (metallic and gaseous-phases) are different with different closed-current.

Arc discharge generated by breaking electrical contact is considered as a main source of not only degradation of the electrical property but also an undesired electromagnetic (EM) noise. In order to clarify the effect of heated temperature on the bridge, arc-duration and the fluctuation of voltage, opening-waveforms at slowly separating silver-tin dioxide contact with holder heating are measured and discussed experimentally in this paper. Firstly, opening-waveforms are measured. Secondly, voltage fluctuation of the each arc-phase is discussed to extract the effect of the heated holder. The relationship between temperature of the heated holder and duration and fluctuation of the arc was investigated experimentally. It was revealed that as the initial temperature of the heated holder becomes higher, arc-duration becomes slightly longer. In addition, voltage fluctuation at the gaseous-phase decreases when the holder is heated. Consequently, the heated holder can suppress the voltage fluctuation even if its duration becomes slightly longer.

Application of transverse magnetic field (TMF) is one of the most important ways to improve electric life and breaking capacity of DC relays. For better understanding of dependence of arc durations on transverse magnetic field, a series of experiments were conducted under an external transverse magnetic field with 12 pairs of AgSnO2 contacts in a DC 28 V 60 A/30 A/5 A circuit, respectively. By using permanent magnets, the transverse magnetic field was obtained and the magnetic flux density at the gap center was varied from 13 to 94 mT. The results show that breaking arc duration is decreased monotonically with increases in the magnetic flux density, but making arc duration isn't decreased monotonically with increases in the magnetic flux density. In addition, both the magnetic flux density and the breaking arc duration have threshold values Bl and Tbmin, respectively, which means the breaking arc duration is almost stable with the value Tbmin even if the magnetic flux density is higher than Bl.

Experiments were carried out at several voltages to clarify the influence of the voltage on various characteristics, i.e. arc duration, contact resistance, arc energy, and the change in electrode mass. The voltage was varied from DC100 V to 160 V, the load current was fixed at 5 A constant, and the electromagnetic contactor was operated continuously up to 100,000 times. The experiments were carried out under the three operation modes which are classified by the arc discharge. As a result, the relation between the operation mode and contact resistance was clarified. When only a make arc was generated, the contact resistance was smallest. In addition, the contact resistance was not affected by the source voltage.

Recently, photovoltaic power systems and electric vehicles have been commonly used. Therefore, the importance of DC (direct current) switching is expected to increase in the near future. The authors have been examining a method of evaluating the electrode loss of AgNi contacts for an electromagnetic contactor with a medium DC load current at a resistive circuit. In this study, the arc energy and electrode mass changes were investigated in more detail. We carried out experiments of 100,000 operations for an electromagnetic contactor at a load current of 5 A constant with a source voltage change from 100 to 160 V. The arc duration, contact resistance, arc energy, and electrode mass changes were measured. As a result, the arc duration was found out increase with the source voltage. In addition, the stationary cathode mass change (loss) increased proportion only to the total arc energy. However, the stationary cathode loss per unit arc energy decreased at the highest source voltage.

Silver electrical contacts are separated to generate break arcs in a DC48 V/6-24 A resistive circuit. The transverse magnetic field formed by a permanent magnet is applied to the break arcs. A series of experiments are carried out for two different experimental conditions. One condition is a constant contact separating speed while the magnetic flux density is changed to investigate the shortening effect of the arc duration. Another condition is a constant magnetic flux density while the contact separating speed is changed to investigate the changes in the arc duration and the contact gap when the break arc is extinguished. As a result, with constant separating speed, it is confirmed that the duration of break arcs is shortened by the transverse magnetic field and the break arcs are extinguished when the arc length reaches a certain value L. Under the condition of constant transverse magnetic field, (i) the arc duration is shortened by increasing the separation speed; (ii) the contact gap when the break arc is extinguished is almost constant when the separating speed v is sufficiently faster than 5 mm/s.

To clarify how the occurrence of contact welding is related to the series of arc duration characteristics in consecutive make and break operations, electrical endurance tests were conducted on commercially available automotive relays, and the voltage waveforms of make and break arcs between the electrodes were recorded with LabVIEW. Experimental results indicate that welding may occur suddenly or randomly with increasing number of operations. A single arc or a group of make or break arcs with a long arc duration does not necessarily result in contact welding, but a group of longer make or break arcs within a narrow range of operation numbers can cause imminent contact welding (such an effect can be called the “group of longer arcing duration effect”). It is confirmed that contact welding may occur in both make and break operations, but the welding probability during make operations is much higher than that during break operations.

Arc duration of breaking arcs is investigated in order to obtain an experimental equation for the dependence of the arc duration on supply voltage in DC resistive circuit in air at atmospheric pressure. Materials of the contact pairs are Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Pt and Pd. The interrupted current is ranging from 6 A to 10 A and the supply voltage is 30 V, 42 V and 54 V. Sato's experimental equation for the arc length is modified to obtain more appropriate experimental equation for our experimental results. The arc termination current It and minimum arc voltage Vm that are obtained with the experimental results are used as parameters of the experimental equation for each contact material. And characteristic coefficients C for each contact material in the experimental equation are obtained. As results, the experimental equation for each contact material well agrees with the experimental results. The experimental equation for several contact materials is presented.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the opening speed on a breaking arc. The opening speeds are 10, 20 and 30 mm/s. The breaking arc is generated in a D.C. 42 V/10.5 A circuit, and the arc voltage, the arc current, the gap length and the arc spectrum intensity are measured. Arc temperature is calculated by using a Boltzmann plot. Even if the opening speed is changed, the arc temperature starts from a high temperature, and falls gradually to 4650-4750 K with time. Namely, the opening speed has no influence on the arc temperature.

At current interruption by electric contact, a repetition phenomenon of arc extinction and re-ignition is often observed before complete extinction of arc discharge, in some cases for a long time and in other cases for a short time. Occasionally, no re-ignition is observed. From a viewpoint of arc duration, the period of this repeating arc is also an important factor, if it is very long. However, the conventional explanation about the contact arc duration excludes this repeating arc phenomenon so that it fails to explain the reason and the duration of this phenomenon. For the purpose of investigating why this phenomenon occurs and how long it lasts, the arc extinction current and the arc re-ignition voltage have been measured for tungsten electrode, palladium electrode, copper electrode, and silver electrode. The circuit is, for simplicity, resistive with a capacitor source voltage and a fixed short arc gap of 0.5 mm. Taking newly into account the idea of unstable arc region by the measured results, the conventional explanation was improved. As a result, the reason and the duration of arc extinction and re-ignition phenomenon have become understandable. For simplification, the main description is based on the results by tungsten electrode. The results by other electrodes are summarized in appendix.

Arc duration of silver contacts was measured with fixed short gap under the condition of different constant gaps and different constant currents, which are close to the minimum arc current of the contact material. The results indicated that the arc occurred even at the current less than the minimum arc current. The arc duration varies in different operations at the same testing condition and it distributes exponentially in the time range up to 100 microseconds. The time constant τ and the extinction rate λ of the distribution were calculated, and related to the arc current. It was assured by silver electrode arc that, even below the so-called minimum arc current, arc ignition may occur but, in this case, the arc duration is momentary, and, as the arc current decreases, the arc extinction rate becomes large.