Motion and Splitting of Vacuum Arc Column in Transverse Magnetic Field Contacts at Intermediate—Frequency

Arc motion and splitting of vacuum arc at intermediate frequency(400-800 Hz) were investigated under transverse magnetic field(TMF).The experiment was performed on cup-type TMF contacts with contact diameter of 40 mm and a contact gap of 4 mm in a single-frequency circuit.With high-speed photography we characterized the arc appearance at different arc currents from 3.3 kA-rms to 10 kA-rms at intermediate frequencies.As arc current increases from3.3 kA-rms to 10 kA-rms the arc appearance changes obviously.When current value is 3.3 kArms(current frequency 400-800 Hz),there is almost no splitting arc;when the current exceeds5 kA-rms(current frequency 400-800 Hz),the arc rotates at a speed above 20 m/s,accompanied by an observable splitting arc.The splitting arc could be observed at different frequencies and the arc-voltage had no noises when splitting occurred.The motion direction and the velocity of arc column were studied.Finally,the formation of a split arc was discussed.