Verification of a numerical MHD arc model for high voltage circuit breakers using experimental images

V. Abbasi¹ - K. Niayesh² - A. Gholami³

¹ Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Energy, Kermanshah University of Technology, Kermanshah, Iran
² Department of Electrical Power Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
³ Electrical Engineering Department, Iran University of Science and Technology, Narmak, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
The paper presents experimental and computational images of the arc in a simplified chamber. A circuit is arranged to inject the AC current into the electrodes. Arc current, magnetic field and plasma flow are described in the framework of magnetohydrodynamic equations in conjunction with the k-ε turbulence model. The MHD numerical model includes mass, momentum and energy conservation equations, turbulence, radiation, generalized Ohm’s law, Maxwell’s equations, radiation and heat transfer. A high speed camera is used to evaluate the computational results. The calculated results are in accordance with the obtained experimental data, which points to the applicability of the method. Figs 8, Refs 19.