Optimal Band Selection for the Calculation of Planck Mean Absorption Coefficients

Radiative heat transfer is a major heat loss mechanism in thermal plasmas generated during arc flashes/faults in switchgear applications or during high current interruption in low voltage circuit breakers. A common way to calculate the radiation balance is by means of approximate non-gray radiation models like P1 or discrete ordinates (DOM), where the frequency dependent absorption and emission are described in a number of frequency intervals (bands) using a constant absorption coefficient in each band. Current work is focused on finding the optimal number of bands as well as band interval boundaries that provide a reasonable level of accuracy in comparison to a full spectral solution. An optimization procedure has been applied to different SF6 and copper vapor gas mixtures for an assumed temperature profile. Radiation model results using optimized band averaged absorption coefficients as well as spectral values are provided and discussed for the exemplary temperature profile

Discharge channel displacement simulation in AC arc

Results of 3-D of discharge channel displacement simulation, acquired by means of the Fluent program during one current half-period of AC arc, indicate that the obtained images of the phenomenon are qualitatively similar to those, recorded with a high-speed digital camera, while the computer simulation enables much a more comprehensive analysis of the acquired data. In addition to selected arc simulation frames and corresponding distributions of mass velocity vectors and current density vectors on a plane, the distributions of temperature, current density and mass velocity values are presented on the axis of the electrode arrangement model. The composite motion (continuous and jumping) of discharge channels was analyzed, taking into account mass displacement and matter state changes