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    Ablation-dominated arcs in CO2 atmosphere—Part I: Temperature determination near current zero
    (Basel : MDPI, 2020) Methling, Ralf; Khakpour, Alireza; Götte, Nicolas; Uhrlandt, Dirk
    Wall-stabilized arcs dominated by nozzle–ablation are key elements of self-blast circuit breakers. In the present study, high-current arcs were investigated using a model circuit breaker (MCB) in CO2 as a gas alternative to SF6 (gas sulfur hexafluoride) and in addition a long polytetrafluoroethylene nozzle under ambient conditions for stronger ablation. The assets of different methods for optical investigation were demonstrated, e.g., high-speed imaging with channel filters and optical emission spectroscopy. Particularly the phase near current zero (CZ) crossing was studied in two steps. In the first step using high-speed cameras, radial temperature profiles have been determined until 0.4 ms before CZ in the nozzle. Broad temperature profiles with a maximum of 9400 K have been obtained from analysis of fluorine lines. In the second step, the spectroscopic sensitivity was increased using an intensified CCD camera, allowing single-shot measurements until few microseconds before CZ in the MCB. Ionic carbon and atomic oxygen emission were analyzed using absolute intensities and normal maximum. The arc was constricted and the maximum temperature decreased from > 18,000 K at 0.3 ms to about 11,000 K at 0.010 ms before CZ. The arc plasma needs about 0.5–1.0 ms after both the ignition phase and the current zero crossing to be completely dominated by the ablated wall material. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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    Analysis of C2 SWAN bands in ablation-dominated arcs in CO2 atmosphere
    (Praha : Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Department of Physics, 2019) Methling, R.; Franke, St.; Götte, N.; Wetzeler, S.; Uhrlandt, D.
    A model circuit breaker in a high-pressure chamber filled with CO2 atmosphere is used to operate a wall-stabilized arc of several kilo-amperes between tungsten-copper electrodes surrounded by polytetrafluoroethylene nozzles. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is carried out via quartz plates inserted into the nozzles using a combination of an imaging spectrometer either with a high-speed video camera or with an ICCD camera. Depending on the nozzle geometry and the current, continuum from C2 Swan bands was detected as absorption as well as emission pattern. After current zero, optical absorption spectroscopy (OAS) using a xenon flashlamp as broadband background radiator was applied. An absorption around 493 nm was detected and attributed to CuF molecules. The study proofs the existence of C2 in the active phase and the formation of CuF near to current zero.