INFLUENCE OF COPPER VAPORS IN SF 6 PLASMA

Pierre Freton (1) , Jean Jacques Gonzalez (1) , A. Harry Solo (2) , F Reichert (3) , A Petchanka (3)

1 LAPLACE-AEPPT - Arc Electrique et Procédés Plasmas Thermiques
2 LAPLACE - LAboratoire PLasma et Conversion d'Energie
3 Siemens AG [Germany]

In this study a theoretical approach allows estimating the ablation mass flux of copper from a corrected Hertz-Knudsen flux. The influence of the copper vapours coming from the anode electrode to an SF 6 plasma is studied in a simplified 2D configuration. Depending on the plasma pressure an ablation or a diffusion state is considered. The amount of copper versus time is presented. An RMS current I=10kA is applied leading at t=10ms to an amount of copper equal to 0.6mg. The vapours change the plasma properties mainly the electrical conductivity and radiation and so the plasma behaviour. At time t=5ms the electrode erosion leads to a copper plasma. This simple case shows the necessity to well consider the copper erosion in plasma modelling as in High Voltage Circuit Breaker (HVCB) where higher current are considered.

Mots clés: Copper ablation; High Voltage Circuit Breaker; Electric arc

Domaines: Physique [physics]

Pierre Freton, Jean Jacques Gonzalez, A. Harry Solo, F Reichert, A Petchanka. INFLUENCE OF COPPER VAPORS IN SF 6 PLASMA. Plasma Physics and Technology XX, 2019, pp.1 - 4. ⟨10.14311/ppt.2019.2.161⟩. ⟨hal-02324116⟩