Observation of the dynamic evolution process of vacuum arc microscopic particles based on the emission spectrum principle

Abstract

Abstract The distribution of microscopic particles directly affects the recovery of the post arc insulating medium and determines whether the fault current can be interrupted. Based on the principle of vacuum arc emission spectrum, a high-speed spectrum observation platform was built to study the distribution of microscopic particles during the arc burning, and the axial and radial spectral line intensity and density distributions of atoms and ions under different current amplitudes were obtained. The results show that the CuI spectral line intensity has two peaks near the cathode and anode, while in the arc column it is relatively low. The peak of the CuI spectral line intensity near the electrode is caused by electrode evaporation. The peak duration of the CuI spectral line intensity near the cathode is always longer than that near the anode. The CuII spectral line intensity is lower, appears later and disappears earlier, which in the arc column increased obviously, compared with CuI. The CuII density near the cathode is higher than that near the anode, and the CuII density in the arc column is higher than in the two electrodes, which is similar to the axial distribution of electron density. The radial distribution curve of CuI and CuII density is similar to the radial distribution curve of spectral line intensity, and displays the characteristics of a high center and low edge in the radial direction of the arc gap. The difference is that the width of the atomic spectral line is larger than that of the corresponding ionic spectral line, the distribution curve of the ionic spectral line is smooth and symmetrical, and the radial attenuation rate of the CuII density is larger than that of the corresponding CuI. This reflects the ionization of atoms and the effect of magnetic fields. The radial and axial distribution of the particle density is opposite to that of the excitation temperature. Electrode emission will first affect the atom formation.