Transient Thermal Analysis of the Circuit Breaker Current Path with the Use of FEA Simulation

Abstract

The finite element analysis (FEA) is an essential and powerful numerical method that can explicitly optimize the design process of electrical devices. In this paper, the employment of the finite element method (FEM) as ANSYS is proposed in order to aid electrical apparatus engineering and modeling of low voltage modular circuit breakers. The procured detailed model of a miniature circuit breaker (MCB) was undergoing transient thermal simulations of the current path. Acquired data were juxtapositioned with experimental data procured in the laboratory. The reflection of the simulation approach was clearly noted in the experimental results. Mutual areas of the modeled element expressed similar physical properties and robustness errors while tested in the specific conditions—faithfully reflecting those that were experimented with. Moreover, the physical phenomena essential for electrical engineering could be determined on the model stage. These types of 3D models can be used to analyze the thermal behavior of the current path during the current flowing condition.