Study on the Influence of Straight Slot Contact Structure Parameters on Arc Characteristics

Vacuum transverse magnetic contacts, with simple structures and low contact resistance, are garnering increasing attention in development and exploitation. The arc characteristics between these contacts crucially determine their breaking capacity. Therefore, methods to enhance the arc characteristics of straight slot transverse magnetic contacts through simulation and experimentation are explored in this article. The simulation results show that increasing the number of slots can enhance the radial force on the arc, while appropriately increasing the distance from the slot center to the center can adjust the direction of the force on the arc at different positions. Additionally, longitudinal tilted slots can further reduce the magnitude of the radial force on the arc on the outside of the contacts. More reasonable contact parameters are selected for the production of straight slot transverse magnetic contacts, and arc ignition tests are conducted within a detachable vacuum chamber. The results indicate that as the radial force acting on the arc decreases, the extent of arc splashing outside the poles reduces, while as the tangential force acting on the arc increases, the speed of the arc’s circular motion rises. In this article, the proportion of tangential force to radial force on the arc is regulated by adjusting the structural parameters, providing a new direction for the improvement of subsequent contact designs.