Research & Development
R&D Projects

Arc Control Technology for Distribution Equipment

# Advanced Technology Laboratory # Energy Solutions # Electric Distribution & Control Components # Safety and Security

  • High-temperature gas analysis technology to improve distribution equipment design technology

  • Applicable to the development of DC circuit breakers for mega solar

  • Applicable to the miniaturization of gas-insulated switchgear

Arc discharges occur at the time of short-circuit accidents inside distribution equipment and when cutting off accident current. The arc is high-voltage, high-energy plasma with extreme heat anywhere between a few thousand and a few ten thousand degrees Celsius. In case of a short-circuit accident inside the switchboard, the temperature of the high-temperature gas when sprayed outside is approximately 1000°C, and measures are needed to prevent harm to the human body even in such a case.

Therefore, we developed a high-temperature gas cooling device that utilizes a metal heat-exchanging technology and elucidates phenomena by acquiring the basic characteristics of arc and high-temperature gas via a modeling unit in order to improve the safety and performance of equipment.

* The figure below shows the effect of the device during the verification when equipping in the switchboard.

Observation of arc extending from electrodes during DC cutoff
Verification of the effect of the high-temperature gas cooling device via an arc test inside a switchboard

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