Abstrakt

Arc Plasma using a Liquid Metal Current-Limiting Device

Ajeet PS, Sumita M, Sachin K

Current limiters are used to limit the maximum amplitude of a short circuit current in order to reduce the thermal and mechanical stress produced by the current. The liquid metal current limiters comprise of four principal elements: a liquid metal (GaInSn), an enclosure, an insulating wall, and two metal electrodes. The cavity of the enclosure is filled with galinstan. Liquid metal current limiters based on plasma technology are becoming popular due to their small volume, self healing properties, simple design, and lack of moving parts. Liquid metal current-limiting device involving arc plasma is based on pinch effect. In such a device the arc ignites due to selfpinch effect and start from free surface liquid metal which develops in the form of gas cavities. After arc ignition, it is concluded that the arc plasma should be a mixture of metal vapor & air. This article aims to describe the effect of metal vapor arc on electrode erosion.