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| Post-Arc Current Simulation in Vacuum Circuit Breakers with CuCr Contacts Based on the Particle-in-Cell Monte Carlo Collision Method |
| Li Xubin1,2, Jiang Yuan1,3, Wang Wen4, Liu Xiaoming5, Zou Jiyan2 |
1. Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 3GJ U.K.;
2. School of Electrical Engineering Dalian University of Technology Dalian 116024 China;
3. School of Automation and Electrical Engineering University of Science and Technology Beijing Beijing 100083 China;
4. China Electric Power Research Institute Beijing 100192 China;
5. State Key Laboratory of Smart Power Distribution Equipment and System Hebei University of Technology Tianjin 300401 China |
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Abstract Understanding the post-arc dielectric recovery process in the contact gap after the current zero is essential for improving the interruption capability of vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs). While previous studies have extensively employed the particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision (PIC-MCC) method to simulate post-arc behavior in copper contacts, few have addressed the widely used CuCr contact materials, and experimental validation remains limited. This study aims to simulate the post-arc current (PAC) in VCBs with CuCr contacts using a simplified two-dimensional PIC-MCC model, validated against experimental data. The research focuses on improving the accuracy of initial parameter settings and analyzing key factors affecting PAC, such as initial atom density and plasma drift velocity.
A simplified 2D PIC-MCC model was developed to simulate the dynamic behavior of residual plasma in the contact gap after current zero. The model incorporates electrons, monovalent Cu+ and Cr+ ions, and Cu/Cr atoms uniformly distributed in the gap, with quasi-neutrality assumed initially. The composition of Cu and Cr ions/atoms was set according to the mass ratio of the contact material. Key collision processes, including ionization, excitation, elastic and charge exchange, were considered using cross-section data from established databases. The PAC was computed by integrating PIC-MCC simulation results into the continuous transition model (CTM) current equation, which accounts for both conduction and displacement currents contributed by Cu and Cr ions. Initial parameters, including plasma density, were derived from experimental conditions and post-arc charge measurements, while atom density was estimated using an analytical model based on erosion rate and thermal velocity. Other initial settings, including the recovery voltage and gap length, are the same as the experimental conditions. Simulation results revealed that empirically set high atom densities (e.g., 1×1021 m-3) led to transient breakdown due to enhanced ionization collisions, inconsistent with experimental observations. By recalibrating the initial atom density to 3×1018 m-3 using an analytical model, the simulation accurately reproduced the experimental trend of successful interruption without breakdown. Furthermore, incorporating an initial plasma drift velocity significantly improved PAC waveform accuracy. The peak value of the PAC increased and its duration shortened with higher drift velocities, and a value of 4 000 m/s yielded the best agreement with measured data. Additional simulations comparing pure Cu, CuCr25, and CuCr50 contacts showed minimal influence of Cr content on PAC characteristics under identical conditions, suggesting that material composition has a limited impact on axial plasma dynamics during the post-arc phase and simplified assumptions using pure copper can be adequate when the detailed alloy composition is unavailable.
The study demonstrates that the combination of PIC-MCC simulation with CTM-based current calculation offers an effective method for PAC prediction in VCBs with CuCr contacts. Accurate estimation of initial atom density and inclusion of plasma drift velocity are critical for replicating experimental behavior. The findings provide practical insights for optimizing post-arc recovery performance and support the use of simplified copper-based models when material-specific data are unavailable. Future work should address limitations such as radial diffusion effects, multivalent ions, and surface interactions to further enhance model fidelity.
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Received: 30 April 2025
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2026, Vol. 41 
