Numericla Modelling of Copper-Tungsten Electrodes Heating During Current Interruption in Circuit-breakers

摘要

This paper presents the modelling of a Cu-W electrode during current interruption in a circuit-breaker. The main physical phenomena taken into account are: heat diffusion, copper phase changes (while tungsten remains solid), dependence of vapour production rate on local temperature, and diffusion of liquid copper. The developed model, based on a finite volume technique, allows one to compute the evolution of thermal quantities inside the material. The erosion rate and the residual copper concentration can also be determined.