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An electric arc between two nails. An electric arc (or arc discharge) is an electrical breakdown of a gas that produces a prolonged electrical discharge. The current through a normally nonconductive medium such as air produces a plasma, which may produce visible light. An arc discharge is initiated either by thermionic emission or by field ...
The temperature of the resulting electric arc is very high (tens of thousands of degrees), causing the metal on the contact surfaces to melt, pool and migrate with the current. The high temperature of the arc causes dissociation of the surrounding gas molecules creating ozone, carbon monoxide, and other compounds. The arc energy slowly destroys ...
An arc flash is more likely to form in a switch that is closed slowly, by allowing time for an arc to form between the contacts, so it is usually more desirable to "throw" switches with a fast motion, quickly and firmly making good contact. High-current switches often have a system of springs and levers or even pneumatic assists to assist with ...
As the gap was reduced further, the voltage required to cause an arc began to rise and again exceeded its original value. For a given gas, the voltage is a function only of the product of the pressure and gap length. [2] [3] The curve he found of voltage versus the pressure-gap length product (right) is called Paschen's curve. He found an ...
When electrical contacts open to interrupt a large current, there is a tendency for an arc to form between the opened contacts, which would allow the current to continue. This condition can create conductive ionized gases and molten or vaporized metal, which can cause the further continuation of the arc or create additional short circuits ...
Arcing horns protecting bushings on a distribution transformer. Arcing horns form a spark gap across the insulator with a lower breakdown voltage than the air path along the insulator surface, so an overvoltage will cause the air to break down and the arc to form between the arcing horns, diverting it away from the surface of the insulator. [3]
This behaviour causes the apparent motion of the arc. As the arc is basically a current carrying conductor it can be influenced by the application of an electromagnetic field , which in practice is used to rapidly move the arc over the entire surface of the target, so that the total surface is eroded over time.
The arc caused during the contact break (break arc) is akin to arc welding, as the break arc is typically more energetic and more destructive. [7] The heat and current of the electrical arc across the contacts creates specific cone & crater formations from metal migration.