Comparative study of ARC elongation of flat and inclined splitter plates in arc chamber of moulded case circuit breaker

Year 2025, Volume: 43 Issue: 1, 25 - 33, 28.02.2025

Meenakshi Tumane Prashant Thakre Pravin Katare

Abstract

The components that make up a power system are generation, transmission, distribution, and substation. When a failure occurs in the electrical grid, the whole system must be protected by a reliable protection mechanism. Due to its affordability and reliability, the low-voltage circuit breaker (LVCB) has become a widely adopted safety device in various low-voltage distribution systems. In recent years, there has been significant attention directed towards the low-voltage circuit breaker. To prevent electrical overload or short circuits, moulded case circuit breakers (MCCBs) are employed in low-voltage electrical systems. This device prevents electrical system damage by instantly turning off the power in the case of a malfunction or overcurrent scenario.Industry identified a problem of heating in the MCCB arc chamber due to a large arc quenching time in operation. An electric arc always carries out the interruption process of the current in the MCCB. To overcome this issue, the effect of inclination and blow out coil volt-age on arc extinction phenomenon of splitter plates in arc chamber is analysed using ANSYS software in this research work.MCCB model has current rating 200 A, rated voltage is 500V and breaking capacity of 65 kA is considered for modelling and simulation. A splitter plate with a taper angle along the direction of the arc shows the better results in the 2-D analysis of MCCB model.

Keywords

Arc Chamber, Circuit Breaker, Low Voltage, Moulded Case, Splitter Plate

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