Simulation Research of Magnetic Field for Electrodes in DC Vacuum Circuit Breaker

Vacuum arc control by magnetic field is one of the basic methods to improve the current interruption performance of vacuum circuit breakers. The electrodes of vacuum interrupter with transverse magnetic field were investigated under the background of the mechanical DC vacuum circuit breaker. For the electrode's geometry, 3D modeling and finite element method were calculated for evaluating the effect of the geometry parameters on the magnetic field distribution, and the arc movement trajectory can be tracked. The geometry parameters include spiral groove shape, contact diameter, chamfer radius, and separation between open contacts. It can provide the fundamental data to design more effective electrodes, and guide the design of vacuum interrupter especially for DC vacuum circuit breaker.