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Experimental Research on Current-carrying Efficiency of
Arc under Different Polarities
H Y Yan
1,*
, L M Song
1
, R H Zhang
1
and L X Jia
1,2
1
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Luoyang Institute of Science and
Technology, Henan Luoyang 471023, China
2
National United Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Bearing Tribology, Henan
University of Science and Technology, Henan Luoyang, 471023
Corresponding author and e-mail: H Y Yan, yanhongyan@126.com
Abstract. Current-carry ing arc got contact surface worse and influenced the transmission of
electric energy. Arc burning process and arc characteristics and arc erosion and current -
carrying efficiency were tested on a home-made single asperity current-carrying tester under
different polarities conditions. Experimental results show: when W probe is anode and copper
specimen is cathode, arc mainly belongs to metallic vapour state and arc has long burning
times and high arc energy and lo w electric field intensity. Current -carrying efficiency is high.
When W probe is cathode and copper specimen is anode, arc main ly belongs to gas state and
arc has short burning times and low arc energy and high electric field intensity. So arc erosion
is light and current-carrying efficiency is low.
1. Introduction
Pantograph-catenary system is friction pair which can transmit electric energy during their sliding
relatively. When contact surface breaks between pantograph and catenary at high voltage and heavy
electric current, current-carrying arc generates inevitably. Current-carrying arc with high temperature
could burn and damage the material and makes contact surface worsen, while it can transmit electric
energy to satisfy with energy supply of high-speed train because of its electrical conductivity. So
pantograph-catenary arc takes on double properties [1-2]. It is necessary to research influence of arc
characteristics on arc erosion and arc current-carrying efficiency.
In recent technological developments of current-carrying friction pair, major efforts have been
devoted to research of friction-wear property and current-carrying quality. Experimental results show
current-carrying arc play an important role. All above researches were carried out on the pin-on-disk
tester which kept pin and disk contact all the time, thus friction heat and resistance heat and arc heat
damaged commonly materials and electric current transmitted in contact conductivity and arc
conductivity manners [3-10]. It is rare that mere arc cause damage and change of electric
conductivity quality. Current-carrying arc occurs at random and instantaneously, so it is difficult to
control and catch and measure it. To solve above problems a current-carrying tester of a single
contact peak has been developed on which arc burning process and arc characteristics were observed
and analyzed under different polarities.
386
Yan, H., Song, L., Zhang, R. and Jia, L.
Experimental Research on Current-carrying Efficiency of Arc under Different Polarities.
In Proceedings of the International Workshop on Materials, Chemistry and Engineering (IWMCE 2018), pages 386-391
ISBN: 978-989-758-346-9
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