Simulation of relay contact bouncing including a short arc model

Conference: ICEC 2014 - The 27th International Conference on Electrical Contacts
06/22/2014 - 06/26/2014 at Dresden, Deutschland

Proceedings: ICEC 2014

Pages: 6Language: englishTyp: PDF

Personal VDE Members are entitled to a 10% discount on this title

Authors:
Haase, Roman; Berger, Frank (Electrical Apparatus and Switchgear Group, Technische Universitaet Ilmenau, Germany)

Abstract:
The continuous growing requirements on power relays makes it necessary to handle higher switching capacities. This is represented in an increasing number of switching operations and thereby an extended lifetime of the relays. Especially by switching direct currents a directed material transfer can occur. In battery systems (e.g. automotive) the source voltage can scatter in a wide range due to the actual load conditions. However several work principles of the relay are functions of the source voltage. Nevertheless the application requires a steady and secure switching behavior to ensure a high lifetime. The presented simulation model (using MATLAB/SIMULINK) describes a model switch based on a real application. It includes the electromagnetic actuator, the description of the contact system including two contact bolts, a contact bridge with a tilting movement and its geometrical dimensions. An arc model calculates the arc voltage and the current during the make and break process. This can be used for optimization. All simulations are validated by measurements. This paper presents the approach of creating a simulation model with arcing behavior and its measured parameters.