IEEE TRANSACTIONSON COMPONENTS, HYBRIDS, AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY, VOL. CHMT-7, NO.

1, MARCH 1984 25

The Vacuum Interrupter Contact

PAUL G. SLADE, MEMBER, IEEE

A~srract-A survey of developments in electric contact design for

vacuum interrupters is presented. The major emphasis is placed upon
(hose characteristics of contact design that have led to practical vacuum
interrupters. A brief description is given of the different modes of
vacuum arc that have been observed and how these modes occur during
one-half cycle of high current arcing. In the main body of the paper the
design philosophy behind vacuum interrupter contact design is presented.
It is shown that only two classes of contact have achieved practical
utilization. The first of these design classescausesa magnetic field to be
impressed at right angles to the arc current and hence, causesthe arc to
move rapidly over the contact face. The second design class impressesa
magnetic field parallel to the arc current. This forces the arc into a diffuse
mode with many widely separated cathode spots and a diffuse current III I!1 w
collection at the anode even at very high currents. Each of these contact
designs is discussed and their advantages and disadvantages are deline- Stem Shield
ated.

I. INTRODUCTION

T HE CAPABILITIES and advantages of the vacuum

interrupter for use in medium voltage switching circuits
have now been widely recognized. Vacuum interrupters have
been applied in distribution reclosers, metal-clad switchgear, Fig. 1. Vacuum interrupter.
tap changers, and contactors. Most of the present applications
have been confined to voltages of less than or equal to 38 kV II. CONTACT DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
although investigations at higher voltages have been reported
The vacuum interrupter contacts have to satisfy a number of
u19 VI. potentially conflicting design criteria. In the closed position
The internal components of a typical vacuum interrupter are
shown in Fig. 1. The high-purity gas-free contacts are housed they must carry the steady-state current without excessive
within an evacuated envelope in which the ambient gas overheating. When they open they must provide sufficient
pressure is - 10 -6 torr. When the interrupter is closed, the metal vapor to permit the’ arc to carry the circuit current
contacts butt together. Arcing is established within the smoothly to current zero [3]. At current zero, however, there
interrupter by withdrawing the bellows-contact from the must be insufficient metal vapor for the arc to reignite when
stationary contact. This arc bums in the metal vapor evapo- the restored voltage appears across the contacts [4]. The
rated from local hot spots on the contact surfaces. The metal opening contacts must be capable of interrupting a wide range
vapor continually leaves the intercontact region, and con- of currents from the very low currents involved with switching
3enses on the contact surfaces and the surrounding metal cables and capacitor banks, to the normal continuous duty
shield. The latter is isolated from both contacts and serves to current, to overload currents, and finally to high short circuit
protect the insulating envelope from vapor deposition. At currents. The contacts must not weld and must have strength to
:urrent zero, contact vapor production ceases and the original survive many thousands of operations.
vacuum condition is rapidly approached. The dielectric In a previous paper the author discussed the different types of
strength of the interrupter also increases, and the circuit is contact materials that have been proposed for vacuum inter-
Interrupted. With the contacts in the open position, the circuit rupters and the importance of the correct choice [5]. As the
vroltage is isolated internally by the interelectrode gap and range of the vacuum interrupter has increased to interrupt
:xternally by the insulating envelope. higher and higher short circuit currents, however, the design of
In this paper the author reviews the development of the the contact shape and its interaction with the contact material
lracuum interrupter contact design and shows how the contact has become important.
shapes for the present styles of vacuum interrupter have Fig. 2 shows photographs of three different modes of arcing
:volved. that have been observed with vacuum arcs. In Fig. 2(a) the
diffuse vacuum arc is shown. This arc is characterized by a
Manuscript received April 1983; revised October 25, 1983. This paper was multitude of small cathode spots, from which both electrons
Iresented at the 29th Annual Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts, and ions are emitted, a diffuse interelectrode plasma, and
Zhicago, IL, September 26-28, 1983.
The author is with the Westinghouse R&D Center, 1310 Beulah Road, current collection across the entire surface of the anode [6]. In
‘it&burgh, PA 15235. practical vacuum interrupter designs this arc mode typically

0148-641 l/84/0300-0025$01 .OO 0 IEEE 1984

26 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPONENTS, HYBRIDS, AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY, VOL. CHMTJ, NO. 1, MARCH 1984

Time
(b) Fig. 3 Possiblevariationsin vacuumarc appearance.

until just before current zero. At the highest currents, the

electrode regions of this constricted column exhibit intense
activity with jets of material being injected from the contact
faces. In spite of this severe contact activity, even this arc
model can return to the diffuse mode just before current zero.
Electric contacts that have a diffuse vacuum arc burning
between them many milliseconds before current zero will have
Cc) excellent dielectric recovery properties after current zero. The
Fig. 2. Examplesof vacuumarc types.(a) Diffusearc. (b) Anodespot.(c) reason for this results from the properties of the cathode spots.
Columnararc. First the ions are ejected from the spot with very high
velocities ( - lo6 cm s -I) and so will clear the contact region
occurs at currents $7 kA. As the current is increased or the in a few microseconds after current zero. Second the spots
contact gap is widened an anode spot can form [7], Fig. 2(b). themselves are extremely small (- 10 pm), thus they will cool
This arc can still have multiple cathode spots, but the anode very rapidly after current zero (approximately microseconds
now has a grossly evaporating hot region. At higher currents or less) and thus will not liberate metal vapor into the
still an arc column can bridge the contact gap [8], Fig. 2(c). intercontact space. During the arcing period small particles of
This arc has the appearance of a similar current arc between contact material are ejected from the cathode spots tangentially
contacts in an ambient of air at one atmosphere. to the contact face, and thus move away from the intercontact
The appearance of the high current vacuum arc has been space in the shortest possible time. In contrast, if you have an
extensively studied by Heberlein and Gorman [8]. Their anode spot present.or you have an uncontrolled columnar arc,
conclusions are summarized in Fig. 3. Here a half cycle of the contact faces can be grossly heated and there can be liberal
current is shown. As the contacts part they are separated by a evaporation of metal vapor after current zero. This metal
molten metal bridge which forms at the last point of contact. vapor prevents rapid dielectric recovery of the contact gap by
Once the bridge has ruptured there is a brief period during providing a possible breakdown path [4]. It is important
which the arc is confined to the vicinity of the bridge [9]. Now therefore to minimize the arc heating of the vacuum contacts
depending upon the current level, the vacuum arc can progress during the current half cycle and to maximize the time during
into one of three possible forms. For currents of less than the half cycle for which the arc remains diffuse. In order to do
about 7 kA a diffuse arc, Fig. 2(a), will develop. For currents this many electric contact designs have been proposed. It is
between about 7 kA and about 15 kA the arc can form a possible to split these designs into three major groupings: 1)
transitory diffuse column which will either become a diffuse large area contacts, 2) contacts that cause the roots of the
arc or a more constricted column, Fig. 2(c). At currents higher columnar arc to move rapidly over their surfaces, and 3)
than.15 kA the confined arc develops into a constricted column contacts that force the high current vacuum arc to remain
immediately. At low currents, the diffuse arc can stay diffuse diffuse.
all the way to current zero. Depending upon the current level
and contact spacing, however, the diffuse arc can form an III. LARGti AREA CONTACTS
anode spot and a columnar arc before going diffuse again close The earliest vacuum interrupters used simple butt contact
to current zero. The constricted column will stay constricted structures, Fig. 4(a). Indeed, for low current, diffuse arc
SLADE: VACUUM INTERRUPTER CONTACT 27

(4

(b)

Raised
contac
struct
(cl
Fig. 4. Butt contacts and large area contact designs. (a) Butt contact, face of
this contact can be profiled and/or facing edges can be rounded. (b)
Interlacing arcing surfaces, one of many similar designs in patent Cd
literature. (c) Small butt contact attached to fixed large arcing area Fig. 5. Spiral electric contact. (a) Original spiral contact structure proposed
surface, one of many designs in patent literature. by Schneider. (b) Example of spiral contact structure for vacuum
interrupters. (c) Variation of spiral contact.

switching (G 7 kA) these contacts worked very well. At higher

currents the intense electrode activity caused severe erosion of design is shown in Fig. 5(b) and the mode of operation is
the contacts and failure to interrupt the current. Research into illustrated in Fig. 6(a). In the diffuse mode the cathode spots
one form of electrode activity, the anode spot [ 101, led to the run over the cathode surface as if the electrode were a disk.
concept of using large area electrodes for vacuum interrupter When the arc constricts, the self-magnetic field generated by
applications. The research showed that an anode spot would the current flowing in the spiral arms interacts with the current
form from a diffuse arc if, at a given contact gap, the anode flowing in the arc to force the arc to move between the spirals.
area were too small [ 111. Examples of large area electrodes When the arc roots reach the end of the spiral arm they are
are shown in Figs. 4(b) and 4(c) [12], [13]. Many other forced to jump the gap to the next spiral arm by the arc column
designs based upon this concept can be found in the patent continuing to move in the transverse direction. A typical
literature [ 141. Unfortunately this type of contact structure.has photographic sequence of the arc motion is shown in Fig. 7. It
proved to be impractical because the designers did not take can be seen that extremely rapid arc motion can be achieved
into account the initial confinement of the vacuum arc after the even though the transverse magnetic field acting on the arc is
rupture of the molten metal bridge [8], [9], see Fig. 3. When much less than the magnetic field between the spiral arms
the arc current was high enough, this confined arc remained behind the arc [17], [ 181. Many variations of this design have
constricted and caused gross erosion and overheating of the been proposed. Fig. 5(c) shows two examples [19], [20]. The
electrodes. The large area did not come into play at all. design shown in Fig. 8 has been proposed [21] to ensure that
the arc roots do not pause momentarily on the spiral ends. It
IV. CONTACTS TO ENHANCE ARC MOTION has the disadvantage that the current can flow into the spiral
The cathode spots in the diffuse vacuum arc, Fig. 2(a), arm from both directions and this will result in a considerably
move away from each other, the so-called retrograde motion lower magnetic field and hence a lower driving force. If the
[6]. At high currents when the vacuum arc is confined it has spiral is designed correctly, however, Fig. 7 shows that the arc
3een shown that the arc moves in an amperian manner when motion is not affected by the open spirals.
nteracting with a transverse magnetic field [ 151. This finding Another contact design of this class is the contrate or cup
las led to some very practical designs for vacuum interrupter contact [22], [23], see Fig. 9. It can be seen from Fig. 6(b) that
zontacts. Each of these designs accepts the occurrence of the the slanted slots cut into the cup’s side provide a transverse
:onstricted arc, but this arc is forced to move across the component to the magnetic field which drives the arc around
:ontact face through the interaction between the current the cup’s (see Fig. 6(b)). It has been found that the arc runs
lowing in the arc and a transverse magnetic field resulting best in this design if the slots do not extend all the way to the
Yom the current flowing in the contact. The earliest design for rim (as shown in Fig. 9) or else the slots are pushed closed at
his type of electrode, the spiral contact, was patented by the top.
Schneider [16] in 1960 and is illustrated in Fig. 5(a). A typical This class of contact (spiral and cup) is, at present, the
 28

the Columnar Arc

Driving Force
on the Columnar
Arc

(b)
Fig. 6. Examples of columnar arc driving schemes. (a) Current flow and
driving force on columnar arc for spiral contact structure. (b) Current flow
and driving force on columnar arc for cup contact structure.

(4
3cm
Fig. 7. Sequence of arc motion or a spiral electrode (1 ms between frames, 30 kA RMS).

preferred contact structure used by the majority of vacuum contact design. One study of the influence of contact design on
interrupter manufacturers. A great deal of empirical and contact erosion for currents up to 27 kA has been published by
modeling work has gone into optimizing particular contact Althoff [15], [25]. Fig. 10 shows a number of contact designs
designs. Almost none of this work has been reported in the that he used. In his experiments he observed the least contact
scientific literature. Each R&D group has developed its unique erosion with contact structure (viii). i
ILADE: VACUUM INTERRUPTER CONTACT
29

.-
0?
._
- (iii)

Possible Current Paths

Fig. 3. Close ended spiral contact.

Fig. 10. Examples of contact structures for enhancing arc motion.

-- - - - -_
_--
e--r - --.
_--- -..---..
,H’ I I -.
,f’,,’ ‘\ ‘\
i_i , < \ ! \\‘\
, ,’ I’ I ; ‘,,‘,, q
/‘,f’ : I z
E

/ii/m
I; 1\s:
5
I, I I ”
contact
Cap

.Slots in
Contact
7 I Wall
,
&r -1 -L..-

/ I Y
Time
Fig. 11 Vacuum arc appearance when axial magnetic field is applied
Fig. 9. Contrate or cup contact. between contacts.

V. CONTACTS THAT PROMOTE DIFFUSE ARCS

One way of maintaining a diffuse arc at high currents is to
apply an axial magnetic field to it [26], [27]. Heberlein et al.
rave shown [28]-[30] that if you apply a sufficiently high axial
‘ield the appearance of the arc changes from that shown in Fig.
3 to that shown in Fig. 11. After the rupture of the molten
netal bridge, the confined arc forms, this arc slowly expands
nto a diffuse arc which burns until current zero. At present
here is no comprehensive explanation of why the axial
nagnetic field causes the initial constricted arc to go diffuse. Fig. 12 Diffuse, 52 kA, vacuum arc electrode separation 24 mm, axial
1nce the arc has gone diffuse; however, a large enough axial magnetic field ~450 mT.
nagnetic field allows the arc to remain diffuse. The electrons
ue confined by the magnetic field lines in the inter-electrode energy over the whole contact surface and thus prevents gross
egion and, because of the associated creation of radial electric erosion of the contacts. If the confined plasma is still confined
ields, the ions are also confined to the inter-electrode region. when the current goes to zero, there is not necessarily a
4n example of a 50 kA diffuse arc is shown in Fig. 12. During deleterious effect on the recovery of the vacuum gap [30]. The
his high current arcing the diffuse arc distributes the arc contact designer has to ensure, however, that the axial
 30 IEEE TRANSACTIONSON COMPONENTS.HYBRIDS, AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY, VOL. CHMT-7, NO. 1, MARCH 1984

1. Ring Section
2. First Spoke
3. Second Spoke
4 Hub Section
A-A Section
contact Conductor Rod
Electrode
Coil Type
Electrode
current
(a)
B-B Section

Fig. 13. Axial field contact structure proposed by Toshiba.

(b)
Fig. 14. Axial field contact structure proposed by Hitachi. (a) Multipole
magnetic field contact. (b) Current paths and polarities of magnetic field.

magnetic field in the vacuum interrupter is close to its

maximum value when the arc current is greatest. because the magnetic field increases as the current increases.
One method of applying an axial magnetic field is to wrap a This class of contact structure has been used to interrupt very
coil, which carries the circuit current around the outside of the high currents. Yanabu et al. [34] report currents as high as 200
vacuum interrupter. This arrangement has been used success- kA in 12 kV circuits and Voshall et al. [2] report currents up to
fully for the repetitive switching of high current, dc circuits 63 kA in 72 kV circuits. The major disadvantage is that the
[31], [32]. Although there have. been some applications of electrode design increases the impedance between closed con-
external coils to ac switches, the method presents a number of tacts and can cause the contacts to overheat when passing very
disadvantages and limitations: 1) the resulting interrupter high steady-state currents. In order to overcome this disadvan-
tends to be bulky and, in three phase circuits, will affect the tage, very complicated designs have been proposed that only
pole spacing, 2) the coils must be insulated, 3) when the fault bring magnetic field into play after the contacts have opened
current occurs it takes time for the magnetic field to penetrate [37]. Another disadvantage is the complicated design. At
the contact gap, and 4) even when the field, penetrates the present, the arc motion style of contact (i.e., spiral and cup) is
contact gap, eddy current effects in the vacuum interrupter used to interrupt the whole range of currents in 12-15 kV
structure can cause the magnetic field to be out of phase with circuits in compact economical vacuum interrupters.
the current.
In order to overcome these disadvantages a number of axial VI. OTHER ELECTRODE DESIGNS
magnetic field electric contact designs, have been prepared It now appears as though practical vacuum interrupters will
[33]-[36]. Fig. 13 presents an example by Yanabu et al. [33], have one of the following types of contact structure: butt for
[34]. Here a coil is placed behind a facing contact. The slots in low currents, spiral type and/or axial magnetic field type for
the face of the contact are to reduce eddy currents. Another high currents. There have, however, been many designs of
axial magnetic field design by Kurosawa et al. [36] is shown in vacuum interrupter contacts in the patent literature, none of
Fig. 14. The major advantage of this class of contact structure which have found realization in commercial vacuum interrupt-
is its ability to keep the arc diffuse during very high currents ers. The “rod” structure is one interesting design that has been
PLADE: VACUUM INTERRUPTER CONTACT 31

contact support RO

Plasma Radiation
Plasma Motion

Rods. Alternatively

Fig. 17. Schematic diagram of the vane-structure electric contact.

Fig. 15. Schematic of rod-array contact and arcing assembly.

The reason for this is that at high currents, the vacuum arc
changes from a diffuse arc to a columnar arc and if this
Rod 1 Rod 2 Rod 3 columnar arc is not controlled, gross erosion of the contact
i 1 1 results which can lead to a failure to interrupt the circuit
current.
the Gap= 5.6 mm
Center -
2) Of the many contact designs that have been proposed to
Contact - control the columnar vacuum arc, only two major classes of
design have proved feasible: a) designs that force the columnar
2.7 ms after
Contact Separation arc to move around the face of contact by creating a magnetic
field transverse to the arc current, and b) designs that force the
Itotal = 36.3 !a
columnar arc to develop into a high current diffuse arc by
I rod = 19.8 kA impressing a magnetic field parallel to the arc current.
ig. 16. Vacuum arc between rod-array contact structure. Three rods are 3) In commercial vacuum interrupters the (a) design has
shown from total of 8 in structure. found most application. Two versions are being used: the
spiral contact and the cup contact.
lroposed [38], [39]. Fig. 15 gives an example of this. The 4) The (b) design has a magnetic field coil behind the
enter electrode butts together to carry the steady-state current. contact face. This structure has proved very useful for
4sthe contacts part, the arc forms between the center contacts. repeatedly switching very high currents.
‘his arc has all the characteristics that have been discussed in 5) Each of these contact designs will undergo subtle
rig. 3. If, sometime later, the arc transfers to the rods it will refinements as the interaction between contact structure,
ontinue to burn in the diffuse form. A photograph is shown in contact material, and arcing mode becomes better understood.
Fig. 16. If this photo is compared to Fig. 12, you can see the
ame search-light structure. What appears to happen is that ACKNOWLEDGMENT
urrent flowing through the center rod sets up a cylindrical
magneticfield which is perpendicular to the rods. The rods act I thank my colleagues Dr. Clive Kimblin and Dr. Jockel
ke large surface area electrodes subjected to an axial magnetic Heberlein for many enlightening discussions and for their
leld and so the arc becomes diffuse. There are two disadvan- constructive criticisms. I also thank Mr. Bill Reilly who did
tges to this type of structure; one is that it is large and bulky such excellent drawings on the many contact designs. I thank
nd it is difficult to make it into a small neat system, and Mrs. Toni McElhaney who typed the manuscript so well.
:cond, at high currents, when the bridge ruptures the arc may
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