Dans le cadre d’un projet étudiant la possibilité de remplacer le SF6 par du vide comme milieu de coupure dans les disjoncteurs Haute-Tension, un travail ayant pour objet d’acquérir une meilleure compréhension du comportement d’un arc de vapeurs métalliques à grandes distances inter-électrodes (> 10 mm) et contrôlé par un champ magnétique axial (AMF) a été entrepris. Ce travail a premièrement donné lieu à l’élaboration d’une expérience au cours de laquelle des arcs, créés entre deux contacts en CuCr25 fixes, ont été visualisés par vidéo rapide dans une maquette démontable d’ampoule à vide. Différents types de régime d’arc ont été observés. En outre, à l’aide d’une méthode numérique de détection des spots cathodiques, nous avons pu étudier l’évolution de la distribution spatiale des spots cathodiques, mesurer l’intensité moyenne du courant porté par un spot et déterminer le profil radial moyen de la densité de courant cathodique. Cette thèse a aussi eu pour objet le développement d’un modèle magnétohydrodynamique à 2 fluides, 2D-axysimétrique et quasi-stationnaire, de la zone d’écoulement hydrodynamique de l’arc, permettant de traiter le cas des régimes d’arc diffus supersonique et diffus subsonique. Ce modèle a permis d’étudier le comportement du plasma d’arc en fonction des intensités du courant d’arc et de l’AMF et de la distance inter-électrodes / In the frame of a project investigating the possibility to replace SF6 by vacuum as a breaking medium in High-Voltage circuit breakers, a study that focusses on acquiring a better understanding of the behavior of a metal vapor arc at long contact gap (> 10 mm) and controlled by an axial magnetic field (AMF) has been undertaken. The study involves first the building of an experimental setup where arcs, created between two fixed CuCr25 contacts, were visualized using a high-speed camera in a vacuum demountable chamber. Various types of arc regime have been observed. Moreover, by means of a numerical method of detection of the cathode spots, we were able to study the evolution of the spatial distribution of the cathode spots, to measure the average current carried by a spot and to determine the average radial profile of the current density at the cathode surface. This study had also for object the development of a 2D-axisymetric and quasi-steady magnetohydrodynamic model of the hydrodynamic flow region of the arc based on a two-fluid approach. The model allows to simulate the supersonic and the subsonic diffuse arc regimes. It is used to study the arc behavior as a function of to the arc current, the AMF intensity and the contact gap

Många elektriska apparater är i behov av reaktiv effekt för att kunna fungera. Transport av reaktiv effekt tar onödig plats av den tillgängliga kapaciteten i elnätet, därför används kondensatorbatterier nära slutanvändaren för att generera reaktiv effekt. Därmed genereras och förbrukas den reaktiva effekten i en avskild del av nätet. Tillkoppling av kondensatorbatterier ger upphov till transienter som kan skada andra närliggande komponenter. Utifrån det verkliga ställverket Stallbacka i Trollhättan har denna rapport analyserat de transienter som uppstår efter tillkoppling av ett kondensatorbatteri inom mellanspänningsområdet. Analysen har innefattat hur stora transienterna blir efter olika förutsättningar och scenarier. Resultatet visade att transienterna i detta fall aldrig nådde upp till några allvarliga nivåer, och därmed klarade komponenterna sig med god marginal. Huruvida transienterna påverkar elkvaliteten är oklart, då det inte finns några definierade krav. Slutligen skulle ett beräkningsverktyg för förutspådda transienter tas fram. Beräkningsverktyget blev aldrig fullständigt på grund av den ohanterliga lösningen som erhölls. / Many electrical devices need reactive power to operate. Transmission of reactive power occupies a proportion of the available capacity in the power system and therefore capacitor banks are used near to the end user to generate reactive power. Thus, the reactive effect is generated and consumed in a separate part of the power system. Capacitor banks switching causes transients which may damage the surrounding components. Based on the real substation Stallbacka in Trollhättan, this study has analysed capacitor banks switching transients within the medium voltage level. The analysis has covered the size of these transients according to different conditions and scenarios. The result showed that the transients in this case never reached serious levels, thus there was no impact on the components. It is not clear whether the transients affect the power quality because there are no defined limits.  A calculation tool to the predicted transients was supposed to be created in the process. This calculation tool was never completed due to the unmanageable solution that was obtained.

In the introduction a traction circuit is analyzed with different types of electric devices. The thesis describes power railway electric circuits, their loads and types of used contactors. Railway standards chapter summarizes requirements of standards for railway contactors. Follows literature focusing on power current switching and power switching devices design. Based on previous, a design procedure is developed for railway MV contactor in accordance with end-user and standards requirements. Thesis closes with pre-designing a railway contactor by calculating electrodynamic forces, heatflow and mechanical components.

The aim of this Master’s Thesis is to describe protections for overhead lines in distribution networks. Here are described requirements for the protection and the basic protections. Protections are divided according to their protective function. For each protection is given its use and its power plans. It is stated in the work setting of protection in the real network. On this network is simulated place with short-circuit and described the action of protection. The work also deals with the coordination of protection with automatic circuit breakers. This chapter shows that, given the selectivity is not possible to deploy two or more reclosers (remotely-operated switches) to the core network management. The next chapter describes two representatives reclosers available on the Czech market OSM 27 and GVR 27. Chapter describes and compares their performance characteristics. Conclusion the work includes a proposal protected the lead in incorporating automatic circuit breakers (remotely operated circuit breakers and reclosers). The proposal is based on two different levels of annual number of interruptions and duration of annual general interruption of electricity supply. For these levels the company EGÚ Brno, a.s. proposed several variants of the use of remote-controlled in terms of reducing the cost of the penalty. Our task was to choose a variant that would be applicable in the real network. Reducing costs is feasible only in the limits Ln = 6 failures / year and Lt = 720 min / year, where the selected option No. 4. The limits Ln = 8 failures / year and Lt = 1,080 min / year, not in the real network may no option in terms of selectivity.

Securing of electrical devices is important not only to protect against destruction under the effects of electric current, but also for protection of people or animals against electric shock. With increasing of living standards goes hand in hand increasing of the electricity consumption. Therefore In the grid of low voltage, there are increasing short-circuit currents. With improving technology is posed considerable demand on the performance, security and switching capacity of circuit breakers. This thesis is oriented on development of thermal and electromagnetic switch of circuit breaker on which is put a big demand in development of new types of circuit breakers. The thesis is interesting because of comprehensive use of circuits’ breakers since it can be used in AC and DC networks with frequency of 50 Hz and 400 Hz.

This work includes the theory of circuit breaker construction and is focused mainly on overload function. It mainly deals with electronic circuit breakers, i.e. equipped with an electronic trip unit. The work is focused on the part of trip unit - maglatch of trip unit. For the purposes of simulation, the geometric model is created. Maxwell program is used for the simulation. The work describes the options for conditions input which are necessary for simulation. Using the distribution of magnetic field intensity and magnetic flux density in the section of trip unit maglatch is determined by the simulation. Furthermore, the force effects acting on the armature of the maglatch are calculated. Force values and the directions acting on the armature are determined by changing the simulation parameters - shift of the armature and coil current. Simulations are performed both for steady-state and for dynamic simulation – movement of armature is taken into account. The supply source for the maglatch is created by an external circuit.

This master’s thesis is focused on calculation, simulation and experimental verification of electrodynamic forces acting upon movable contact piece of MCCB and experimental current carrying path. A short description of low voltage circuit breakers is briefly discussed in first chapter. Second chapter is focused upon contact system analysis of particular MCCB with thermomagnetic trigger. A hardness of contact materials is briefly described. A detailed analytical calculations were used to determine electrodynamic forces in MCCB. A FEM simulation in ANSYS Maxwell was carried out for comparison with analytical results. An experimental apparatus was designed and built for verification of constriction repulsion force, so called Holm’s force. A series of measurements is subsequently performed on proposed apparatus and results are compared with results from previous chapters.

The swift shift of the automotive industry towards electrification is primarily propelled by technological advancements in battery technology. To stay competitive and meet the new demands of the industry, there is a crucial need for novel ideas and innovation. Higher energy density and lower cost makes Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) competitive and affordable for a wider range of customers. Component space requirements inside a BEV as well as the growing trend towards increasing the voltage of the system from 400 V to 800 V poses new challenges that has to be overcome. Mechanical contactors have the advantage of being simple and easy to use, with low conductive losses. However, they have some drawbacks, such as poor performance when switching under load, limitedability to interrupt fault currents and large controlpower usage. To address these issues, a bidirectional MOSFET configuration can be used to replace the current system. This configuration provides enhanced abilities to quickly suppress fault current, improve robustness, eliminate mechanical failure points, and perform pre-charge sequences without the need for a dedicated branch. Additionally, this configuration maintains current performance in a smaller volume. Within the Battery distribution unit (BDU), this configuration replaces several components, such as thermal fuses, HV contactors, pre-charge relays,pre-charge resistors, and breaker/pyro-fuses with high voltage solid-state components. This study aims to propose potential mitigation methods through a combination of literature survey and comprehensive analysis using Simscape/-MATLAB Simulink models of a fully operational BDU utilizing readily available market components for a 1.2 kV system. The developed model illustrates the thermaland electrical performance of solid-state components in diverse testing scenarios, while maintaining their expected lifecycle. Additionally, sensitivity analysis is conducted using the proposed model to identify themost crucial design parameters within the system. The resulting system performs satisfactory during normal operations, albeit with ten times higher conductive losses attributed to the elevated junction resistance when compared to contactors.Consequently, additional cooling measures are required during harsh operations and DC fast charge. However, the required magnitization energy for a contactor does over time equate or even surpass the MOSFETs conductive losses. The design has established the feasibility of leveraging the primary switchfor pre-charge sequence execution, thus eliminating the need for a dedicated pre-charge branch. The system exhibits strong potential for interrupting both resistive and direct shorts at various locations in the model. However, the low system inductance and the need to avoid introducing any additional inductance into the system renders fault scenarios heavily dependent on said parameter. In conclusion, the proposed model exhibits considerable potential to eliminate numerous auxiliary components therefore reducing losses and offer a more adaptable and consolidated solution. Resulting in a smaller physical footprint and more favorable positioning within the BDU. Moreover, the financial analysis of the system highlights promising prospects for its integration into the drivetrain with the growingmarket trends.

Les simulations numériques sont devenues un outil indispensable dans la conception des chambres de coupure des disjoncteurs électriques haute tension. Elles sont utilisées non seulement dans le dimensionnement des différentes pièces, mais elles fournissent également une aide précieuse dans la compréhension des phénomènes intervenant entre les deux électrodes au moment de la coupure. L’arc électrique généré entre ces deux électrodes rassemble de nombreux domaines de la physique plus ou moins complexes. Tous ces phénomènes ne sont pas encore parfaitement compris. Avec l’évolution de la puissance de calcul, ces simulations peuvent prendre en compte de plus en plus de phénomènes. Mais pour des raisons de temps de développement, la question des phénomènes à prendre en compte dans ces simulations se pose. Le but de telles simulations est de déterminer de manière rapide si une configuration est plus ou moins capable qu’une autre de couper sous une contrainte donnée. Ainsi, il est important de prendre en compte uniquement les phénomènes physiques importants et nécessaires pour avoir une réponse la plus décisive possible et la plus rapide possible, de la réussite ou non à la coupure d’une configuration testée. Dans cette thèse, nous nous sommes particulièrement intéressés aux déséquilibres thermiques et chimiques qui pourraient intervenir dans les disjoncteurs électriques haute tension au moment de la coupure. En effet, pour des raisons de temps et de coût de calcul, la plupart des simulations numériques actuelles sont réalisées en faisant une hypothèse forte : l’hypothèse d’Equilibre Thermodynamique Local (ETL). Cette hypothèse consiste à considérer que dans chaque maille de notre domaine d’étude et à chaque pas de temps, on a un équilibre thermodynamique réalisé. Faire cette hypothèse nous permet d’utiliser les lois de conservation (masse, quantité de mouvement et énergie) en allégeant le problème. Mais en réalité, cette hypothèse est mise à mal dès que l’on est en présence de forts gradients de température ou de densité. Pour réaliser ces simulations, le code numérique CARBUR a été utilisé. Des modules d’arc électrique (effet Joule et rayonnement) et d’électrode mobile ont été implémentés afin de pouvoir simuler au mieux le comportement du gaz présent dans les disjoncteurs électriques haute tension. Six études différentes ont été réalisées et sont présentées. Ces études portent sur les influences de la forme du bout des électrodes, d’une modélisation en Navier-Stokes par rapport à une modélisation en Euler, de la nature du gaz (SF6, CO2 et N2), du déséquilibre thermique dans le cas de l’azote ou encore du positionnement des termes sources de l’arc électrique dans les différentes équations d’évolution des énergies. Dans ce travail, une étude sur différents modèles cinétiques chimiques est proposée. Dans ces modèles, 5 espèces chimiques sont présentes : N2, N, N+, N2+ et e-. En ce qui concerne la température, on en distingue 4 : T, TVib-N2, TVib-N2+ et Te. / The numerical simulations are become a very important tool to design the high voltage circuit breaker (HVCB) chamber. They help for the understanding of the different phenomena which can take place between the 2 electrodes during an interruption process. The electric arc brings together many fields of physics more or less complex and many of these phenomena are still poorly studied. So many aspects remain to be explored to improve simulations. With the increase of the calculation power, these numerical simulations can take into account more phenomena. However, for reasonable simulation times, we need to know which phenomena are preponderant. The aim of these numerical simulations is to rapidly conclude on the capacity of geometry to success an interruption process compared to different other geometries, under a given stress. In this PhD dissertation, we are particularly interested on thermal and chemical non equilibrium that can occur in HVCB during an interruption process. Currently, most simulations are carried out with a strong hypothesis: the hypothesis of Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE). This assumption allows us to alleviate the problem and to reduce the computing time. But this assumption becomes not valid when high temperature or density gradients occur. To do these simulations, the CARBUR numerical code has been used. In order to simulate flow behaviors in HVCB, an electrical arc (Joule effect and radiation) model and a module of mobile electrode have been added. Six different studies have been done and are presented: influence of the electrode shape, influence of the Navier-Stokes equations compared to the Euler equations, influence of the gas (SF6, CO2 et N2), influence of the thermal non equilibrium in a nitrogen case, influence of the position of the arc source terms in the different energy equations. In this work, a study on different nitrogen chemical kinetics is proposed. In these models, 5 chemical species are distinguished: N2, N, N+, N2+ and e-. Finally, 4 different temperatures are used: T, TVib-N2, TVib-N2+ and Te.

Lors de la réalimentation des auxiliaires d’une tranche nucléaire, l’étape la plus à risque est la remise sous tension brusque du transformateur à cause des surtensions. Dans un soucis perpétuel d’amélioration de la modélisation de ces transitoires, les modèles et techniques doivent évoluer. Le but de ces travaux de thèse est de proposer de nouvelles méthodologies permettant d’évaluer les paramètres mal connus de la modélisation. Lors des mises sous tension des lignes électriques, une méthodologie s’appuyant sur l’identification (optimisation ou techniques issues du traitement du signal) permet de déterminer les paramètres variables de la modélisation. Cependant, un des paramètres influents pour les surtensions est le flux rémanent. Face aux problèmes actuels rencontrés pour l’estimer (méthode non directe, dérive, …), une nouvelle méthode basée sur la mesure des flux de fuites du circuit magnétique est proposée. Des mesures réelles utilisant des capteurs de technologie « fluxgate » sont réalisées et permettent d’estimer le flux rémanent. / During the re-energization of the auxiliaries of a nuclear power plant, the more dangerous step is the re-energization of the power transformer, because of the temporary overvoltages. In order to improve the transient modeling, models and techniques may be improved. The purpose of this thesis is to suggest new methodologies to identify the uncertain parameters of the model. When the line re-energization occurs, an identification methodology (optimization or methods using signal processing) allows determining the model variable parameters. However, one of the most important parameters in the overvoltages is the residual flux. Given the actual problems found on estimation strategies (no direct method, derivation,…), a new method established for the leakage flux measurement of the magnetic circuit is proposed. Real measurements using « fluxgate » technology sensors were realized, permitting to estimate the residual flux.