power factor arcs
power factor arcs
(OP)
I heard some linemen talking that they experinced larger than normal arcing when opperating an air-break switch near a capacitor bank. Does the power factor have anything to do with arcing? Does being closer to a capacitor bank have an effect?






RE: power factor arcs
Capacitors can be very hard to switch on and switch off as well. If a capacitor is fully discharged the inrush current can be very high when closed near the supply voltage peak. Inrush current can be even higher if trapped charge is opposite the supply voltage. Trapped charge when turning off can also cause an arc restrike when the power supply reaches opposite polarity and the ions are not all back to ground state.
Resistance heaters generally have the easiest breaking problem. Tungsten light bulbs are bad news on making because inrush current is 6 to 10 times full load beacuse of the change of resistance with temperature. Generally tungsten rating will be 2/3 the code G motor starting rating.
Mike Cole. mc5w@earthlink.net
RE: power factor arcs
RE: power factor arcs