Electrical arc transfer in a multi-contact interface
Résumé
Multi-contact interfaces have properties that are still poorly known, such as their non-linear and hysteretic current/voltage characteristics. This paper therefore proposes an electrical transfer mechanism at the interface between two conductors by means of an electric arc. These arcs occur naturally even at low voltage when the roughness is in the micrometre range. We tested this mechanism using a simulation that we compared with experimental results. This allowed us to identify the impacts that arcs can produce at the interface.(c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.