Ion Parameters After Forced Extinguishing of the Diffuse Vacuum Arc

Results of ion parameters measurement during the counterpulse arc interruption in a vacuum are presented in this paper. The experiments were performed in a laboratory arrangement with a demountable vacuum chamber equipped with a Cu-contact system representative for the low-voltage vacuum switches. The applied vacuum arc current with values of 400 and 600 A was interrupted at falling rates from 2 up to 90 A/mus. The following ion parameters were examined: the decay time of ions after the current zero, ion energy, and residual charge. The mean values of the ion decay time varied from about 35 mus at a falling rate of 2 A/mus to about 20 mus at 90 A/mus and diminished with the increasing falling rate of the arc current. The ion energy grew with the growing of the forced falling rate of the vacuum arc current, and its mean values varied from 54 to 99 eV. The residual charge diminished with the increasing of the arc current falling rate, and its values varied from about 9 to about 31 muC in the tested conditions. The presented results can be useful in modeling and design.