Review of arcing phenomena in low voltage current limiting circuit breakers

Low voltage current limiting circuit breakers referred to as miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) are widely used for electrical fault protection ill domestic and light industrial installations. Modern designs employ current limiting technology where the are is forced rapidly away from the contacts through an are chamber and into a set of splitter plates. The motion of the are is dependent on a complex interaction of the anode and cathode root and the are plasma motion. There is a large volume of published research work relating to the study of are phenomena. The paper presents a selective review of the significant work relevant to the study of are phenomena in MCBs under short circuit conditions. Studies of are column, are root and are electrode effects, and the physics of are motion as well as developments in the study of are motion and are control in MCBs, are reviewed.