Efficient arc simulation in high-voltage circuit breakers using the equal emission banding method
Keywords:
high-voltage gas circuit breakers, arc simulation, radiative heat transfer, equal emission banding, discrete ordinates method, computational fluid dynamicsAbstract
Accurate high-voltage arc simulation is vital for optimizing circuit breakers, critical for power grid protection. Complex arc phenomena, especially radiative heat transfer, pose significant computational challenges. This paper validates the Equal Emission Banding (EEB) method for efficient radiation transfer in switching arcs. The method balances accuracy and computational time, improving precision without significant overhead. This advancement is expected to aid future research.
References
[1] S. Rohani, J. Yan, and J. Chou. A novel method for improving arc cooling in high-voltage gas circuit breakers. In 2024 IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS), pages 1–1, 2024. doi:10.1109/ICOPS58192.2024.10627114.
[2] L. S. Frost and R. W. Liebermann. Composition and transport properties of SF6 and their use in a simplified enthalpy flow arc model. Proceedings of the IEEE, 59(4):474–485, 2005.
[3] J. Yan, K. Nuttall, and M. Fang. A comparative study of turbulence models for SF6 arcs in a supersonic nozzle. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 32(12):1401, 1999.
[4] J. L. Zhang, J. D. Yan, and M. T. Fang. Electrode evaporation and its effects on thermal arc behavior. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 32(3):1352–1361, 2004.
[5] M. F. Modest. Chapter 11 - radiative properties of molecular gases. In M. F. Modest, editor, Radiative Heat Transfer (Third Edition), pages 303–386. Academic Press, Boston, third edition edition, 2013. ISBN 978-0-12-386944-9. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-386944-9.50011-X.
[6] S. Esmaeili, P. Kloc, and J. Yan. Spectral and spatial characteristic behaviour of three-dimensional radiation transfer in SF6 switching arcs. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 55(18):185502, 2022.
[7] S. Rohani, S. Esmaeili, J. Yan, and J. Chou. A novel banding method for efficient radiation transfer calculation in switching arcs. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 246:127058, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2025.127058.
[8] M. Planck. The theory of heat radiation. Blakiston, 1914.
[9] A. Fluent et al. Ansys fluent theory guide. Ansys Inc., USA, 15317:724–746, 2011.
[10] S. Rohani and A. Jahangirian. A fast and efficient method for multiobjective aerodynamic optimization of a civil aircraft fuselage. Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 35(6):04022096, 2022.
[11] R. Liebermann and J. Lowke. Radiation emission coefficients for sulfur hexafluoride arc plasmas. Journal of quantitative spectroscopy and radiative transfer, 16(3):253–264, 1976. doi:10.1016/0022-4073(76)90067-4.
[12] P. Kloc, V. Aubrecht, M. Bartlova, and O. Coufal. Radiation transfer in air and air-Cu plasmas for two temperature profiles. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 48(5):055208, 2015. doi:10.1088/0022-3727/48/5/055208.
[13] C. Dixon, J. Yan, and M. Fang. A comparison of three radiation models for the calculation of nozzle arcs. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 37(23):3309, 2004.
[14] H. Nordborg and A. Iordanidis. Self-consistent radiation based modelling of electric arcs: I. efficient radiation approximations. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 41(13):135205, 2008.
[15] D. Leseberg and G. Pietsch. Interferometrische unterschungen von schaltichtbogen in stromendem SF6 proc. 4th Int. Symp. on Switching Arc Phenomena (Lodz, Poland) pp 236–40, 1981.
[16] D. Leseberg. PhD thesis RWTH Aachen. Germany, 1982.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 S. V. Rohani, J. D. Yan, J. Chou

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).