Application of Lattice Boltzmann Method to SF6 Circuit-breaker Arcing Process Simulation

Nowadays, SF6 circuit breaker is irreplaceable protection equipment in ultra-high voltage power systems. To improve the breaking performance, the physical-mathematical model of nozzle arc has been continuously explored. At present, the commonly used model is the magnetohydrodynamic model based on Navier Stokes equation, which is nonlinear and difficult to solve. A new nozzle arc model based on lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is proposed in this paper. The heat source term and boundary conditions in this model are treated to make it suitable for arcing process. This model has been used to simulate the arcing process of a 252kV high-voltage SF6 circuit breaker. The temperature distribution are obtained in the arc extinguishing chamber. The variation in temperature with arc current is given along arc radius. Simulation results perfectly verify the feasibility of the arc model based on LBM.