Review on the simulation method of non-equilibrium arc plasma during current zero period in the circuit breaker

The study of simulation aiming at the current-zero periods of plasma is significant for guiding the research and design of the circuit breaker, improving its switching capacity and understanding the development process of the current-zero periods of plasma. Since the development process of the current-zero periods of plasma is coupled with the collective effects of flow, heat and electromagnetic fields, descriptions of that process are still difficult for related study. Because of the particularity of arc's dynamic activities during the current-zero periods, LTE hypothesis which is put forward in the former study is not applicable during the period, and there exists some deviation between the predicted arc activities and reality. Recently theoretical research based on thermodynamics and chemically non-equilibrium hypothesis demonstrates better coherency, arousing a general interest among the simulations during the current-zero periods. This essay introduces the development of the simulation, modeling and experiments on the arc plasmas based on thermodynamics and chemically non-equilibrium hypothesis respectively. Appropriate conclusions on arc plasma during the current-zero periods were drawn and future work was suggested.