Effect of Arcing Behavior Characteristics on Welding Resistance of Relay Contacts

Zhenbiao LI
Meifang WEI
Makoto HASEGAWA

Publication
IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Electronics   Vol.E90-C    No.7    pp.1385-1390
Publication Date: 2007/07/01
Online ISSN: 1745-1353
DOI: 10.1093/ietele/e90-c.7.1385
Print ISSN: 0916-8516
Type of Manuscript: Special Section PAPER (Special Section on Recent Development of Electromechanical Devices (Selected Papers from ICEC2006))
Category: Arc Discharge & Related Phenomena
Keyword: 
arcing duration,  break operation,  electrical contact,  welding,  bounce,  

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Summary: 
The dependence of arcing duration and energy in break operations for automotive relays was analysed with breaking current/voltage waveforms. Endurance tests were conducted with AgSnO2, AgNi10 and AgNi0.15 contacts under the loads of resistance, lamp and inductance, respectively, at 14 VDC. The experimental results shows breaking current (or break arc) duration is usually low and stable before welding occurs. The welding may appear suddenly or randomly without any preceding cumulated increases in the arc duration, the quantity of electric charges, nor the arcing energy. The welded contacts may be re-opened in the later break operation and, thereafter, can keep on working normally for many times.