Radiation of transient high-current arcs: Energy measurements in the optical range

Abstract

When no protection is used, the radiation emitted by a high-power electric arc can be dangerous for the eyes and the skin of a person. To ensure effective protection, it is first necessary to know the energy emitted by such arcs. The aim of our work was to experimentally determine the energy emitted by high-current (from 4 to 40 kA) transient arcs, for two different (10 cm and 2 m) lengths and for electrodes in copper or steel. These experiments enabled the radiative energy of the arcs to be quantified and also showed the influence of metal vapors in the spectral distribution of the radiation.