Research on the Morphology of the Working Surfaces of Contacts Used in Starters in the Agro-Industrial Sector

Volodymyr Korobskyi; Kamil Witaszek; Volodymyr Reshetiuk; Krzysztof Pilarski

doi:10.3390/ma17010145

Research on the Morphology of the Working Surfaces of Contacts Used in Starters in the Agro-Industrial Sector

Materials (Basel). 2023 Dec 27;17(1):145. doi: 10.3390/ma17010145.

Authors

Volodymyr Korobskyi¹, Kamil Witaszek², Volodymyr Reshetiuk³, Krzysztof Pilarski²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Electrical Engineering, Electromechanics and Electrotechnology, Education and Research Institute of Energetics, Automatics and Energy Saving, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine Kyiv, Heroyiv Oborony Str., 15, 03-041 Kyiv, Ukraine.
² Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-627 Poznań, Poland.
³ Department of Fundamentals of Engineering and Power Engineering, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland.

Abstract

The operational suitability of electromagnetic starters equipped with experimental contacts has been substantiated within their use in electrical installations of the agro-industrial sector, which may be affected by the environments containing aggressive components. Tests on commutation wear resistance and investigations on arc erosion of the series-produced contact parts of such starters as PML-1100O4, PML-2100O4 (versions A and B; contact material-CpH-90, CpM-0,2 + M1, KMK-A10m, respectively) and PML-1100O4 starter with the experimental copper-based contact parts (Cu + Nb + Zr + Y₂O₃; Cu + Mo + MoO₃ + C + Ni; Cu + Cr + TiB₂ + Nb + C + Zr) have been conducted. The influence of energy parameters of a commutated circuit on the value of electro-erosion wear, the morphology of the working surfaces of contacts and contact resistance have been determined. Investigation results have been obtained by conducting a set of tests on electromagnetic starters at the experimental plant that simulates the operating conditions of the AC-3 application category. The impact of the electric arc of alternative current on the arc erosion of silver-based and copper-based contact materials have been determined by using a scanning electron microscope Cambridge Stereoscan S4-10 equipped with an attachment for X-ray spectroscopic analysis, Link System-290 and an X-ray microanalyzer Camebax SX-50 (CAMECA, Gennevilliers, France). A metallographic analysis of the contact surfaces has been conducted, which contributed to the determination of the patterns of erosive destruction of bridging contacts based on Ag and Cu. Evolution of the eroded morphology of contacts and the surface components of electrical contacts under the influence of an arc have been characterized. In addition, contact mass loss and the dependence of contact resistance have been studied. When manufacturing the experimental contacts, it is possible to abandon the use of silver, which is significantly cost saving, and not to use dangerous contact additives that are hazardous to the environment and people's health.

Keywords: arc erosion; contact system; copper; electric device; electron microscope; environmentally safe composite material; metal–ceramic contact; morphology; silver; wear resistance; working surface of a contact.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.