Hostname: page-component-54dcc4c588-trf7k Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-05T18:11:13.421Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Experimental study of electrical arc phenomena in electrodes with pure and coated materials to be used in aerospace power connectors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 September 2025

K. Hadda ,
A. Boutte Open the ORCID record for A. Boutte [Opens in a new window] ,
A. Beloufa Open the ORCID record for A. Beloufa [Opens in a new window]  and
M. Amirat
K. Hadda
Affiliation:
Algerian Space Agency – Center for the Development of Satellites, Bir El Djir 31130 Oran, Algeria Smart Structure Laboratory, University of Ain Temouchent, Ain Temouchent 46000, Algeria
A. Boutte*
Affiliation:
Algerian Space Agency – Center for the Development of Satellites, Bir El Djir 31130 Oran, Algeria
A. Beloufa
Affiliation:
Smart Structure Laboratory, University of Ain Temouchent, Ain Temouchent 46000, Algeria
M. Amirat
Affiliation:
Smart Structure Laboratory, University of Ain Temouchent, Ain Temouchent 46000, Algeria
*
Corresponding author: A. Boutte; Email: aboutte@cds.asal.dz
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Electrical contacts are critical components in all connector systems, as they enable the flow of electrical current. However, power contacts are increasingly subjected to various forms of degradation due to the high input power demands of modern electrical circuits. One of the primary causes of damage is the electrical arc, which can lead to erosion and oxidation of contact surfaces, ultimately resulting in electrical insulation failure. In industries such as aerospace, this type of failure can be mission-critical, especially in scenarios where in-orbit repair is not possible. Therefore, the design and choice of contact material must be carefully considered. Based on theoretical studies of arc-related phenomena, we conducted experimental tests focusing on the optimisation of hemispherical contact using samples made from various pure and coated materials. The contact surfaces in these tests were composed of high-conductivity base such as copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al), and were also coated with noble metals such as gold (Au) and silver (Ag). These materials are commonly used in sectors including aerospace, automotive and general industrial applications. To ensure a fair comparison, all contact samples were manipulated and tested under consistent conditions that reflect their real-world operational environments. The resulting arc parameters were identified and analysed through modeling to determine the most suitable contact design and material most capable of withstanding arc-related degradation over the mission duration, thus ensuring longer service life in applications were a continuous monitoring and repair are not feasible. The results show that repetitive exposure to high input power significantly damages contacts surfaces. Furthermore, the use of coated materials effectively extends the lifespan of the electrical contacts. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses support these findings, revealing that high-power input increases erosion rates and leaves pronounced marks on the contact surfaces.

Keywords

power connectorelectrical contactelectrical arcmaterialsaerospace industry

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , First View , pp. 1 - 18
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal Aeronautical Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Holm, R. Electric Contacts: Theory and Application. Springer, Germany, 1967, 503 p.10.1007/978-3-662-06688-1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slade, P.G. Electrical Contacts: Principles and Applications. CRC Press, USA, 2014, 1257 p.Google Scholar
Beloufa, A. and Amirat, M. Design and study of new power connector with parallel contact points, Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. D J. Automob. Eng., 2018, 232, (14), pp 2014–2021.10.1177/0954407018764146CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beloufa, A. The effect of cable section on the variation of power automotive connector temperature, IEEE Trans. Compon. Packag. Manuf. Technol., 2019, 9, (6), pp 1020–1028.10.1109/TCPMT.2019.2914894CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheeler, P. and Bozhko, S. The more electric aircraft: Technology and challenges, IEEE Electrif. Mag., vol. 2, (4), pp 6–12.10.1109/MELE.2014.2360720CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheeler, P. Technology for the more and all electric aircraft of the future, In IEEE International Conference on Automatica (ICA-ACCA), Curicó, Chile, October 2016, pp 1–5.10.1109/ICA-ACCA.2016.7778519CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barzkar, A. and Ghassemi, M. Electric power systems in more and all electric aircraft: A review, IEEE Access, 8, pp 169314–169332.10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3024168CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Domone, J. The Challenges and Benefits of the Electrification of Aircraft. SNCLavalin, 2018.Google Scholar
Anthony, A.V. These: Improvement of circuit breaker contacts and terminals for power loss reduction in medium and high voltage systems, Department of Electrical Engineering, AWKA, 2019.Google Scholar
Kiffmeier, M., Önal, S., Austermann, C. and Frei, S. Modelling of arc faults in 48 V automotive power supply systems, In IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference, 2017.10.1109/VPPC.2017.8330892CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ou, C., Nakayama, R., Zen, S., Takeuchi, N. and Yasuoka, K. Influence of Arc Discharge on Contact Erosion and Contact Resistance in a Hybrid DC Switch, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Japan, In 2018 IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts.10.1109/HOLM.2018.8611744CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Endou, T., Sekikawa, J. and Kubono, T. Cathode and anode bright-spot behaviors of breaking arc between electrical contacts with low separating speed, IEICE Trans. Electron., 2005, E88-C, (8), pp 1596–1602.10.1093/ietele/e88-c.8.1596CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doublet, L. Contribution à l’étude de l’arc électrique et de ses interactions avec les matériaux de contact sous 42 volts DC pour applications automobiles. Doctoral thesis, Rennes 1, 2004.Google Scholar
Kharin, S.N. and Sarsengeldin, M.M. The role of the arc flux and Joule heating in the erosion of electrical, In Proceedings of the 63rd IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts, USA, 2017, pp 293–301.10.1109/HOLM.2017.8088102CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slade, P.G. The Transition from to the metallic phase arc after the rupture of the molten metal bridge for contacts opening in air and vacuum. In Proceedings of the 54th IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts, USA, 2008, pp 1–8.10.1109/HOLM.2008.ECP.14CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramzi, A. Étude du Phénomène de Collage dans les Contacteurs à Application Aéronautique, Study of welding phenomenon in contactors for aeronautical applications. Doctoral thesis, Rennes 1, 2021.Google Scholar
Roman, H. and Frank, B. Simulation of relay contact bouncing including a short arc model, In Proceedings of the 27th International Conference on Electrical Contacts, 2014.Google Scholar
Wang, Y., et al. Characterization and measurement method of DC arc electromagnetic radiation for photovoltaic systems, Trans. China Electrotech. Soc., 2019, 34, (14), pp 2913–2921.Google Scholar
Flicker, J. and Johnson, J. Electrical simulations of series and parallel PV arc-faults, In IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), 2013.10.1109/PVSC.2013.6745127CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keller, K., Bailey, M., Wojtek Przytula, K. and Jordan, B. Aircraft electrical power systems prognostics and health management, In IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2006.Google Scholar
Landfried, R., Savi, L., Leblanc, T. and Teste, P. Parametric study of electric arcs in aeronautical condition of pressure, Eur. J. Appl. Phys., 2014, 67, (2), p 20802.10.1051/epjap/2014140065CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Navarro-Crespin, A., Lopez, V.M., Casanueva, R. and Azcondo, F.J. Digital control for an arc welding machine based on resonant converters and synchronous rectification. IEEE Trans. Indus. Informat., 2012, 9, (2), pp 839–847.10.1109/TII.2012.2222651CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, J., He, C., Yu, J. and Yang, F. Development of a novel pulsed arc system for precision plasma cutting, In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics and Automation, Changchun, China, August 2009.10.1109/ICMA.2009.5246355CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hariyanto, N., Nurdin, M., Casanueva, R. and Alvin Tanthio, G. Characteristic study of three-phase AC electric arc furnace model, In IEEE Conference on Power Engineering and Renewable Energy, 2014.10.1109/ICPERE.2014.7067197CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chang, Y.N., Yang, T.H., Chan, S.Y. and Cheng, H.L. Design of electronic ballast for short-arc xenon lamps, In IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics, 2012.10.1109/ISIE.2012.6237103CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kundrapu, M., Levchenko, I., Ostrikov, K. and Keidar, M. Simulation of carbon arc discharge for the synthesis of nanotubes, IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci., 2011, 39, (11), pp 2876–2877.10.1109/TPS.2011.2160366CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huang, H., Pan, W. and Wu, C. Arcjet thruster operated with different propellants, IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci., 2011, 39, (11), pp 2934–2935.10.1109/TPS.2011.2155097CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vassa, H.A., Carvou, E., Rivoirard, S., Doublet, L., Bourda, C., Jeannot, D., Ramoni, P., BenJemaa, N. and Givord, D. Magnetic blowing of break arcs up to 360VDC, In Proc. of 56th IEEE Holm Conf. on Electrical Contacts, pp 96–100, October 2010.10.1109/HOLM.2010.5619556CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiryu, K., Tanaka, T., Seki, K. and Satou, K. Verification of arc discharge phenomenon and connection reliability, In 2019 IEEE Third International Conference on DC Microgrids (ICDCM).10.1109/ICDCM45535.2019.9232850CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sallais, D., Carvou, E. and BenJemaa, N. Opening speed effect on arc duration and erosion and extinction gap for usual contact materials, In Proc. 2nd Intl. Conf. on Reliability of Electrical Products and Electrical Contacts (ICREPEC 2007), pp 73–77, March 2007.Google Scholar
Yoshida, K., Sawa, K., Suzuki, K. and Takaya, K. Influence of contact materials and opening velocity on various characteristics of DC high voltage arc, 2017.10.1109/HOLM.2017.8088088CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grogg, D. and Scharnk, C. Impact of the gas environment on the electric arc, In 2016 IEEE 62nd Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts, Industrial Technology, TE Connectivity, Switzerland, 2016.10.1109/HOLM.2016.7780019CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hasegawa, M. and Tokumitsu, S. Influences of contact opening speeds up to 200mm/s and external magnetic field application on break arc duration characteristics of AgSnO 2 contacts in DC14V load conditions up to around 10A, IEEE Trans. Compon. Packag. Manuf. Technol., March 2018, 8, (3), pp. 375–382.10.1109/TCPMT.2017.2779741CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kharin, S.N., Nouri, H. and Miedzinsky, B. Phenomena at arc root immobility in electrical contacts, In IEEE 58th Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts, 2012.10.1109/HOLM.2012.6336572CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Øyvang, T., Fjeld, E., Rondeel, W. and Hagen, S.T. High current arc erosion on copper electrodes in air, In Proc. in IEEE 57th Holm Conf. Elect. Cont., pp 1–6, September 2011.10.1109/HOLM.2011.6034779CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yoshida, K., Sawa, K., Suzuki, K. and Takaya, K. Influence of opening velocity on various characteristics in DC high voltage Ag break arc, In Proc. in 61th Holm Conf. Elec. Cont., pp 111–116, October 2015.10.1109/HOLM.2015.7355083CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yoshida, K., Sawa, K., Suzuki, K. and Takaya, K. Effect of arc discharge types on various characteristics and mass change in electrodes for electromagnetic contractor, Proc. IEICE Tech. Repo. EMD, 2017, 117, (312), pp 13–19.Google Scholar
Kharin, N.S. and Sarsengeldin, M.M. The role of the arc flux and Joule heating in the erosion of electrical contacts. Kazakh-British Technical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan. Institute of Mathematics and Mathematical Modeling Almaty, Kazakhstan.Google Scholar
Jackson, R.L. Electrical performance of aluminium/copper bolted joints. IEEE Proc. C, 1982, 129, (4), pp 177–184.Google Scholar
Braunovic, M. Evolution of different contact aid compounds for aluminium to copper connections, IEEE Trans. CHMT, 1992, 15, (2), p 216.Google Scholar
JEOL Serving Advanced Technology, No. 1301G848C Printed in Japan, Kp. http://www.jeol.com/ Google Scholar
Data sheet – CuZn37 robertlaminage engineered metals for precision industries, www.robertlaminage.com Google Scholar
Mechanical properties CuZn37, Reynolds Cuivre S.A.s.Google Scholar