Results of 3-D of discharge channel displacement simulation, acquired by means of the Fluent program during one current half-period of AC arc, indicate that the obtained images of the phenomenon are qualitatively similar to those, recorded with a high-speed digital camera, while the computer simulation enables much a more comprehensive analysis of the acquired data. In addition to selected arc simulation frames and corresponding distributions of mass velocity vectors and current density vectors on a plane, the distributions of temperature, current density and mass velocity values are presented on the axis of the electrode arrangement model. The composite motion (continuous and jumping) of discharge channels was analyzed, taking into account mass displacement and matter state changes.

This paper demonstrates that if a linear dependence of arc dissipated power on power supplied is introduced at an initial stage of analysis, then, with some simplifying assumptions, the classical Mayr model is obtained. Similarly, if this dependence is taken into account in a model with residual conductance, the modified Mayr model is obtained. The study takes into consideration the local phenomenon of sudden voltage drop accompanying linear current decrease occurring in the circuit breaker. To account for this phenomenon, the Dirac delta function and its approximation by a Gaussian function, representing power or enthalpy disturbances, are introduced to the power balance equation. It is demonstrated that both variants yield the same effect, leading to identical differential equations. Macromodels of the circuit-breaker arc are created and connected with the power source circuit with lin- early decreasing current. The results obtained were found to be consistent with experimental data available in the literature. The models presented are based on a fairly uncomplicated 1st order differential equation and offer a straightforward physical interpretation of the phenomena in question.