Master's Thesis: Magnetic Instabilities for Accelerated Arc Extinction

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This Position reports to:

Normally, instabilities in electrical arcs are seen as a defect (e.g., welding, fusion plasma reactors). However, in electrical switchgear, instability is a feature. Different types of instabilities in electrical arcs (e.g., kink, helical, and sausage) can be used to extinguish electrical arcs. The thesis aims to investigate how these instabilities accelerate arc extinction in DC circuit interrupters.

Details:

Period: January - June 2027

Number of credits: 30 hp / ECTS

Number of students: 1

Location: Västerås

Tasks

• Literature survey of electrical arcs under magnetic field
• Simulation-based evaluation of geometry-dependent magnetic field distributions
• Design and experimental implementation of the magnetic configuration
• ​Experimental characterization of arcs subjected to different magnetic instabilities
  

Preferred background

• Master's student with a background in Electrical Engineering, Plasma Physics, or a related field
• Knowledge of electromagnetics and Multiphysics Finite Element tools.
• Familiarity with current interruption phenomena in electrical grids is advantageous.
• The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, analytical, well-organized, and possess a strong curiosity for research and innovation.

More about us

In case you have questions, please contact Mrunal Parekh, PhD,mrunal.parekh@se.abb.com

A future opportunity

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