Electrical arcs and sparks - why electricity jumps

9:40

When you hear a reference to Frankenstein one of the visuals you may think of are giant electrical sparks breathing “life” into Dr. Frankenstein’s creature. But what are electrical sparks? Electrical sparks, also known as arcing, is a natural phenomenon when electricity jumps from one point to another. Often occurring when you are connecting, or disconnecting, electrical devices. In this video Seth So dives into the topic sharing how arcs work with the “spark gap” demonstration installed at Eaton’s Power System Experience Center (PSEC). In the demo, one electrode is charged with a high-potential test kit and we see at what voltage the air gap is ionized and conducts to the ground electrode. When an arc is initiated, it’ll spark in open air. We also look at some of the technologies used to control arcing and make electrical systems safer. Some topics discussed include: • Controlling clearances – how air gaps can be used to minimize the risk of arcing. • Physical insulators – used when air gaps are not sufficient insulators. • Creepage distance – The shortest distance between two conductive parts, measured along the surface of an insulator. Solid insulators and bushings have the “wavy” shape to increase their insulating properties. • Fuses – we discuss expulsion and current limiting fuses. • Vacuum bottles – switching device that uses a pair of separable contacts in an enclosed vacuum-tight chamber. • Arc chutes – help collapse arc earlier by dividing arcs into smaller arcs. • Eaton’s Arc Quenching System (AQS) – quenches arcs before it becomes an explosion. Learn about Arc Quenching Switchgear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdZBtrI5DxA&list=PL8XobqCtN9Z9zmxXF91EJpX2k8FjdRIEb&index=69 Thank you for watching one of our many educational videos on the topic of power systems. Schedule a visit to one of Eaton's Power Systems Experience Centers in either Pittsburgh or Houston to learn more! To learn more about Eaton products and our Power Systems Experience Centers: http://eaton.com/experience To view more educational videos from Eaton's Power Systems Experience Centers: http://videos.eaton.com/experience Chapters 00:00 Sketch 00:50 Introduction 01:30 What is electrical arcing? 02:30 How do electrical arcs work 04:00 How to control electrical arcing 05:19 How to safely break an arc 07:45 Switching quickly 08:18 Arc Quenching System (AQS) #powersystem #electricalsafety #engineering