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Wear and degradation of connector rod-tulip contact in a Medium Voltage Switchgear

Çilingir, K.K. (2024) Wear and degradation of connector rod-tulip contact in a Medium Voltage Switchgear.

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Abstract:This master thesis presents the wear and degradation phenomena occurring at the contact interface between the connecting rod and tulip in medium voltage switchgear. It particularly investigates the effects of operational temperatures and the frequency of switching operations on wear and surface degradation in lubricated conditions. The connecting rod and the tulip consist of a copper substrate coated with a layer of silver, 10 μm thick. To simulate the contact pressure between the connecting rod and tulip within the switchgear, a tribological wear test was performed. The experimental setup employed was a cylinder on plate configuration, using the connecting rod as the cylinder and a similarly silver-coated copper plate as the counterbody. After the wear tests, the surfaces exhibited material transfer and adhesive wear. The tests under the increasing operating temperature and strokes revealed that the surface roughness parameters, Ra and Rq, decreased by half from their initial untested values, indicating material transfer and surface flattening. Additionally, there was an observed increase in the coating thickness on the connecting rod. Lumps were noted on the surfaces of both the connecting rod and the plate, which are crucial in determining the real contact area and can therefore affect the electrical contact resistance (ECR).
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Clients:
Eaton Industries Netherlands BV, Hengelo (ov), The Netherlands
Faculty:ET: Engineering Technology
Subject:52 mechanical engineering
Programme:Mechanical Engineering MSc (60439)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/99079
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