CONTACT SYSTEM

Electrical contact
Types of contact systems
Transient contact resistance and factors that determine it
 DEFINITION (OVERVIEW)
 An electrical contact is a set of two or more conductors, which, connected to each other
and pressed with a certain force, in the presence of a power source, ensure the flow of
electric current.

 It follows from the definition that the term "electrical contact" should be understood as:
 the point of contact in which the conduction of electric current takes place;
 a structural assembly of wires ensuring the passage of electric current;
 phenomena associated with the transition of current from one current-carrying part to
another.
Example contact systems
 Example contact systems

Different materials - specific resistance

Different working environment - temperature,
humidity, pressure, dustiness, gas environment
Electroerosion (electric arc)
Example contact systems
 Power contactor contacts in various stages of life with
AC-3 load

Figures in row 1: Contact bodies in original (new)

condition

Figures in row 2: Contact bodies after approximately

1 75% of service life. The contact body material is
partially eroded, but the contacts still work.

Figures in row 3: Contact bodies at the end of their

service life.

- The surface of the material is visibly worn, the

contact material is eroded to the base;
- Further use would lead to contact welding and heat
2 loss.

The photos in the right panel (Sectional views) show

the state of the electric contact in a longitudinal
section and represent the different phases of the life of
the power contact bodies.

In the last phase, the contacts can no longer be used

3
because the section has been destroyed.
 Example contact systems
Materials for contact bodies of low voltage switchgear: Main material – copper
and brass. Contact - silver.  Packet switch

Types of materials for contact

bodies
The contact bimetal consists of: a
base material and a contact material
embedded at its level or located
above it. Most often, copper or its
 Main contact bodies
alloys are used as the main material,
and noble metal - silver or its alloys
- is used as the contact material.

The purpose of this combination is

to reduce the contact resistance in
order to have an unhindered passage  Terminal connections
of electric current with minimal
losses (mostly thermal)
 DEFINITIONS
 Contact conductor - any medium, solid, liquid (molten material or chemical solution), gas or
vacuum, and plasma through which an electric current passes.

 Contact surface (apparent) - that part of the surface of electrical conductors where the conductors
appear to touch to make contact for the passage of electric current.

 Contact elements or contact bodies - those parts of the electrical wires that form an electrical
contact when touched (they do not necessarily have to be made of solid material).
 Contact unit (contact system) – that structural part that forms an independent structural unit of the
current line and includes at least two electrical contact bodies.

Regardless of the type of contact - fixed, movable,

point, linear, planar, bridge, slip, socket (for HV
circuit breakers) - an electrical contact must
provide reliable and stable operation without
introducing vibrations or other disturbances
into the electrical circuit.
 Basic requirements for electrical contact systems
1) the overheating is within the permissible limits according to the electrical equipment to
which the electrical outlet is connected;
2) provide a stable transient contact resistance, which in all normal operating modes does
not exceed a pre-accepted permissible value;
3) in the open position of the contact bodies, the required electrical strength must be
provided;
4) when disconnecting under load, ensure safe extinguishing of the electric arc in case of
corresponding overvoltages;
5) certain current values can be switched on and off;
6) have sufficient durability;
7) the driving force must be within certain limits.
 Electrical resistance between wires
 A section of wire of resistance R is shown in
the figure.
 After cutting along A-A, machining the end
surfaces and pressing each other with a
certain force, the resistance increases to
R+Rk.
 The reasons for this are:
 the surface layer of chemical compounds in
the contact surfaces;
 when touching the front surfaces, the
contacting is not carried out over the entire
surface, but according to the microstructure in
the individual points, which, when pressed,
are transformed into microplates.
 Electrical resistance of the contact
 Let us consider the microstructure of the contact surface, which is of the type shown in the figure
below in blue color.
 It is rough, covered with a thin layer of chemical compounds, impurities, between which there are
transitions through which the electric current passes.
 The surface layer of chemical compounds is formed under the influence of oxygen, ozone, nitrogen,
etc. coexisting in the environment. It acts as an insulating barrier.
 The isolation barrier can be overcome by:
 mechanical strength;
 potential difference - a breakdown is formed, which forms a transition for the current from one to the
other contact body.
 Electrical resistance of the contact

α1, α2, α3 – the spots where metal touches metal, a

β1, β2, β3 – the spots where doping occurs through surface contamination.

Therefore, the actual contact area is smaller than the real one:

coefficient of contamination of the contact surface

 Electrical resistance of the contact
 The contamination coefficient of the contact surface depends not only on the
contamination but also on the type of contact surface:

a- point contact; b- molting contact; в-in-plane contact

 Electrical resistance of the contact
 The picture of the distribution of the current lines along the cross-section of the conductor is modified
as follows by:

 The magnitude of the contact resistance is: Rk  RС , RП

 where RC is the constriction resistance - it appears as a result of the current lines passing through
the actual contact area;
 RП – resistance of surface coatings - depends on the operating conditions..

The narrowing of the section leads to an increase in the current density, an increase in losses
and a voltage drop.

At the first moment of contact, touching occurs in a small number of points. The contact material is
deformed. The area of the elementary contact surfaces increases, which simultaneously brings the
two bodies closer together and contacts occur at new points.
 Electrical resistance of the contact

 The transient contact resistance for a multi-point contact is defined as:

 ,

 where k depends on the type of material of the contacts, the method of

surface treatment and the state of the contact surface;

 m is a coefficient that depends on the shape of the contacts and is mainly

determined by the number of contact points 0.5≤m≤1
 m=1 when contacting plane - plane;
 m=0.75 when contacting line - plane;
 m=0.5 when contacting blade - plane, sphere - plane, sphere - sphere.
 Electrical resistance of the contact

 It follows from the foregoing that

k k
Rk  m  RП Обикновено m
 RП
F F

k
 Rk  m
F
N.B. In contacts for small currents, Rk is mainly determined by the RP component.
Then the contact force is small and is unable to clean the contact surface.
For contacts for high currents, for high contact forces, the following applies:

k
Rk  m
F
 Contact resistance in the transition between two contact bodies

The transient contact resistance is influenced by quantities such as crushing strength σСМ and
specific electrical resistance ρ, which are determined in turn by the type of material used.
 When the contact force F increases, the deformations of the individual micro-uniformities of the
contact surfaces increase in the area of small forces. This leads to a sharp decrease in the transient
contact resistance. With a further increase in the pressing force, the contact area grows more slowly,
which does not lead to a visible change in the transient contact resistance.

RC ,n 
2b
kn
2. .F 4

 . СМ . S 0
 The dependence of Rk on the pressing force is
represented by a hyperbola.
 It differs from what is the direction of force change.
 When the magnitude of the force (2) decreases, Rk is
less than that at the same magnitude of the force, but
when the magnitude of the force (1) increases.
 This is due to the residual deformation of the micro-
uniformities of the contact surface.
 ПРЕХОДНО КОНТАКТНО СЪПРОТИВЛЕНИЕ СЪПРОТИВЛЕНИЕ ,
КОНТАКТНА ПОВЪРХНОСТ, МАТЕРИАЛ И КОНТАКТНА СИЛА
 Conclusions:
 In contacts with a small surface, the contact points can be located closer to each other. In these
cases, the taper resistance on the approach to the contact point will be somewhat greater, since the
current lines do not have the opportunity to move freely in the bulk of the contact material.
 For mating contacts, where the mutual pressing force of the contact surface is large, the influence
of the size of the contact surface is limited, where the softer the material, the greater this
influence.
 The influence of electrodynamic forces is an important point in the process of operation of
electrical devices, as they can change the contact force.
 CONTACT RESISTANCE AND TEMPERATURE
 Temperature affects the material's resistivity and crush strength, and hence Rk

1 2 3
 The figure shows the dependence of the
transient contact resistance on temperature
at F = const.

 1) At 0<θ<θp with increasing temperature the contact resistance increases because the specific resistance of the material
ρ increases. Along with this, the total area of contact S increases, because when the mechanical strength of the material
decreases, the deformation of the micro-uniformities from the contact surface increases. At lower temperatures this
influence is weak.
 After reaching the recrystallization temperature θp (softening of the material) Rk reaches a certain maximum, i.e.
increases because the influence of recrystallization is strong.
 2) At θp<θ<θm, the strength of the material sharply decreases (at a temperature of 250-400˚C), the contact area
increases. The transient contact resistance decreases rapidly.
 3) When the melting temperature θТ of the material is reached, liquid metal forms in the contact area, which leads to a
sharp decrease in Rk. Melting the material of the contact bodies turns it into a liquid state. The position of the softening
temperature and the melting temperature do not depend on the contact force.
 CONTACT RESISTANCE AND TEMPERATURE

Conclusions:
 With a general increase in temperature in the area of contact between two current-carrying parts, an
increase in contact resistance follows, and with a decrease in temperature, the specific resistance also
decreases and Rk decreases accordingly.
 At low temperatures, the mechanical properties of the contact material change, increasing the hardness
(some metal alloys are hardened). This can lead to an increase in transient contact resistance and worsen
operating conditions. This influence can be reduced by applying nano-coatings of different materials in
the area of the electrical contact.
 At low temperatures, for some materials, a decrease in resistivity affects Rk more than an increase in
stiffness.
Тthermographic analysis of electrical apparatus and machines
Тthermographic analysis of electrical apparatus
 Effect of current on contact resistance

 An increase in the magnitude of the current in the area of any electrical contact with a constant
cross-section leads to an increase in its temperature.
 As a result of the increase in temperature, the actual contact area of the contact surfaces also
increases. The surface layer, as a result of diffusion and ionic conductivity, is destroyed, and the
transient contact resistance decreases.
Effect of current on contact resistance

 The figure shows dependences of Rk=f(I)

for different contact materials.
 It is characteristic of each of them that
there is a magnitude of the current above
which the transient contact resistance
significantly decreases.
 When evaluating the influence of the
environment on contact body materials, it
is necessary to take into account their
specific behavior.
 The change in contact resistance is
dynamic and depends on the
accompanying operating conditions.