Numerical Simulation of Melt-Wave Erosion in 2-D Solid Armature

To investigate the erosion phenomenon of solid armature in the sliding electrical contact process, a 2-D numerical model of melt-wave erosion (MWE) based on the finite element method was established in this article. In this model, the magnetic field excitation boundary expands along the erosion direction into a new magnetic field excitation area. And this model was compared with four previous models under the same conditions, and the comparison results show good consistency. In addition, the temperature dependence of conductivity was considered to investigate its effect on MWE. It is found that the erosion velocity is faster and the penetration depth of the magnetic field in the material is greater when the conductivity changes with temperature. Moreover, the peak current density on the armature symmetry line transfers the tail to the lead. For the case of applying pulse current excitation, the melt erosion distance of the armature tends to be gentle with time. And the time ratio and amplitude of input current have a significant influence on the final erosion distance. The results of these investigations will help further understand the onset of the transition.