Power Contacts/Connectors Part II – Current Concerns

connectorsupplier.com/power-contactsconnectors-part-ii-current-concerns/

Dr. Bob Mroczkowski March 16,

2010

Power Contacts/Connectors

Part II: Current Concerns

Before we begin discussing current rating, let’s define the types of current a contact or
connector may carry. There are four different current types: Transient, overload, steady
state, and intermittent, also called duty cycle, currents. Figure 1 illustrates the first three
current types in an induction motor application.

Region A in the figure shows a transient current. The magnitude and duration of the
transient current is dependent on the application and, the type of load applied to the
connector. In this case, the transient is rather long, and peaks during the first half-cycle
of the application of the current. Its peak magnitude is about 14 times that of the steady
state current of 14 amperes. As noted in the first article in this series, the asperity
structure of the contact interface will follow this current distribution, as it will for
transients of much shorter duration. The transient current contribution of the contact
interface resistance to Joule heating will be small due to the short duration of transient
currents, and will not be an issue in the T-rise or current rating of a contact. However, the
peak transient current is a different story. If the magnitude of the transient is sufficiently
high, the Supertemperature of the asperities can reach the melting point of the contact
interface, and in effect create a resistance weld at the interface. If this happens, the
separability of the connection may be compromised, or if separable, damage to the
interface may occur during unmating. These two effects are the major concerns we have
about transient current-related degradation.

1/3
Region B of figure 1 illustrates an overload current region. For an electric motor start up,
the magnitude and duration of the overload depends on the conditions necessary to get
the motor up to operating speed. In this case, the peak overload current is about eight
times the steady state current. Once again, the magnitude and duration of overload
currents will generally not affect the T-rise of the contact interface. Peak overload
currents are typically not high enough to result in interface melting, though this
possibility should not be excluded. Again, overload current magnitude and duration are
dependent on the applied load.

In region C, the motor is up to speed and the steady state current will be 14 amperes. For
this application, the connector used must have a current rating value in excess of 14
amperes.

The last current type is an intermittent or duty cycle application. The duty cycle
contribution to current rating consideration depends on both the applied current pulse
and the duty cycle, how much of the application life will be under load. Once again, Joule
heating and Supertemperature effects must be considered. Joule heating depends on I2R,
where R is the resistance of the contact, and Supertemperature depends on IR c, where
Rc is the resistance of the contact interface. The apparently simple difference in current
dependence, however, is complicated by the time constant of the thermal systems. As
mentioned, Supertemperature is effectively instantaneous, while Joule heating takes time
to heat up the mass of the contact to increase the contact temperature. Thus, a high
peak current pulse of short duration, say five percent of the duty cycle, could affect
Supertemperature, while the effects of a lower-peak longer-duration pulse, say 75
percent of the duty cycle, would influence T-rise. The effect of pulse duration has two
aspects. As pulse duration increases, the Joule heating due to the pulse will increase, and
the heat dissipation, the cooling between the end of the pulse and the next pulse, will
decrease. Thus, the T-rise for a pulse of a given current will increase as the pulse
duration increases in a super linear manner.

The Supertemperature, melting, effects of transient, overload, and duty cycle currents
are straightforward. In principle, the critical current for interface melting can be
calculated, and as long as the peak current does not reach that value, melting will not
occur.

Calculation of the critical current is based upon the fact that there is a melting voltage for
all materials, and the relationship between melting voltage, Vm, and melting current, I m,
is given by:

Vm = I m Rc

Where Rc is the contact interface resistance. Given that R c is often only “known”
approximately, a conservative estimate of Im, say 90 percent of the calculated value, may
be appropriate. That leaves us with Vm. Vm is a materials property. V m values for tin and
silver, respectively, are 130 and 370 millivolts. Using these values for Vm, and taking into
2/3
consideration that the contact resistance will increase with temperature, due to the
temperature coefficient of resistivity of the contact interface material, we can determine
critical values for Im Rc that will lead to melting of the contact interface. Those values for
tin and silver, respectively, are 59 and 89 millivolts. Therefore, a tin-plated contact that
has a voltage drop of 59 millivolts across the contact interface at room temperature will
reach the melting voltage of tin due to Joule heating. For example, a tin-plated contact
with a room temperature contact resistance of 1 milliohm will melt due to the Joule
heating of a transient current of 59 amperes. An application having high transient
currents may require a contact with a higher current rating to take advantage of the,
generally lower contact resistances of such contacts.

The T-rise effects of overload and duty cycle currents are more complicated, due to their
dependence on the shape and duration of the current profile during the overload period
or duty cycle and the electrical and thermal time constants of the system as they impact
both Joule heating and thermal dissipation processes.

Severe overload conditions may call for higher base-current-rated connectors, which will
have a reduced rate of Joule heating. Low duty cycle applications, on the other hand, may
allow the use of a connector with a lower current rating, due to reduced Joule heating.
The lower current rating connector may offer benefits in cost or size.

We’ll expand on our discussion of current rating principles and practices in an upcoming
edition of ConnectorSupplier.com.

3/3