Induction motors connected with a three-phase AC system may malfunction due to reverse phase or open phase faults. Conventional overcurrent relays and overheating relays are used to prevent such accidents; however, their drawbacks include a low response speed and false operation. Therefore, in this study, a digital relay for the reverse-open phase was designed and fabricated. This relay can detect the reverse phase and open phase faults and send a trigger signal to the control circuit. The proposed relay was developed based on a microcontroller. The detection times of the reverse phase and open phase were verified as 320ms and 80ms, respectively. Compared with conventional relays that only protect the motor from one type of fault, the proposed relay can detect both, reverse phase and open phase faults. In addition, the fault detection, identification criterion, and trigger signal patterns can be modified by programming according to the requirements of users.

In this work, the magnetic arc reduction phenomena encountered in AC relay contacts were analyzed. To this end, arc duration, instantaneous voltage, and current changes due to changes in the magnetic field were observed. The arc generated at the contact point was affected by the magnitude of the applied magnetic field; the voltage and current waveforms rapidly intersected, resulting in a decrease in arc duration and arc energy. Furthermore, the orientation of the N pole of the magnetic field was found to play a role in the effectiveness of potential arc prevention.

Electrical relay in an essential part of smart grids, electrical vehicles, and LED lightning systems. Therefore, studying relay reliability is important. Relays using permanent magnet actuators (PMAs), which are energy efficient, are also in the spotlight. However, most of the permanent magnets used in PMAs have a characteristic wherein the magnetic flux decreases as the temperature increases. When the magnetic flux is reduced, the force acting on the actuator is reduced. Therefore, in this study, we measured the decrease in the relay operating speed with permanent magnet reduction due to temperature rise. In addition, changes in the bouncing phenomena due to magnetic flux reduction were analyzed. As a result, the operating speed of the relay has decreased and the bouncing phenomenon has not significantly changed.

The power relay can easily control high voltage and high current through metallic contacts. In addition, it has the advantage in reasonable price. So it has been used in many applications. But the power relay has a weak point by mechanical movements. These mechanical movements cause the bouncing phenomenon. Arc and bouncing phenomenon are the main causes of electric abrasion and material erosion. In this study, mechanical repetitive experiments and repetitive experiments in electrically connected state are conducted. Then these two experimental results in terms of bouncing phenomenon and changes in the contact surface are compared. In all number of repetitions, contacts in an electrically connected state cause smaller number of bounce. Also, It has lower contents of silver on eroded surface than the other. The experimental results would be helpful to the further study of contacts life span.

The relay used is gradually increased. Because it is possible to easily control the high voltageand current. Bounce phenomenon is generated in contact during operation relay. As the result, arc isgenerated at the contact, thereby shortening the contact lifetime. In this study, we analyzed the bouncingphenomenon due to deterioration. It can be seen from the experimental results, and it is minimized atabout 100,000 times. Bouncing phenomenon to increase again after the minimization. Consequently, thebouncing related to contact weight and shape of contact surface.