PR Mallory (now Cornell Dubilier) had an ap note on this -- as the contacts come closer together it's just like the plates of a capacitor moving closer together. Thus they designed the "quencharc" -- the capacitor of the quencharc is larger than that of the contacts, the resistor dissipates the energy.
Much thanks. The older I get, the more I like snubbers. Rectifier switching noise, solution: snubbers. Output transformer ringing, solution: snubbers. Feedback amplifier stability issues, solution: snubbers. Pitting on power handling contacts, solution: why not!?
It does seem, to my simple mind, that they'd be most useful when contacts were opening rather than closing, but that's probably wrong thinking.
ps: occurs to me that these should also be across fuses in harm's way.
Thanks again,
Chris
It does seem, to my simple mind, that they'd be most useful when contacts were opening rather than closing, but that's probably wrong thinking.
ps: occurs to me that these should also be across fuses in harm's way.
Thanks again,
Chris