Duncan, You might want to get all the info you can get on contact ratings for mechanical relays and contactors. Then, use that information by analogy.
DC operation of a switch is the more destructive by orders of magnitude than AC operation. Since the normal cycle of AC will quench any spark within 16ms/20ms, DC on the other hand provides no quenching of the spark till the contacts make. That's why you will see great differences between the AC and DC ratings of switches (the great switch mystery finally demystified). Any "power" ratings for switches are typically done in horsepower. Inrush, careful - I'm assuming here, might be estimated from some fudge combination of voltage and current over time. The relay people have gone through some intensive research over the years regarding MAKE/BREAK conditions, the success of various platings for the contacts, and snubber design to help with the reduction of the spark intensity (i.e. inrush problems). Regards, Doug McKean ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Michael Garretson: pstc_ad...@garretson.org Dave Heald davehe...@mediaone.net For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: No longer online until our new server is brought online and the old messages are imported into the new server.
