Method and apparatus for determining electrical contact wear

1. A method for determining erosion of a contact assembly, the method comprising:

providing a fluorescent trace material within the contact assembly;

allowing the contact assembly to be eroded until at least a portion of the fluorescent trace material is released into a surrounding medium; and

monitoring at least one point in the surrounding medium to detect a quantity of fluorescent trace material dispersed into the surrounding medium as an indicator of erosion of the contact assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent trace material is provided within a cavity defined in the contact assembly.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring step further comprises the steps of:

directing electromagnetic radiation into the surrounding medium; and

sensing the amount of radiation emitted by the fluorescent trace material to determine the amount of fluorescent trace material in the surrounding medium.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is ultraviolet radiation.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a wave-length of about 254 nm.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ultraviolet radiation is generated from a source located within an enclosure surrounding the electrical contact assembly.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the ultraviolet radiation is generated from a source located in a fluorescent trace material detecting device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of monitoring the surrounding medium comprises the steps of:

circulating the surrounding medium through a particulate concentration device;

directing electromagnetic radiation onto the fluorescent trace material in the particulate concentration device; and

detecting the level of fluorescent radiation emitted in response to the electromagnetic radiation.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the particulate concentration device comprises a transparent or translucent observation wall; and

the electromagnetic radiation is directed through the observation wall to the fluorescent trace material.

10. A method for determining the presence of fluorescent material associated with wear of an electrical contact assembly, comprising the steps of:

generating electromagnetic radiation;

directing the electromagnetic radiation to fluorescent material indicating wear of the contact assembly;

detecting the amount of fluorescent radiation generated by the fluorescent material in response to the electromagnetic radiation; and

determining a level of wear of the electrical contact assembly from the amount of fluorescent radiation detected.

11. A method for determining the level of a fluorescent trace material present in a medium surrounding an electrical contact assembly, comprising the steps of:

circulating the surrounding medium through a particulate concentration device containing a collection surface;

directing electromagnetic radiation to the particulate concentration device; and

detecting the amount of fluorescent radiation generated by the fluorescent trace material collected by the particulate concentration device in response to the electromagnetic radiation.