Methods for estimating a property of an electrical switching device, devices for implementing these methods

An electrical switching device, comprising an electronic control device for estimating a property of the electrical switching device, notably an energy value of an electric arc during an opening phase of the device, the electronic control device being configured for:

• detecting a movement of electrical contacts of the switching device beyond an opening threshold;
• measuring, for at least one phase of the electrical device, the electric current through this phase;
• evaluating for at least one phase of the electrical device, the voltage of an electric arc between the electrical contacts that are associated with this phase;
• and
• calculating, for at least said phase of the electrical device, an energy value associated with the electric arc, by numerically integrating the product of the measured electric current and of the evaluated voltage, the integration being performed over a time interval starting from the detection of the movement of the electrical contacts.