High voltage insulation of bushing for HTS power equipment

For the operation of high temperature superconducting (HTS) power equipments, it is necessary to develop insulating materials and high voltage (HV) insulation technology at cryogenic temperature of bushing. Liquid nitrogen (LN₂) is an attractive dielectric liquid. Also, the polymer insulating materials are expected to be used as solid materials such as glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), polytetra-fluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon), Silicon (Si) rubber, aromatic polyamide (Nomex), EPDM/Silicon alloy compound (EPDM/Si).In this paper, the surface flashover characteristics of various insulating materials in LN₂ are studied. These results are studied at both AC and impulse voltage under a non-uniform field. The use of GFRP and Teflon as insulation body for HTS bushing should be much desirable. Especially, GFRP is excellent material not only surface flashover characteristics but also mechanical characteristics at cryogenic temperature. The surface flashover is most serious problem for the shed design in LN₂ and operation of superconducting equipments.     

High voltage heavy current leads for liquid helium cryostats

Properties of insulation for high voltage cryoelectric equipment are considered. The results of investigation into surface dieletric strength under cryogenic conditions of bushing models made of monolithic teflon are discussed. New designs for heavy current leads for liquid helium cryostats, based on the obtained results, have been suggested and built. The current leads ere tested at 80 and 100 kV with 5.5 kA current and the results are presented.     

Electrical characteristics of high-Tc superconducting mini-model cable under mechanical stresses in liquid nitrogen

To develop 22.9 kV class high-T_c superconducting (HTS) cable in Korea, we have been studying electrical insulation properties of dielectric paper, such as breakdown voltage, partial discharge, which is one of the HTS cable structure elements. However, the research on the mechanical stress of dielectric paper compared to breakdown properties of dielectric paper is insufficient. A cracking and variation of the electrical insulation due to mechanical stresses during cooling and bending of HTS cables in cryogenic temperature is a serious problem. Thus, we investigated tensile stress and breakdown stress of dielectric paper under mechanical stress. Moreover, we manufactured mini-model cables investigated breakdown stress under bending stress to design a cable drum for conveyance. In the AC, impulse and partial discharge properties, all test results showed a similar tendency, and the suitable bending radius ratio R/r was decided to be more than 25.     

The electron beam gun with thermionic hairpin-like cathode for welding and surface modifications

An axial thermionic electron beam emitter assembly with a special geometry of the cathode along with particular spacing of the electrodes has been used to produce a stable, sharp and high power density image at an acceleration voltage of 10 kV only. A hairpin-like tungsten wire, with diameter of 0.7 mm having semi-spherical emitting area at the crown with an angle of 45 degree at the vertex was used as a cathode. A direct heating method was used to heat the cathode. The emission current of the gun is in accordance with the Langmuir relation. An electromagnetic coil was used for focusing the beam at the target. A two dimensional programmable movement was applied to control the work site in the x-y direction. Focusing of the beam has been achieved up to 1 mm in diameter at an acceleration voltage of 10 kV.Thermionic efficiency of the gun is 4 mA W⁻¹ and the power density measured is ∼10⁵ W cm⁻².The gun was used for welding and surface modification of different materials including refractory metals.     

Transport of cryogenic liquids or gases between installations at different electrical potentials

Two techniques are described to transport an electrically insulating cryogenic liquid or gas, typically liquid or supercritical helium between apparatus at different electrical potentials. The problem is solved in one case by applying high vacuum as simultaneous thermal and electrical insulation, and in the other case by using a potential controlled epoxy bushing as electrical insulator, installed in a cryostat which is thermally insulated in a conventional manner.     

Input Noise Voltage Below 1 nV/Hz1/2 at 1 kHz in the HEMTs at 4.2 K

Specific High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) have been realized and characterized. At 4.2?K, with a drain-source current I _ds of 1.55?mA and drain-source voltage V _ds of 100?mV, the transistor has the following electrical characteristics: a?transconductance and an output conductance of 69 and 3.8?mS, respectively, leading to an intrinsic voltage gain of?18; an input gate-source capacitance C _gs of about 31?pF; and a gate leakage current less than 0.2?pA. An equivalent input noise voltage lower than 1?nV/Hz^1/2 at 1?kHz has been achieved when I _ds=1.55?mA at V _ds=100?mV. Hence, our results show that the specific HEMTs should be a suitable transistor for future ultra-low noise deep cryogenic low-frequency high-impedance readout electronics.     

Polyamide 66 as a cryogenic dielectric

Improvements in superconductor and cryogenic technologies enable novel power apparatus, e.g., cables, transformers, fault current limiters, generators, it etc., with better device characteristics than their conventional counterparts. In these applications electrical insulation materials play an important role in system weight, footprint (size), and voltage level. The trend in the electrical insulation material selection has been to adapt or to employ conventional insulation materials to these new systems. However, at low temperatures, thermal contraction and loss of mechanical strength in many materials make them unsuitable for superconducting power applications. In this paper, a widely used commercial material was characterized as a potential cryogenic dielectric. The material is used in “oven bags” which is a heat-resistant polyamide (nylon) used in cooking (produced by Reynolds^®, Richmond, VA, USA). It is first characterized by Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction techniques and determined to be composed of polyamide 66 (PA66) polymer. Secondly the complex dielectric permittivity and dielectric breakdown strength of the PA66 films are investigated. The dielectric data are then compared with data reported in the literature. A comparison of dielectric strength with a widely used high-temperature superconductor electrical insulation material, polypropylene-laminated paper (PPLP™ a product of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Japan), is provided. It is observed that the statistical analysis of the PA66 films yields 1% failure probability at ; this value is approximately higher than PPLP™. Comparison of the mechanical properties of PA and PPLP™ indicates that PA66 has low storage and loss moduli than PPLP™. It is concluded that PA66 may be a good candidate for cryogenic applications. Finally, a summary of dielectric properties of some of the commercial tape insulation materials and various polymers is also provided.     

Exact 3D Saint Venant type solutions for piezoelectric d 15 shear-mode bi-morph and sandwich torsion actuation and sensing problems

This paper is concerned with the analysis of two types of piezoelectric torsion transducers using the d ₁₅-effect of mono-morph piezoelectric materials. The first problem is concerned with a bi-morph transducer made of two identical mono-morph straight rods, which are perfectly bonded to each other along their width; the polarization direction is parallel, but opposite in sign, such that the piezoelectric material parameter d ₁₅ has an opposite sign as well. The second problem sandwiches the bi-morph transducer between two identical elastic face layers. In both cases, the resulting transducer represents a torsion transducer. Therefore, we analyze the electromechanically coupled problem in the framework of Saint Venant’s torsion theory for straight rods taking into account the electrical problem as well. The results of our approach are compared to electromechanically coupled three-dimensional finite element computation and a very good agreement for the mechanical as well as the electrical entities is achieved, in particular for the rate-of-twist, the axial warping function, and the sensed voltage.     

Electrical Conductivity of Thin Polycrystalline La0.83Sr0.17MnO3 Films in Pulsed High Electric and Magnetic Fields

The electrical conductivity of thin polycrystalline La_0.83Sr_0.17MnO₃ films was investigated. These films were simultaneously affected by a single electrical pulse having a pulse length of several ns and a half-sinus magnetic pulse with a pulse length of 1 ms and amplitude ranging up to 20 T. The influence of the high magnetic field on the electroresistance was studied at electric field strengths up to 80 kV/cm when the temperature of the film ranged from 100 K to 300 K. It was found that depending on the temperature and magnetic field value the electroresistance (ER) can be enhanced or suppressed by the applied magnetic field. These results are explained by assuming that the ER appears due to inelastic multistep tunneling through grain boundaries and by taking into account the redistribution of voltage across crystalline grains and grain boundary regions.     

Electrical characteristics of a dc superconducting cable

A dc superconducting cable is ideal for transmitting large blocks of electrical power over a long distance. However, it must be designed to operate reliably within the constraints of the electrical system. Therefore, system analysis must be performed for each application. The conductor losses caused by the harmonics on the dc must be within the design goals; a system fault should not drive the cable normal with eventual damage to the cable and interruption of power flow; and, the dielectric system of the cable must be designed to be compatible with the expected transient voltages by proper insulation coordination. Transient overvoltages are of concern to electrical power systems; these are especially critical to cryogenic cables because of the susceptibility of the cryogenic enclosures to these transients. This paper discusses the electrical system constraints which are particularly applicable to a dc superconducting cable and shows how such a cable can be designed to be compatible with the electrical system.This paper also summarizes the work on low temperature dielectrics performed at Los Alamos. It shows the variation of break down voltage of dielectric materials, in sheet form and cable configuration, with temperature and pressure under dc and impulse voltage. The surface flashover characteristics with large creepage distance as well as electrical conductivity of dielectric materials at cryogenic temperatures are discussed. These studies are essential for the design of high voltage apparatus operating in cryogenic environments.     

Aging characteristics of cryogenic insulator for development of HTS transformer

In the response to the demand for electrical energy, much effort aimed to develop and commercialize high temperature superconducting (HTS) power equipments has been made around the world. Especially, HTS transformer is one of the most promising devices. For the development of HTS transformer, the cryogenic insulation technology should be established. In this paper V−t characteristics of polyimide (Kapton) tape and GFRP used as turn-to-turn and structural insulations, respectively were studied. Moreover, breakdown hole site of GFRP after breakdown was also discussed. The experimental results show that the time to breakdown is conditioned on applied electric stress and the lifetime indices n of Kapton tape decrease slightly as the number of tape increases while the lifetime indices n of GFRP decrease strongly with increasing thickness. Furthermore, the breakdown holes of GFRP were not at the contact point, at which the electric field is maximum value, between sphere electrode and GFRP sample and its location depends on applied voltage as well as sphere diameter.     

Subnanosecond avalanche switching in high-voltage silicon diodes with abrupt and graded p-n junctions

The phenomenon of delayed avalanche breakdown in high-voltage silicon diodes has been studied for the first time using an experimental setup with specially designed resistive coupler as a part of a high-quality matched measuring tract. Three types of diode structures with identical geometric parameters and close stationary breakdown voltages within 1.1–1.3 kV have been studied, including p ⁺-n-n ⁺ structures with abrupt p-n junctions and two different p ⁺-p-n-n ⁺ structures with graded p-n junctions. Upon switching of all structures, a voltage step with an amplitude above 1 kV and a rise time of ～100 ps at a breakdown voltage of about 2 kV is formed in the load. However, switching to a state with low (～150 V) residual voltage has been observed only in the structures with an abrupt p-n junction, while the voltage in structures with graded junctions only decreased to a level of ～1 kV, which is close to the stationary breakdown voltage.     

Fractal analysis of side channels for breakdown structures in XLPE cable insulation

The role of frequency in the range 20 through 300 Hz on the breakdown voltage and the breakdown path is studied in cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cable insulation using embedded needle. A maximum breakdown voltage of 25 kV is found at 240 Hz, and side channels are observed on the flank of the main channel of the electrical breakdown path. Fractal analysis of the side channel is carried out and it is induced that the frequency dependence of the fractal dimension D of the side channel are similar to that of the electrical trees before breakdown. It is suggested that the space charge can be injected from the needle tip. This leads to partial discharge causing progress of the electrical tree and the breakdown path. Space charge will also result in field-moderating cloud around the needle tip and turn to sidewall charges in the side channels. The frequency dependence of the breakdown voltage of the XLPE with the embedded needle can be clarified based on the fractal analysis of the side channel and the electrical tree of the XLPE insulation.     

Determination method of equivalent insulation test voltage at room temperature for high temperature superconducting power apparatus with coil structure

This paper deals with the determination method of the equivalent insulation test voltage at room temperature that secures the reliability of the cryogenic electrical insulation of the high temperature superconducting (HTS) power apparatus. The high voltage test is related to the apparatus with coil structure at the stages of its development, manufacturing and shipment. In the test method, the equivalent insulation test voltage at room temperature is derived from the standard test voltage at cryogenic temperature, based on the idea that the HTS power apparatus should be operated without partial discharges (PDs). The conversion factor between the two voltages is given by the product of the two medium factors, i.e. the one relating to the potential distribution along the coil winding and the other relating to the PD inception condition at the weakest part in the electrical insulation system. In order to determine the latter factor concerned with the non-linear phenomena against electrical stresses, the PD inception voltages at cryogenic and room temperatures are theoretically and experimentally estimated for modeled turn-to-turn insulation system. The results show that both estimated and measured values are in fairly good agreement and the proposed method is useful for the equivalent high voltage test at room temperature for the HTS power apparatus.     

Demonstration of an Ultra-Stable Temperature Platform

No Heading We report on a new thermometer design and precision heater controller for use in cryogenic experiments near 2.2 K. The thermometer design reduces the thermal resistance between the thermometer and the liquid ⁴He sample to the point where the noise is limited by thermally driven electrical current fluctuations in the PdMn. The heater controller uses a series array of rf-biased Josephson junctions on a constant voltage state to precisely control the voltage drop across the heater resistor. This technology may be used to create a blackbody reference device with unprecedented stability.PACS numbers: 67.40.73x2212;w, 67.90.+z, 07.20.–n     

Evaluation of a Non‐destructive High‐voltage Technique for the Detection of Pinhole Leaks in Flexible and Semi‐rigid Packages for Foods

This study evaluated the capabilities of a high‐voltage technique for the detection of pinhole leaks by using flexible pouches and semi‐rigid cups for foods. This evaluation was performed by measuring the discharge voltage when high voltages ranging from 0.25 to 10 kV were applied to sample packages. The results showed that package contact surface area, film thickness, food type and electrical conductivity are significant factors affecting the detection of pinhole leaks in flexible pouches by a high‐voltage leak detection (HVLD) system within the ranges tested (p < 0.05). For plastic cups with plastic‐laminated and foil‐laminated lids, the headspace inside a cup had the greatest effect followed by dielectric constant of lid films, electrical conductivity of foods and pinhole diameter (p < 0.01). In general, the HVLD system can detect pinholes as small as 10 µm in both plastic‐laminated and foil‐laminated pouches and lid cups, even at worst‐case scenario conditions, including liquid, semi‐solid and solid foods with 0.85 a_w. Because of high voltages applied, however, delamination in foil‐laminated films occurred when an applied voltage was greater than 3.5 kV, which resulted in increased oxygen permeability. Statistical z‐test analysis of results from blind studies showed that the HVLD technique is significantly effective in determining defective pouches and cups with pinhole leaks as small as 10 µm (p < 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that the HVLD technique is a promising non‐destructive and on‐line method to detect pinhole defects, which may be applicable to a wide range of hermetically sealed packages. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative High Voltage Impulse Measurement

A facility has been developed for the determination of the ratio of pulse high voltage dividers over the range from 10 kV to 300 kV using comparative techniques with Kerr electro-optic voltage measurement systems and reference resistive voltage dividers. Pulse voltage ratios of test dividers can be determined with relative expanded uncertainties of 0.4 % (coverage factor k = 2 and thus a two standard deviation estimate) or less using the complementary resistive divider/Kerr cell reference systems. This paper describes the facility and specialized procedures used at NIST for the determination of test voltage divider ratios through comparative techniques. The error sources and special considerations in the construction and use of reference voltage dividers to minimize errors are discussed, and estimates of the measurement uncertainties are presented.     

15 kV class high-voltage electrical vacuum feedthrough

In the feeder system of the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), the high-voltage (HV) electrical vacuum feedthrough plays an important role in transmitting the voltage signals from one vacuum environment to anther vacuum environment under cryogenic temperature. Due to no commercial solutions, the feedthroughs for EAST were developed in the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In this paper, the structural design, electrical analysis, structural analysis and experiments involving thermal cycle, helium gas tightness, HV-leakage current and Paschen discharge are presented. The experimental result indicates that the leak rate of the developed feedthroughs was less than 1 × 10⁻⁹ Pa·m³·s⁻¹. After the 5 thermal cycles from room temperature (RT) to 77 K, the HV-leakage current experiment under 10⁻³ Pa vacuum environment and the Paschen discharge experiments of feedthroughs were performed, the leakage current under 15 kV DC is lower than the allowable value 5 µA, and the leakage currents in helium gas and nitrogen gas from 1 Pa to 50 kPa are lower than the allowable value 10 µA.     

Theory of electrical resistivity of metal-matrix composites at cryogenic and higher temperatures

This paper presents a theory describing the electrical resistivity (conductivity) in the axial direction of unidirectional fibre-reinforced metal-matrix composite (MMC) materials at cryogenic and higher temperatures. The theory is derived from the solution of Boltzmann's equation. A triple-integral expression is obtained to describe the change in the electrical conductivity in the matrix metal due to electron scattering from the fibre surfaces. It is shown that at cryogenic temperatures, the electrical resistivity can rise by a factor of 2200 over a decrease in temperature of about 6 K below about 10 K. This effect is due entirely to electron scattering from fibre surfaces. The model developed shows that the composite resistivity agrees well with known experimental data at temperatures above 80 K. At very low temperatures, _c (T) _c (T _R) (1–CT ^–4)^–1, whereT is the absolute temperature. Shortcomings and implications of the theory are discussed.     

Remarks on the use of Boltzmann's equation for electrical conduction calculations in metal matrix and in situ composites

The Boltzmann equation and its solutions are cental to the development of microscopic models describing the longitudinal and transverse electrical conductivity of metal matrix and in situ composites. Such solutions are needed to describe electron and phonon scattering and transport phenomena in the matrix due to the presence of a second filamentary phase, and to describe electrical conductivity at cryogenic and higher temperatures. In this paper, we derive solutions to the Boltzmann equation in the relaxation time approximation in cylindrical coordinates. It is shown that one solution for the electric field parallel to the fibre direction leads to an expression for composite conductivity at cryogenic and higher temperatures. We also present a solution for the case in which the electric field is normal to the fibre direction.