Determination of the streamers characteristics propagating in liquids using the electrical network computation

This work is devoted to the modeling of branching streamers propagating in transformer oil using an equivalent electrical network and the electrical network computation. The proposed model enables one to determine the different characteristics of the streamer (i.e., the associated current and the electrical charge, the power and the energy injected in the liquid, the local electric field at the streamer head, the streamer shape and its velocity, the mobility of the charge carriers within the streamer channels, the local viscosity and temperature). It's shown through the simulated values of the mobility of charge carriers, the local viscosity and temperature that both electronic and gaseous mechanisms are implicated in the streamer development. The gaseous nature of streamers and the role of the local electric field are evident. The influence of the conductivity and additives as well as the electrode gap on the propagation velocity of positive streamers is analyzed.     

Pulse measurements using LED in dielectric liquids under impulsevoltages

Current pulses, in the form of partial discharges, are known to be precursors of electrical breakdown in dielectric liquids. The precise measurement of these pulses is of great value for the understanding of the breakdown mechanism. The measurement of current pulses under impulse voltage is very difficult when using conventional electrical measurement systems. To overcome this difficulty, a novel measuring system using fiber optics and a light emitting diode (LED) has been developed. In this paper, the improvements in time response and charge sensitivity of such a LED current-pulse measurement system are described. Using this system and a high speed shadow-graph assembly under impulse conditions, the current pulse and the streamer initiation in dielectric liquids are measured simultaneously     

Electrode architecture related to surface flashover of soliddielectrics in vacuum

A lateral test structure with metalized film electrodes is shown to have distinct advantages over a conventional solid electrode structure for studying the HV characteristics of solid insulators in vacuum. The paper presents results of streak photography and spectral analysis of surface discharge luminosity, and of preflashover activity using time-coordinated current, luminosity, and imaging of light activity emanating from the surface of the stressed dielectric. The preflashover activity, consisting of bursts of time-correlated current and light emission, is associated with randomly distributed emission spots on the surface. It is proposed that the above observations are related to charge trapping and detrapping processes at localized energy levels associated with insulator surface defects     

管-管和管-板电极介质阻挡放电特性研究

电极结构对介质阻挡放电(DBD)的放电特性有重要影响,研究和比较不同电极结构DBD的放电特性,对优化DBD反应器结构和提高放电效率具有重要意义。笔者实验研究和比较了大气压空气中管-管电极和管-板电极DBD的放电特性,比较了它们电压电流波形图、李萨育图形以及发光图像的区别,研究了不同电压幅值下放电参量的变化,并从放电机理上对实验结果给出合理解释。结果表明:管-板电极DBD的电气特性和发光特性与管-板电极DBD有明显的区别,相对于管-管电极DBD,管-板电极DBD的放电更稳定,放电细丝分布更均匀;随着外加电压幅值的增加,两种电极结构DBD的放电持续时间、电流幅值、放电功率和传输电荷量都增加,在相同外加电压幅值下,管-板电极DBD的各参量均大于管-管电极DBD。     

Modeling of prebreakdown VI characteristics of a wire-plateelectrostatic precipitator operating under combined dc-pulseenergization

With the advent of pulse energization in electrostatic precipitators, the need for developing a model to simulate the physical processes in the prebreakdown region, at which the precipitator normally operates, is also increasing. The development of such a model helps in predicting the VI characteristics of a precipitator, which will be important to diagnose the electrical problems associated with the precipitator during its operation. The paper reports the details of a proposed model to predict the VI characteristics of a wire-plate precipitator operating under the influeuce of repetitive pulses superposed on a dc bias. The model begins with the calculation of space charge density near the HV electrode during the pulse-on period and then proceeds with the drift of space charges in the pulse-off period aided by the dc bias. The pulse duration was ~250 ns. The pulse repetition rate was 50 Hz. The predicted results were validated against the experimental results conducted on a laboratory model of a wire-plate precipitator. The studies were conducted for dust free conditions     

Space charge formation and breakdown in polyethylene influenced by the interface with semiconducting electrodes

This paper deals with the influence of interface between polyethylene and semiconducting electrode on the space charge formation and electrical breakdown. Low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) films attached with different semiconducting electrodes were subjected to the DC breakdown test, and corresponding space charge distribution was measured. A heat treatment to LDPE itself did not bring about a significant change in space charge profile; however, when a semiconducting electrode was hot‐pressed, the impurities would migrate into LDPE at high temperature, leading to the change in space charge profile. Furthermore, it was suggested from the comparison between the results with degassed and as‐received semiconducting electrodes that some carriers relating to impurities in the electrode would move into LDPE under the voltage. In addition, it was shown that the breakdown is not determined by the field at the cathode which can supply sufficient electrons, but by the maximum field across the specimen, suggesting that an increase in conduction current due to the generation and/or injection, rather than the electronic avalanche process, leads to the breakdown. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 138(3): 19–25, 2002     

Optical investigation of AC preflashover of alumina ceramic in vacuum

Optical phenomena accompanying the preflashover along a planar metal-alumina-metal structure were investigated under stepped AC voltage in vacuum. Two kinds of electrode contacts with and without sputtered gold films were employed. For sputtered alumina, the luminescence became observable at /spl sim/1 kV/sub peak/, and revealed two stages depending on the amplitude of applied voltage. For non-sputtered alumina the optical emission appeared at a much higher voltage and presented irregular and discrete light pulses. The energy band at the metal-alumina interface for the two kinds of electrode contacts is responsible for the relevant optical mechanisms. For non-sputtered contact, the light emission was initiated by field electron emission from the triple junction. While for the sputtered contact, prior to the electron emission, electrons/holes could be injected from electrodes into the surface layer of alumina and electroluminescence phenomena occur due to the radiative electron-hole recombination. Injected electrons form a long-term negative space charge region away from each electrode and hence at a critical applied voltage, the trapped electrons are detrapped resulting in intense light emission. These processes play a significant role in the development of flashover.     

AC particle-triggered corona discharge in low pressure SF/sub 6/ gas

This paper deals with AC particle-triggered corona discharge as a follow-up to our previous research with DC voltage to clarify the particle-triggered corona discharge process in SF₆ gas. Corona current pulses, charges associated with a corona current pulse, and corona light pulses were observed with an aluminum ellipsoidal particle suspended in a parallel plane electrode system under a SF₆ gas pressure range of 30 kPalesPles50 kPa by changing the particle position. Corona mode, phase (Phi)-charge (q) characteristics as well as corona discharge processes were discussed and the following results were obtained. AC corona mode depended on the instantaneous applied voltage, voltage gradient as well as the particle position and then, the Phi-q characteristics were also affected by those parameters. Charges flow into the floating particle due to coronas on the both tips of particle and excite field fluctuations around the opposite side of particle in addition to the applied AC field. The field fluctuation in SF₆ gas by the corona charges was about 4% of the applied field and much lower than that in air gap which was about 70%. That is, the corona development was suppressed effectively by high electron affinity of SF₆ gas even in the case of floating particle. The less effective interference between coronas on the both side of particle in SF₆ gas results in an obscure local minimum in the breakdown voltage characteristics as the particle is in the vicinity of electrode as contrasted with a drastic fall in the breakdown voltage by the particle in air     

Multiscale modeling of oxide RRAM devices for memory applications: from material properties to device performance

RRAM devices have been subjected to intense research efforts and are proposed for nonvolatile memory and neuromorphic applications. In this paper we describe a multiscale modeling platform connecting the microscopic properties of the resistive switching material to the electrical characteristics and operation of RRAM devices. The platform allows self-consistently modeling the charge and ion transport and the material structural modifications occurring during RRAM operations and reliability, i.e., conductive filament creation and partial disruption. It allows describing the electrical behavior (current, forming, switching, cycling, reliability tests) of RRAM devices in static and transient conditions and their dependence on external conditions (e.g., temperature). Thanks to the kinetic Monte Carlo approach, the inherent variability of physical processes is properly accounted for. Simulation results can be used both to investigate material properties (including atomic defect distributions) and to optimize stack and bias pulses for optimum device performances and reliability.     

Optical investigation of high-field conduction and prebreakdown ina dielectric liquid

Light emission studies of the high-field conduction and prebreakdown phenomena in a mixture of mono and dibenzyl-toluene (M/DBT), used as polypropylene impregnant in the all-film capacitor technology, have been undertaken to gain insight into the underlying physical mechanisms responsible for these processes. The absorption spectrum of this fluid, in the UV region, shows the appearance of structured bands at 348, 366 and 386 nm indicating a luminescence process via anthracene and 9-methylanthracene impurities at a concentration of 3×10^-3 mol/l. Optical and electrical measurements were performed simultaneously on the electrically stressed fluid. Electroluminescence of the impurities contained in M/DBT has been investigated using a new uniform field electrode arrangement. The light inception stress was determined to be ~ 20 μm^-1 for ac excitation (50 Hz). Configurations with different interfacial situations were studied and we have evidenced a correlation between charge injection and electroluminescence activity. Spectral analysis of the light radiated by streamers in M/DBT in a needle-plane electrode geometry, under step voltage (1 to 50 μs, 30 kV) revealed, for both polarities, the presence of H₂ and C₂ characteristic bands emerging from a continuum corresponding to the dissociation and recombination of molecular fragments     

From LDPE to XLPE: investigating the change of electrical properties. Part I. space charge, conduction and lifetime

This paper discusses the results of space charge, conduction current and electrical lifetime measurements performed on widely-used materials for electrical insulation, that is, low density polyethylene (LDPE) and cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE). Space charge accumulation profiles were compared in LDPE, low density polyethylene plus antioxidant (LDPE+AO) and XLPE, with consideration of thermal treatment effects in LDPE and XLPE. Significant variation (decrease) of accumulated space charge and apparent mobility, as well as slight decrease of conduction current, can be seen going from LDPE to LDPE+AO and XLPE, which may be associated with formation of deeper trap levels (or an increase of their density). On the contrary, electrical life under AC voltage does not show significant differences from LDPE to XLPE. This latter result underlines that life under high AC electrical stress is mostly determined by defects (weak points) rather than material characteristics associated with charge injection and transport.     

真空中固体绝缘沿面闪络现象的研究进展

针对长期以来高电场下复合绝缘系统的耐电性能受绝缘材料的沿面闪络现象所限制,严重制约了很多电气电子系统的整体性能的现状,迫切需要深入研究真空中绝缘子沿面闪络现象,为此,综述了国内外相关研究现状和进展,认为此现象是一种发生在高电场下的复杂界面(电极与材料的交界面)和表面(材料的表面)的物理现象。闪络过程在本质上反映出高电场下的电荷行为,由体内(材料的表层内)和体外(材料的表面及表面以上)2过程支配。需综合考虑绝缘材料的介电常数、电阻率、二次电子发射特性、表面陷阱分布等影响因素,进而提出表征和改善真空中沿面闪络特性的综合评价体系,最终达到认识新的物理现象并将之有效调控的目的。     

Computational and Experimental Study of Ionic Space Charge Generated by Combined Corona–Electrostatic Electrode Systems

Numerical computation of the electric field intensity and space charge density in electrode systems consisting of ionizing and nonionizing elements, connected at the same direct current (dc) high-voltage supply and facing a grounded plate, is a difficult problem, which is of interest to several electrostatic processes applications. The aim of the present paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of an original method of field computation in the analysis of the factors that influence the distribution of the ionic space charge in such combined corona–electrostatic electrode systems. The computations and the experiments were carried out for an ionizing wire of diameter 0.3 mm, located at different distances$h$(10–30 mm) from a tubular support of diameter 25 mm. Several interelectrode distances (20–45 mm) were simulated. The extension of the zone at the surface of the grounded electrode, which is affected by the space charge, diminishes when reducing the intervals between these elements of the electrode system, and, at similar applied voltage, the density of the corresponding corona current increases. The experimental data were in good agreement with the computed results, validating the accuracy of the numerical method of space-charge calculation in this special electrode configuration.     

Partial discharge measurements in air and argon at low pressures with and without a dielectric barrier

Partial discharge (PD) characteristics in air and argon under low pressures down to 13.3 Pa (0,1 Torr) and 60 Hz AC energization are studied in an energized needle-plane electrode arrangement. The electrode configuration, vacuum chamber, facilities, and electrical connections for the experimental setup are described. Two cases are studied for each of two gases, air and argon, with 20 mm spacing between the two electrodes: (1) with and (2) without a Teflon/spl reg/ cap (dielectric barrier). Results for the four series of experiments and analysis of the discharge current pulse waveforms are presented. Topics discussed are the typical waveforms of the discharge current pulses at different pressures, and discharge current pulse rise time vs. pressure relationships.     

Basic electrical processes in dielectric liquids

The basic processes of electrical conduction in dielectric liquids are reviewed, attention being drawn to the similarities between conductive electrolytes and insulating liquids. The concepts of the electronic amorphous solid state are employed to provide a framework for the review. The conditions at metal electrodes can be incorporated naturally into the scheme, and it is known that the space charge layers occurring on them can control conduction. Although electrical breakdown itself is not considered, the underlying electronic processes which will develop when breakdown electrical fields exist in the liquid are considered     

Negative corona in air using a point/cup electrode system

Calculations and simulations of potential and charged-particle distributions have been made by various workers for single pulses along the axis of point/plane electrode systems but not for the overall current. The difficult geometry makes this inevitable. In this paper the authors describe measurements of corona currents in air using a high-symmetry `point/cup' electrode system comprising a hemispherical-tipped point which is concentric with a concave hemispherical electrode; and simulations based on a spherically symmetric geometry. The simulations assumed avalanches to originate from the random release of electrons in the inter-electrode gap. The predicted onset voltages and the shape of the experimental curves for corona current vs. Voltage were in good agreement with the experimental results over a range of point-tip radii (0.5 to 3 mm) and pressures (0.02 to 0.10 MPa). Space charge effects were not included in the simulation so it follows that the accumulation of space charge is negligible at the onset voltage in air, although it is likely that it will have an increasing effect as the voltage increases     

Fast electrostatic discharges between a charged thin dielectricfilm and a spherical electrode with or without dielectric coating

Short-gap (less than 1 mm) electrostatic discharge (ESD) between a charged thin dielectric film on an earthed-plate electrode and a spherical electrode, connected to the plate, with or without an uncharged thin dielectric film coating was observed. Discharge-current waveform, discharge gap length, current rise time, discharging photograph, and current peak value were recorded by the authors' measuring system. The initial charge supply effects by irradiation of β-ray or ultraviolet light were found to be not highly apparent; that is, the reproducibility of ESD experiments was not greatly improved. Surface-charge-polarity dependence of surface ESD between charged and uncharged dielectric films decreases with increase of the film thickness. The discharge gap length of ESD with a 1.5 μm uncharged film coating on the spherical electrode decrease to 50 or 70% compared with that between a charged film and a bare spherical metal electrode. Peak current and transferred charge value of ESD also decrease to roughly one-third of that between the film and the spherical electrode     

Pulse energy as a reliable reference for twitch forces induced by transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Voltage-controlled neuromuscular electrical stimulation has been considered to be safer in noninvasive applications notwithstanding the fact that voltage-controlled devices purportedly generate forces less predictable than their current-controlled equivalents. This prompted us to evaluate relevant electrical parameters to determine whether forces induced by voltage-controlled stimuli were able to match to those induced by current-controlled ones, which tend to evoke forces that were more predictable. Force magnitudes corresponding to current- and voltage-controlled stimuli were aligned with respect to electric charge (equivalent to average current intensity) and electrical energy (equivalent to average power) of the same stimulation pulse to determine which provided a better coherence. Consistency of forces evaluated with energy was significantly (p < 0.001) better than that evaluated with electric charges, suggesting that electrically stimulated forces can be reliably predicted by monitoring the energy parameter of stimulation pulses. The above results appear to show that electrode-tissue impedance, a factor that makes charge and energy evaluations different, redefined the actual effects of current intensities in generating favorable results. Accordingly, novel schemes that track the energy (or average power) of a stimulation pulse may be used as a reliable benchmark to associate mechanical (force) and electrical (stimulation pulse) characteristics in transcutaneous applications of electrical stimulation.     

PD pulse burst characteristics of transformer oils

Partial Discharge (PD) characteristics of four typical transformer oils, having respective viscosities of 3.5, 9.1, 13.0, 18.3 cSt at 40/spl deg/C, were examined under ac conditions, using a needle-to-plane electrode system. Wide and narrow bandwidth measurements were carried out to determine simultaneously the apparent charge transfers associated with the overall PD pulse bursts in the oil as well as that of the individual discrete PD pulses within the PD pulse bursts themselves. Based on the apparent charge transfer value, the size or depth of the PD initiating microcavities in the field direction within the oils, producing the first detected discrete PD pulse, were estimated to be in the order of 2 /spl mu/m. The recurrence rate of the PD pulse bursts was found to increase with voltage above the PD inception voltage; this increase was accompanied by both an increase in number of discrete PD pulses and their amplitude within the pulse burst itself. These increases were reflected by a substantial rise in the apparent charge transfer per PD pulse burst. The charge transfer levels of the PD pulse bursts associated with the highly pressurized gas microcavities were of the same order of magnitude as those produced within the normally much larger macroscopic cavities that exist under atmospheric pressure in conventional oil-impregnated insulating systems of power transformers.     

Electrical stimulation in isolated rabbit retina.

Experiments were conducted to assess the effect of stimulating electrode parameters (size, position, and waveform shape) on electrically elicited ganglion cell action potentials from isolated rabbit retina. Thirty-eight isolated rabbit retinas were stimulated with bipolar stimulating electrodes (either 125 or 25 microm in diameter) positioned on either the ganglion or the photoreceptor side. Recording electrodes were placed between the optic disc and the stimulating electrodes. Cathodic-first, biphasic, current waveforms of varying pulse durations (0.1, 0.5, 1 ms) were used. For the four conditions tested (125-electrode and 25-microm electrode, ganglion cell, and photoreceptor positions) threshold currents ranged from 6.7 to 23.6 microA, depending on location and pulse duration. With 1-ms pulse duration, no statistically significant difference was seen between threshold currents when either size electrode was used to stimulate either the ganglion cell side or the photoreceptor side. For all groups, the threshold currents using the 1-ms pulse were lower than those using 0.1 ms, but the 0.1-ms pulses used less charge. These experiments provide a number of valuable insights into the relative effects of several stimulation parameters critical to the development of an implanted electronic retinal prosthesis.