低气压下流注放电特性的研究

流注的产生和传播是空气间隙击穿中一个重要的物理过程,研究低气压下流注的产生和传播过程有助于理解空气间隙的击穿放电,对高海拔地区输电线路及输变电设备的设计和运行有着重要的意义。在可调节气压湿度的有机玻璃罐中,利用“三电极”结构,应用光电倍增管测量了不同气压湿度下,流注传播概率和平均传播速度随平板间电场强度的变化。通过数据拟合得到了流注稳态传播电场和相对空气密度以及湿度之间的经验公式。建立流体模型,对流注传播的动力学特性进行了仿真计算,得到的流注稳态传播电场及平均传播速度和实验测量得到的结果吻合得很好。结果表明：流注的传播场强随湿度、气压的增大而增大;在相同的电场强度下,流注平均传播速度随湿度、气压的增大而减小。利用仿真计算模型计算得到流注传播过程中的各个参数,分析了流注传播动力学特性随气压湿度变化的机制。     

交流电晕脉冲特性随气压湿度变化的规律

随着特高压交直流输电工程的进行,高海拔电晕问题越来越受到关注。在可以调节气压和湿度的有机玻璃罐中,利用棒一板电极,对交流电晕特性随气压、湿度的变化规律进行试验研究。结果表明：交流电晕起始电压均随着气压降低、湿度升高而减小;交流电晕脉冲平均幅值均随湿度升高而减小;正半周流注脉冲平均幅值随气压降低而减小,而负半周流注脉冲平均幅值随气压减少而增大;交流电晕脉冲频率均随湿度升高而增大;随着气压降低,正半周流注脉冲个数没有明显的变化趋势,而负半周流注脉冲频率随气压降低而增大。     

气压和湿度对正直流电晕流注脉冲特性的影响

电晕是输电线路设计和运行中面临的重要问题之一。为此,测量了不同气压和湿度下的正直流电晕流注脉冲幅值和脉冲重复频率,实验结果与利用流体模型计算得到的波形随气压和湿度的变化规律一致。流注脉冲电流平均幅值Im随气压的降低和湿度的增大而减小。随着气压降低,流注头部电离减弱,使得注入流注通道的平均电子密度下降,流注通道内场强平均值E的降低是导致脉冲电流幅值下降的主要原因。随着湿度升高,流注头部电离减弱,使得注入流注通道的平均电子密度下降,流注通道内电导率λ的降低是导致脉冲电流幅值下降的主要原因。低湿度下,正直流流注电晕放电容易转化为辉光电晕,高湿度下,在较宽的电压范围内一直存在流注放电,流注脉冲平均频率随湿度升高显著增大。负离子解离产生自由电子的速率随湿度升高而减小,使得自由电子出现时,正离子已迁移到距离阳极较远的地方,是流注放电可以形成及流注脉冲重复频率随着湿度升高而增大的重要原因。     

正直流电晕流注脉冲特性随气压湿度变化的研究

电晕是输电线路设计和运行中面临的重要问题之一,通过实验测量和模拟计算,得到了不同气压湿度下的正直流电晕流注脉冲特性;流注放电存在的电压区间随着气压和湿度的升高而增大,实验测量和利用流体模型计算得到的流注脉冲幅值均随着气压降低、湿度升高而减小;利用流注通道中电子密度的变化对这一现象进行了分析。     

正直流电晕流注脉冲特性随气压湿度变化的研究

电晕是输电线路设计和运行中面临的重要问题之一,通过实验测量和模拟计算,得到了不同气压湿度下的正直流电晕流注脉冲特性;流注放电存在的电压区间随着气压和湿度的升高而增大,实验测量和利用流体模型计算得到的流注脉冲幅值均随着气压降低、湿度升高而减小;利用流注通道中电子密度的变化对这一现象进行了分析。     

负直流电晕流注脉冲特性随气压和湿度变化的规律

为得到负直流电晕流注脉冲特性随着气压和湿度变化的规律,建立考虑气压和湿度影响的流体模型,分别利用通量校正运移算法和分块方法求解了1维连续性方程和2维泊松方程。在人工气候罐中,利用棒–板电极,测量不同气压和湿度下的负直流电晕脉冲幅值和重复频率。计算和实验结果表明:特里切尔脉冲平均幅值及分散度随气压和湿度增大而减小。随着气压降低,电子密度增大,电导率升高,电流幅值增大。随着湿度升高,复合和附着作用增强,电子密度减小,电导率降低,电流幅值减小;同时,流注通道中包含的负离子数目减少,对阴极附近场强的影响减弱,使得阴极附近电场在负离子电荷迁移距离较短的情况下便满足新的特里切尔脉冲放电的要求,脉冲的重复频率增大。     

绝缘子表面污层位置对流注放电的影响

为研究流注的产生和传播对污闪过程的影响因素,利用3电极结构,通过光电倍增管得到的光脉冲信号来检测流注在极板间的传播过程,得到了流注的传播概率曲线和传播速度。通过比较测量结果,对绝缘子表面不同位置涂覆污秽层时的传播特性进行研究。研究表明:污秽带的位置对流注的稳定传播电场影响很大,污秽带涂覆在绝缘子表面上、中、下3个位置时,流注放电的稳定传播电场分别为503、598、646 kV/m;外加电场相同时,流注的传播速度随着污秽带向下移动而不断减小。仿真计算的结果表明:污秽带涂覆不同位置时绝缘子表面电场分布畸变很明显,污秽带位置不同,电场畸变也有所不同,在污层区域平均电场有明显减小。污层影响绝缘子表面的电场分布,导致流注传播特性产生变化。     

基于三电极的低温环境正流注传播特性

低温将给电气绝缘带来考验,而当前针对极寒条件下的气体放电特别是流注放电的研究仍比较少。通过搭建低温环境流注试验平台以及干燥空气系统,在平板结构三电极基础上新增棒板结构三电极,并利用光电倍增管和ICCD光学检测设备对正流注传播特性进行研究,得到了传播速度、发光强度等物理量的低温特性。试验结果表明:低温对流注放电具有抑制效应;流注起始场强(电压)随温度呈指数变化;传播速度随电压增大而指数增大,分散性随电场不均匀性增大而增大;发光强度随电压增大而线性增大,随电场不均匀性增大而增大。     

大气压下湿度对气隙流注放电及击穿的影响

空气中存在的水汽会使空气介电特性发生改变，严重影响输电线路外绝缘特性。为此通过理论及实验研究了湿度对流注放电的影响。理论方面通过Wieland近似法对湿空气的放电参数进行修正，对比分析了干洁空气与湿空气的放电参数，计算了不同湿度下针板气隙流注放电参数，提出了湿空气下流注起始、传播判据以及击穿电压计算方法。实验方面搭建流注放电室，进行棒板间隙流注放电实验，实验结果与理论计算结果相符。湿空气放电参数表明：低电场下(E/p<0.3V/(cm·Pa))湿度增大对电离系数影响不大，强电场情况下湿度对电离系数有着明显的促进作用；低电场时附着系数随湿度增大而增大，强电场时附着系数随湿度增大而减小；针板间隙流注计算结果表明湿度增大会使流注峰值电子密度、流注半径增大，流注传播速度加快；棒板击穿实验及击穿电压计算结果表明，当湿度较低时，湿度对击穿电压的影响不大，当相对湿度达到约94%时，湿度增大使得击穿电压明显提升。     

冰面流注发展特性试验研究

目前国内外关于流注在冰层表面传播特性的研究还比较少,少数学者研究了在棒板电极结构下不均匀场中冰面流注的传播特性。为此在冰箱冷冻室内利用"三电极"结构研究了均匀场下冰层表面流注的传播特性,利用3个光电倍增管来观测流注在表面的传播过程。分析了流注在冰层表面传播过程中2个分量的变化情况。测量了流注的传播概率,通过数据拟合得到了流注的稳定传播场强;计算了在不同外加电场条件下流注在冰层表面的传播速度;测量了流注头部发光强度的变化规律。试验结果表明,流注在冰层表面传播过程中,只有沿面分量能够达到阴极,空气分量会在传播过程中消失。流注的稳定传播场强比较低,传播速度却很快,同时流注头部的发光强度随着传播距离的增加而不断减小。     

Positive Streamer Propagation and Breakdown in Air: the Influence of Humidity

The influence of humidity on streamer propagation at conditions from the threshold for propagation to those for streamer-induced breakdown was investigated in a uniform field in air at atmospheric pressure. Experiments were carried out in a three electrode arrangement consisting of a 12 cm long parallel-plane gap, with an auxiliary needle in the earthed anode. Positive streamers were initiated by applying at the needle electrode a pulse voltage which varied in amplitude. These propagated towards the upper plane electrode which was stressed by a negative dc voltage. Under natural atmospheric conditions, propagation and breakdown probability curves were obtained for several values of absolute humidity in the range between 5 and 22 g/m³. Thus, distributions of the electric field required for streamer propagation and breakdown were obtained and the associated velocity of propagation and time to breakdown were measured. Besides humidity, the amplitude of the voltage used for streamer initiation and the ambient electric field were considered as influencing parameters on streamer properties. Empirical equations are presented expressing the effects of the above parameters on the intrinsic streamer properties. A comparison with previous work in the literature is made and this leads to the conclusion that the influence of humidity on streamer propagation and breakdown can be placed in a sounder quantitative basis.     

Parallel streamer discharges between wire and plane electrodes in water

Streamer discharges in tap water and distilled water have been generated by applying a voltage pulse from 120 to 175 kV and 500 ns duration to a wire-to-electrode configuration. Electrical and optical diagnostics were used to explore the temporal development of the streamers in tap and distilled water, at various applied voltages and both polarities. With the wire serving as anode, multiple, parallel streamer discharges were generated. The number density of these streamers along the wire decreases with decreasing electric field on the surface of the wire. The dependence of the streamer density on electric field indicates the role of field enhancement at inhomogeneous microstructures along the wire as streamer initiation mechanism. The appearance of the discharge was different for tap and distilled water. However, the measured average streamer propagation velocity from the positive wire to the grounded plane electrode, of 32 mm//spl mu/s, was independent of the water conductivity and the applied voltage. This suggests the existence of a self-sustained electric field at the streamer head. With the wire serving as cathode, only a weak light emission from the area close to the wire was observed, and streamers did not appear for the same voltage amplitude as with the positive polarity. This suggests that an ionic current flowing in the water is not dominant in the streamer propagation process.     

Variation of the Dynamics of Positive Streamer with Pressure and Humidity in Air

The dynamics of positive streamer in air under different pressure and humidity conditions was studied. The widely used three-electrode system was used to obtain the streamer propagation probability and average propagation velocity as a function of background field. A simulation was performed based on the 1.5D fluid model. Simulated intrinsic stability field for streamer propagation and corresponding average propagation velocity were in agreement with those deriving from experimental results. The intrinsic stability fields obtained with the empirical equations proposed by the author and other investigators were compared. It was analyzed that the effect of the amplitude and duration of voltage pulse applied on the needle. The statistical distribution of propagation field was explained by the dispersion of discharge time delay. The decrease of intrinsic stability field with the reduction of pressure and/or humidity was due to the increase of the conductivity of the streamer channel as a result of the weakening of attachment and/or electron-ion recombination effect.     

Streamer propagation along insulating surfaces

Results concerning the propagation of streamers along insulating surfaces under uniform electric field are presented. The basic properties of streamers, namely the electric field required for a stable propagation and the propagation velocity, have been measured and compared with propagation in air alone as a reference. The results have shown that in the experimental arrangement used significant space charges due to streamer branching are absent, therefore the properties observed are considered as characteristic of a single streamer. Streamers propagate stably with an intrinsic propagation field and a characteristic velocity that depend on the nature of the insulating material. For electric fields higher than the minimum field required for a stable propagation, a streamer system propagates with a `surface' and an `air' component     

Surface profile effect on streamer propagation and breakdown in air

In a uniform field arrangement, under direct voltage, positive streamer propagation and breakdown are investigated along cylindrical insulators with different profiles, inserted perpendicularly between two parallel plane electrodes. The basic properties of streamer propagation and breakdown, namely the electric field required for a stable propagation together with the associated velocity and the breakdown field together with time to breakdown, are measured as influenced by the pulse voltage amplitude used for the streamer initiation and by the insulator profile. It is shown that a strong relation between streamer propagation and breakdown exists, because the insulator profile exerts a similar influence on the breakdown and propagation fields. The effect of a shed on an insulating surface, forming an `obstruction' to streamer progress, is to increase the stability for propagation and breakdown fields, and to reduce the propagation velocity at all applied fields compared with those in the case of a smooth insulator. Along the surface of a smooth insulator, a streamer system propagates with a `surface' and an `air' component; however, a shed on an insulating surface modifies this system, resulting in only one component reaching the cathode     

Positive streamer propagation in large oil gaps: electricalproperties of streamers

This paper presents experimental data and calculations concerning the electrical properties of positive streamers in mineral oil at large gaps and HV. The experiments concern the measurement of charge, electric field, and the determination of the potential drop along streamers, either in the liquid alone, or for streamers guided within insulating tubes. Calculations of charge and field distribution around streamers are carried out by charge simulation. To do this, streamers are represented by objects with simple shapes (spheres or cylinders) equivalent to their macroscopic aspect. These models lead to a correct agreement with measured streamer charge and field on the plane electrode. Qualitative correlations are established between calculated field distributions and streamer behavior such as velocity, transitions between propagation modes. It is also concluded that the potential drop in streamers and branching both act as regulating mechanisms that help to keep the streamer tip field, and hence the velocity, constant over a wide voltage range     

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.     

Study of the Development of Positive Streamers Along an Ice Surface

This paper presents the results of fundamental investigations on the inception and propagation of corona discharge on an ice surface stressed with a standard lightning impulse voltage. High-speed photography and photomultiplier techniques were used to observe and record the propagation of the streamers. The effects of several experimental parameters such as freezing water conductivity and HV rod electrode radius on the streamer inception parameters were investigated. Moreover, time to first streamer, inception voltage and corresponding field, as well as streamer propagation velocity and charge deposited by a streamer on ice surface were measured. The results are discussed and emphases are laid on the main factors influencing the development of positive streamers on ice surface.     

High field conduction and prebreakdown phenomena in dielectric liquids

The present paper is mainly devoted to phenomena occurring in point-plane electrode geometry, where breakdown is the result of the initiation and propagation of prebreakdown phenomena called "streamers". In this configuration, an investigative study of the streamer initiation processes, requiring very high electric field strengths (/spl sim/ MV/cm), and of propagation (requiring low electric field, /spl sim/ kV/cm) can easily be carried out for negative streamer development as well as for the positive case. From analysis of experimental results in pure liquids the physical processes connected with streamer initiation and propagation, particularly the electronic ones, are presented and discussed. Estimations of the main parameters of slower subsonic streamers and of the faster filamentary ones (such as field strength at the streamer tip, field inside the channel, charge density, etc.) have been obtained from qualitative considerations and compared to experimental data.     

Streamer propagation along profiled insulator surfaces

Experimental results on the propagation of positive streamers along contoured, axially symmetric, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) insulation surfaces are presented. A plane parallel electrode configuration provides a substantially uniform electric field for streamer propagation and a point electrode at the ground plane initiates the avalanche process. Basic streamer properties of velocity and propagation probability with field strength are measured and compared with the corresponding characteristics of air and cylindrical insulators. Several insulator profiles are investigated and the occurrence of multiple streamer paths is demonstrated, which are generally distinguishable as surface and air components with different propagation velocities. Comparative data of the breakdown fields for the various insulators is included