Effect of UV radiation aging on creepage discharge characteristics of high temperature vulcanized silicon rubber at high altitude

The physicochemical properties and creepage discharge characteristics of aged high temperature Vulcanized (HTV) silicone rubber materials were investigated by ultraviolet radiation (UV) aging method in this study. The experimental results show that as the aging time increases, the creepage discharge flashover voltage increases first and then decreases. But the aging time has little effect on the creepage discharge inception voltage. With the aging time prolonged, the discharge endurance time of HTV silicone rubber is shortened, and the creepage discharge development velocity is accelerated. In the short time of applying voltage to aging material, the magnitude of discharge increases rapidly. According to the partial discharge characteristic parameters of creepage discharge, the whole creepage discharge process is partitioned into four stages. Compared with unaged HTV silicone rubber, the aged HTV silicone rubber has less fluctuation in performance parameters and a clear trend. The study found that UV aging not only affects the physicochemical and hydrophobic properties of the HTV silicone rubber, but also accelerates the development of creepage discharge under AC voltage.     

Correlation between surface charge and creepage discharge on polymeric dielectrics under high-frequency high-voltage stress

In the present work, creepage discharge characteristics, i.e. amplitudes, phases, and repetitiveness, and surface charge dynamic behaviors under a 20 kHz high-frequency sinusoidal waveform high-voltage electrical stress were captured in a discharge chamber with temperature and humidity control. The results showed that the creepage discharges mostly occurred in the positive half phase, whose maximum amplitude increased with the development of discharge. The inception voltage of the creepage discharge is independent of the frequency of the external electrical stress. Once the discharge occurred, there were a large number of positive and negative particles ionized by a high electric field. Because of the much higher velocity of electrons than positive ions, the energetic discharge-produced electrons are likely to disperse away along the surface and be accumulated through adsorption, collision, and reactions. Moreover, the positive ions join the high-conductive discharge channel and disappear though the ground electrode. Thus, after high-frequency creepage discharge, only negative charges remained on the dielectric surface, as measured. Particularly, the creepage discharges mostly occurred in the positive half phase, owing to the reverse electric field induced by the accumulated negative charges. With the development of creepage discharge, some large-amplitude discharges began to occur in the positive-peak-phase region. The research concluded that the synergistic effect of negative surface charges and large-amplitude discharges eroded the dielectrics and excited the streamer to creep toward the ground electrode until flashover along the surface. Therefore, the correlation between high-frequency creepage discharge and surface charge is preliminarily revealed.     

LLC谐振恒流恒压高压充电电源技术研究

高压充电电源输出电压的稳定性是脉冲调制器的关键技术指标,需对其进行研究,以提高其输出稳定性。基于激磁电感、谐振电感、谐振电容（LLC）谐振变换器的工作原理,根据LLC等效电路得到了LLC谐振电路的电压增益曲线,分析了LLC谐振变换器工作区间的特性,提出了平面绝缘芯变压器的选择依据和设计方法,通过测量实际变压器得到变压器的参数;根据变压器参数选择了LLC谐振变换器谐振频率和工作频率,并通过LLC谐振变换器电路的推导,详细计算了高压充电电源输出电压的纹波幅值。结果显示,计算结果优于设计指标。经实验验证,叠层磁芯LLC谐振变换器高压充电电源的稳定性能达到了设计要求。     

Surface charge accumulation behavior and its influence on surface flashover performance of Al2O3-filled epoxy resin insulators under DC voltages

Surface charge accumulation on insulator surface can have great influence on surface flashover performance. An experimental system is established to investigate surface charge accumulation and decay characteristics ofAl₂O₃-filled epoxy resin insulators in 0.1 MPa SF₆ under DC voltages. Surface potential is recorded by a Kelvin vibrating probe connected to an electrostatic voltmeter. By pre-depositing charges on insulator surface, the influence of surface charges on surface flashover performance is studied. The results reveal that surface charge distribution appearance is the combined effect of electrode injection, back discharge and gas ionization. Surface charge distribution has obvious polarity effect. It is concentrated near the HV electrode under positive voltages and dispersed under negative voltages. The difference in positive and negative surface flashover voltage is attributed to the difference in surface charge distribution under DC voltages of different polarities. Surface charge decay contains two stages, which satisfies the law of double exponential function. At first stage, surface charge decays fast, which corresponds to charges escaping from shallower traps. While it decays slowly at the second stage, which corresponds to charge escaping from deeper traps. Surface charge decay process is dominated by surface conductivity mechanism. The pre-deposited charges on insulation surface have great influence on surface flashover performance. The deposited positive charges can increase positive flashover voltage but decrease negative flashover voltage.     

A high-resolution and high-stability charge-integration ADC forhigh-rate experiments

A charge-integration analog-to-digital converter (ADC) of 12-bit resolution was designed and built for the time-of-flight counters in the VENUS experiment at TRISTAN. The sample-and-hold process is done in the following way: outputs of a gated integrator were sampled before and after the integration gate timing; the voltage difference between the outputs was then recorded. By using this scheme, the output deviation caused by a short reset time is significantly reduced. The maximum deviation of the ADC counts is somewhat dependent on the duration for the discharge and the amount of integrated charge before the discharge. These effects were at most 3 counts and 2 counts, respectively. The integral nonlinearity was found to be within ±1 LSB (least-significant bit) and did not depend on the time duration for the discharge. The temperature coefficient of the gain was typically 100 p.p.m./°C. The temperature coefficient of the pedestal value was typically 0.15 counts/°C     

Preliminary design of the ITER AC/DC converters supplied by the Korean Domestic Agency

The preliminary design for ITER AC/DC converters under the responsibility of the Korean Domestic Agency is performed on the basis of the engineering experience of previous R&D for a full-scale 6-pulse CS (Central Solenoid) converter unit. This paper describes key features of the preliminary design for the respective sub-systems; integrated self-supporting aluminium structure and symmetrical thyristor assembly for strong and reliable converters, optimised impedance of the converter transformer to limit short circuit current, coaxial-type AC bus bars to shield high magnetic field around wall penetrations, compact components to fit into given building space. The insulation and the minimisation of electrical loops of concrete rebar below the converter installations are essential to prevent floor heating. Required output voltage or current of converters is provided by a conventional controller. A master controller is designed to collect predicted reactive powers from each converter and deliver processed data to the reactive power compensation (RPC) system to improve the regulation speed of the RPC controller with fast feed-forward compensation under fast reactive power transients.     

Characterization and comprehension of corona partial discharge in air under power frequency to very low frequency voltage

For the partial discharge test of electrical equipment with large capacitance, the use of lowfrequency voltage instead of power frequency voltage can effectively reduce the capacity requirements of test power supply. However, the validity of PD test under low frequency voltage needs to be evaluated. In order to investigate the influence of voltage frequency on corona discharge in the air, the discharge test of the tip-plate electrode under the frequency from 50 to 0.1 Hz is carried out based on the impulse current method. The results show that some of the main features of corona under low frequency do not change. The magnitude of discharge in a positive half cycle is obviously larger than that in a negative cycle. The magnitude of discharge and interval in positive cycle are random, while that in negative cycle are regular. With the decrease of frequency, the inception voltage increases. The variation trend of maximum and average magnitude and repetition rate of the discharge in positive and negative half cycle with the variation of voltage frequency and magnitude is demonstrated, with discussion and interpretation from the aspects of space charge transportation, effective discharge time and transition of discharge modes. There is an obvious difference in the phase resolved pattern of partial discharge and characteristic parameters of discharge patterns between power and low frequency. The experimental results can be the reference for mode identification of partial discharge under low frequency tests. The trend of the measured parameters with the variation of frequency provides more information about the insulation defect than traditional measurements under a single frequency (usually 50 Hz). Also it helps to understand the mechanism of corona discharge with an explanation of the characteristics under different frequencies.     

Study of partial discharge characteristics in HFO-1234ze(E)/N2 mixtures

HFO-1234ze(E)(trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, chemical formula: C₃H₂F₄) is an extremely environmentally friendly SF₆ alternative gas with high electrical strength. In this paper, the partial discharge (PD) characteristics of HFO-1234ze(E)/N₂ mixtures were studied using the gas insulation test platform. The PD inception voltage of insulating gas under positive and negative half cycles of power frequency was tested. Using SF₆/N₂ mixtures as a control group, the effects of electrode spacing, mixing ratio and pressure on the insulation performance of HFO-1234ze(E)/N₂ mixtures were explored. The test results show that the PD inception voltage of the negative half-cycle of pure HFO-1234ze(E) under short electrode spacing can reach 0.96–1.04 times of pure SF₆ under different pressures; the PD inception voltage of 40%HFO-1234ze(E)/60%N₂ mixtures at 0.3 MPa is 0.67–0.89 times that of SF₆/N₂ mixtures under the same conditions, which has great application prospect.     

CYCIAE-100的直流流强监测器研制及实验验证

100 MeV强流质子回旋加速器（CYCIAE-100）加速H^-,引出质子束能量为75~100 MeV、最大束流强度为200 μA。为对束流输运线上的质子束流强度进行无阻挡实时监测,选择了直流流强监测器（DCCT）,其在设计上考虑了空间限制、杂散磁场和外部高频干扰信号等因素对探头的影响。探头外采用了三重磁屏蔽设计,磁屏蔽外为1层黄铜的电屏蔽。采用了绝缘垫圈隔断束流输运线的直流导电性,束流输运线管壁通有冷却水以保证探头温度稳定。在绝缘垫圈处增加电容以满足探头对电容值的要求。采用高精度PLC-AI模块对DCCT的输出电压进行了读取。通过模拟束流的实验验证表明,DCCT设计合理可行,测量结果的线性度、误差等指标符合设计要求。     

Surface modification of silicone rubber by CF4 radio frequency capacitively coupled plasma for improvement of flashover

The flashover performance of insulating materials plays an important role in the development of high-voltage insulation systems. In this paper, silicone rubber(SIR) is modified by CF₄ radio frequency capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) for the improvement of surface insulation performance. The discharge mode and active particles of CCP are diagnosed by the digital single-lens reflex and the spectrometer. Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are used for the surface physicochemical properties of samples, while the surface charge dissipation, charge accumulation measurement, and flashover test are applied for the surface electrical characteristics. Experimental results show that the fluorocarbon groups can be grafted and the surface roughness increases after plasma treatment. Besides, the surface charge dissipation is decelerated and the positive charge accumulation is inhibited obviously for the treated samples. Furthermore, the surface flashover voltage can be increased by 26.67% after 10 min of treatment. It is considered that strong electron affinity of C–F and increased surface roughness can contribute to deepening surface traps, which not only inhibits the development of secondary electron emission avalanche but also alleviates the surface charge accumulation and finally improves the surface flashover voltage of SIR.     

Effect of plasma step gradient modification on surface electrical properties of epoxy resin

In this paper, plasma fluorination is combined with plasma silicon deposition to achieve step gradient modification on an epoxy resin surface. The physicochemical characteristics of samples are investigated and the electrical performances measured. The obtained results show that compared with untreated and single treated samples, the samples treated by step gradient modification significantly improve the flashover performance. According to experiment and simulation, the mechanism explanations are summarized as follows. First, it is found that the step gradient conductivity can effectively optimize the electric field distribution of a needle-needle electrode. Then, step gradient modification suppresses the accumulation of surface charge at the triple junction and makes the charge distribution more uniform. Furthermore, it can accelerate the surface dissipation on a high electrical field region and control the dissipation rate on a low electrical field region. All these results can restrain surface discharge and increase the flashover voltage. The step gradient modification method proposed in this paper provides a new idea for improving the surface insulation performance.     

50 kV全数字化电子枪高压电源设计

本文介绍了一种基于DSP的全数字化电子枪高压电源,该电源的特点是采用全数字化反馈电路、通过PID算法实现闭环控制。采用频率较高的谐振逆变电路,减小了谐振元件、变压器的体积。电源因采用电流耦合型分布式高压变压器及整流电路,提高了效率、减少了分布参数及可使高压整流电路工作在无油的环境中。该电源已成功用于辐照加速器电子枪栅控高压电源系统中。     

Two-dimensional simulation and experiments of helium discharge between parallel-plate electrodes in short gaps at atmospheric pressure

ABSTRACT

Helium gas is used as the coolant in high temperature gas-cooled reactor while its insulation property is not good and brings big challenges to insulation design work. In this paper, breakdown voltages of two parallel-plate electrodes in millimeter-scale gaps at atmospheric pressure are calculated numerically with a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The Finite-Difference Flux-Corrected Transport method (FD-FCT) is used to avoid spurious oscillation caused by convection and diffusion restrictions. The simulation results are in good agreement with our experimental work. Different discharge characteristics are presented for a breakdown or a non-breakdown voltage. Importantly, when a breakdown is applied, ground-state ionization will make up the most in early stages while later accumulation of metastable atoms and molecules will prompt fractions of penning ionization to increase rapidly. It is predicted that penning ionization will eventually become comparable with ground-state ionization, especially near the anode, as the current density keeps increasing to order of 1 A. Some other simulation results are presented such as time evolutions of the distribution of electrons, ions, field strength and axial potential, etc. Attainment of these breakdown voltages and characteristics of helium discharge is going to help with insulation design work of electric equipment in reactor engineering.     

用于Si-PIN探测器的无变压器式高压偏置电源

采用电荷泵、多倍压整流与串联高压稳压电路,设计一套无变压器式DC-DC变换电路,将单组 5V电源转换为Si-PIN探测器所需的 100V高压偏置电源。该电源具有体积小、功耗低、纹波小、温度特性和长期稳定性好等特点。     

Spatiotemporal control of femtosecond laser filament-triggered discharge and its application in diagnosing gas flow fields

Precise control of the discharge in space and time is of great significance for better applications of discharge plasma. Here, we used a femtosecond laser filament to trigger and guide a high-voltage DC pulse discharge to achieve spatiotemporal control of the discharge plasma. In space, the discharge plasma is distributed strictly along the channel generated by the femtosecond laser filament. The breakdown voltage threshold is reduced, and the discharge length is extended. In time, the electrical parameters such as the electrode voltage and the electrode gap affect discharge delay time and jitter. By optimizing the parameters, we can achieve sub-nanosecond jitter of the discharge. Based on the spatiotemporal control of the discharge, we applied filament-triggered discharge for one-dimensional composition measurements of the gas flow field. Besides, the technique shows great potential in studying the spatiotemporal evolution of discharge plasma.     

Numerical simulation and analysis of lithium plasma during low-pressure DC arc discharge

Alkali metal DC arc discharge has the characteristics of easy ionization, low power consumption, high plasma temperature and ionization degree, etc, which can be applied in aerospace vehicles in various ways. In this paper, we calculate the physical property parameters of lithium vapor, one of the major alkali metals, and analyze the discharge characteristics of lithium plasma with the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. The discharge effects between constant current and voltage sources are also compared. It is shown that the lithium plasma of DC arc discharge has relatively high temperature and current density. The peak temperature can reach tens of thousands of K, and the current density reaches 6×10 ⁷ A⁻² . Under the same rated power, the plasma parameters of the constant voltage source discharge are much higher than those of the constant current source discharge, which can be used as the preferred discharge mode for aerospace applications.     

Electrical treeing behaviors in silicone rubber under an impulse voltage considering high temperature

In this paper,work was conducted to reveal electrical tree behaviors(initiation and propagation)of silicone rubber(SIR) under an impulse voltage with high temperature.Impulse frequencies ranging from 10 Hz to 1 k Hz were applied and the temperature was controlled between 30 °C and 90 °C.Experimental results show that tree initiation voltage decreases with increasing pulse frequency,and the descending amplitude is different in different frequency bands.As the pulse frequency increases,more frequent partial discharges occur in the channel,increasing the tree growth rate and the final shape intensity.As for temperature,the initiation voltage decreases and the tree shape becomes denser as the temperature gets higher.Based on differential scanning calorimetry results,we believe that partial segment relaxation of SIR at high temperature leads to a decrease in the initiation voltage.However,the tree growth rate decreases with increasing temperature.Carbonization deposition in the channel under high temperature was observed under microscope and proven by Raman analysis.Different tree growth models considering tree channel characteristics are proposed.It is believed that increasing the conductivity in the tree channel restrains the partial discharge,holding back the tree growth at high temperature.     

Analysis of an Ar plasma jet in a dielectric barrier discharge conjugated with a microsecond pulse

In this work, an Ar plasma jet generated by an AC-microsecond-pulse-driven dielectric barrier discharge reactor, which had two ring-shaped electrodes isolated from the ambient atmosphere by transformer oil, was investigated. By special design of the oil insulation, a chemically active Ar plasma jet along with a safe and stable plasma process as well as low emission of CO and NO_x were successfully achieved. The results indicated that applied voltage and frequency were basic factors influencing the jet temperature, discharge power, and jet length, which increased significantly with the two operating parameters. Meanwhile, gas velocity affected the jet temperature in a reverse direction. In comparison with a He plasma jet, the Ar plasma jet had relatively low jet temperature under the same level of the input parameters, being preferable for bio-applications. The Ar plasma jet has been tested to interact with human skin within 5 min without the perception of burnt skin and electrical shock.     

Research on corona discharge suppression of high-voltage direct-current transmission lines based on dielectric-film-covered conductor

Corona discharge suppression for high-voltage direct-current(HVDC) transmission lines at line terminals such as converter stations is a subject that requires attention. In this paper, a method based on a conductor covered with dielectric film is proposed and implemented through a bench-scale setup. Compared with the bare conductor, the corona discharge suppression effect of the dielectricfilm-covered conductor under positive polarity is studied from the composite field strength and ion current density using a line-plate experimental device. The influences of film thickness and film material on the corona discharge suppression effect are investigated. The charge accumulation and dissipation characteristics of different film materials are also studied. The results show that the conductor covered with dielectric film has excellent ability to inhibit corona discharge. The groundlevel composite field strength of the conductor covered with dielectric film is lower than its nominal field strength, and its ion current density is at the n A m~(-2) level. The corona threshold voltage can be promoted by increasing the film thickness, but the ability to inhibit corona discharge becomes weak.The larger the surface electric field strength, the more charge accumulated, but the faster the charge dissipation rate. Compared with polyvinyl chloride film, cross-linked polyethylene film has stronger charge accumulation ability and slower charge dissipation rate, which can better restrain the corona discharge of HVDC transmission lines.     

Improving the surface insulation of epoxy resin by plasma etching

Epoxy resin (EP) tends to accumulate a large amount of charge on its surface when exposed to a high-voltage DC electric field,which leads to a reduction in its insulative performance and an increase in potential safety risks in power systems.To suppress charge accumulation,improve the flashover voltage of the EP,and reduce the risk of gas insulated switchgear (GIS)/gas insulated transmission line (GIL) failure,we used two plasma-etching methods,i.e.,atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet(APPJ),to modify the surface of the EP.The surface morphology and electrical properties of the modified materials were explored as a function of time.The results show that after DBD treatment,the roughness of the sample increases by 103.9 nm,the conductivity increases by3.9?×?10~(–18)S,and the flashover voltage increases by 14.4%;after APPJ treatment,the roughness of the sample increases by 223.5 nm,the conductivity increases by 3.4?×?10~(–17)S,and the flashover voltage increases by 18%.This shows that both plasma-etching methods can improve the insulation properties of materials by improving the surface-charge characteristics.The two methods are compared with each other:the APPJ treatment method is better at improving the surface roughness and electrical properties of materials,and this flexible treatment method has greater potential in industrial applications.