Influence of discharge polarity on streamer breakdown criterion of ambient air in a non-uniform electric field
Abstract
Streamer breakdown of atmospheric air with non-uniform dc electric field in a needle-to-plate electrode configuration is studied using a semi-analytic model and experimental measurements. A high voltage (either positive or negative) is applied to a hollow needle with 0.51 mm outer diameter and 0.25 mm inner diameter separated from a planar ground electrode by a gap distance of 0.1–1.4 cm. Breakdown voltages are recorded for both positive and negative discharge polarities. Empirical relations between the critical avalanche size for streamer breakdown and the gap distance are proposed. Using these empirical relations, a semi-analytic model based on Meek’s criterion for streamer breakdown is developed to accurately predict the measured breakdown voltages. It is found that for 380{\text{ Torr }}\;{\text{cm}}$?> p d > 380 Torr cm (or d $?> > 0.5 cm at one atmosphere) streamer breakdown of ambient air occurs at a lower applied voltage for a positively biased needle compared to that with a negatively biased needle, referred as the polarity effect. For p d 380 Torr cm breakdown is attained at a lower applied voltage with a negatively biased needle compared to that with a positively biased needle, and breakdown mode transits from the polarity effect to the so called inverted polarity effect.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Dec 12, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1088/1361-6463/aca2b4
Entities
People
- Asif Iqbal
- Chunqi Jiang
- Daniel Wozniak
- John Verboncoeur
- Md Ziaur Rahman
- Peng Zhang
- Sneha Banerjee
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research