Title: Dielectric Breakdown and its Relevance to Pulse Power Applications
Speaker: Dr Martin J Given, High Voltage Technology Group,
Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde
A significant area of research within the HVT group at Strathclyde University is associated with Pulse Power applications. This talk will cover three areas of research relevant to this area of technology:
The first is the applications of more environmentally friendly gasses to replace SF6. In pulse power a common application of gaseous insulation is in Plasma Closing Switches which rely on the triggered breakdown of a gas insulated gap. Critical parameters when designing such switches are the hold-off voltage, the triggering range, the jitter in the operation of the switch and the resistance of the conducting plasma when the switch has operated.
The second is breakdown across surfaces which can limit designs in terms of energy density and size, investigations are currently underway at Strathclyde looking at breakdown across the interface between polymer surfaces and gaseous and liquid dielectrics.
The third is the use of breakdown in liquid as a method of generating high powered ultrasound impulses. Key to these applications is an understanding of the dynamic nature of the plasma cavity formed during breakdown and methods to maximise the rate at which energy can be delivered into the breakdown.
Finally, if time allows the presenter would like to show some results obtained when looking at the effects of adding nanoparticles to aged mineral oils and the impact that the presence of nanoparticles have on the ageing of oils. It would be extremely helpful to have some input from the researchers at the University of Southampton on the significance, if any, of these results.