Date of Award

Spring 2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Program/Concentration

Electrical Engineering

Committee Director

Vishnu K. Lakdawala

Committee Director

Prathap Basappa

Committee Member

Vijayan K. Asari

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.E55 J36 2010

Abstract

Complex electrode systems with thin insulating materials demand careful examination of field distribution near the electrodes to improve the breakdown characteristics of dielectrics and optimal utilization of the space. The present work contributes to an extended research of physical electrode systems, namely axi-symmetric and non-uniform field systems. In an attempt to optimize the dimensions of the electrode system for subsequent use in electrical measurements, such as electroluminescence, capacitance and conduction current, field values at key points (sharp edges and triple junctions) in an axi-symmetric electrode system are simulated as a function of clearances between low voltage and guard electrodes. Since the electrode system is axi-symmetric, a 2D BEM field solver has been used for the field simulation. The configurations simulated, results, analyses and configurations for an optimal design are then presented.

The hemispherically capped rod-plane air gap has been extensively used for studies on breakdown characteristics of gaseous dielectrics. In this study, influence of a dielectric barrier on the electric field and potential distributions in a vertically arranged rod-plane gap was numerically analyzed by using 3D BEM field software. Maximum field intensities and their occurrence in the electrode system were investigated for different gap distances, applied potentials, and positions of the barrier between electrodes to estimate the discharge phenomena. The results of the field computation show the variation of maximum electric field in small air gaps with thin insulating barriers. A good agreement between the values computed with BEM and other methods reported in literature is observed.

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DOI

10.25777/gkzq-4m72

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