Surface flashover of oil-immersed dielectric materials in uniform and non-uniform fields

Wilson, M.P. and MacGregor, S.J. and Given, M.J. and Timoshkin, I. and Sinclair, M.A. and Thomas, K.J. and Lehr, J. (2009) Surface flashover of oil-immersed dielectric materials in uniform and non-uniform fields. IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, 16 (4). pp. 1028-1036. ISSN 1070-9878 (https://doi.org/10.1109/TDEI.2009.5211850)

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Abstract

The applied electrical fields required to initiate surface flashover of different types of dielectric material immersed in insulating oil have been investigated, by applying impulses of increasing peak voltage until surface flashover occurred. The behavior of the materials in repeatedly over-volted gaps was also analyzed in terms of breakdown mode (some bulk sample breakdown behaviour was witnessed in this regime), time to breakdown, and breakdown voltage. Cylindrical samples of polypropylene, low-density polyethylene, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and Rexolite, were held between two electrodes immersed in insulating oil, and subjected to average applied electrical fields up to 870 kV/cm. Tests were performed in both uniform- and non-uniform-fields, and with different sample topologies. In applied field measurements, polypropylene required the highest levels of average applied field to initiate flashover in all electrode configurations tested, settling at similar to 600 kV/cm in uniform fields, and similar to 325 kV/cm in non-uniform fields. In over-volted point-plane gaps, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene exhibited the longest pre-breakdown delay times. The results will provide comparative data for system designers for the appropriate choice of dielectric materials to act as insulators for high-voltage, pulsed-power machines.

ORCID iDs

Wilson, M.P. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3088-8541, MacGregor, S.J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0808-585X, Given, M.J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6354-2486, Timoshkin, I. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0380-9003, Sinclair, M.A., Thomas, K.J. and Lehr, J.;
  • Item type:Article
    ID code:14545
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    28 August 2009
    Published
    Notes:"(c) 2009 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/ republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works.
    Subjects:Technology > Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
    Department:Faculty of Engineering > Electronic and Electrical Engineering
    Depositing user: Strathprints Administrator
    Date deposited:23 Jun 2010 09:02
    Last modified:11 Nov 2024 09:11
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/14545
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