BREAKDOWN IN GASES-

CONCEPT OF TIME LAG,

ELECRONEGATIVE GASES &
VACUUM
S. Venkatesh
 TIME LAG FOR BREAKDOWN IN
GASEOUS DIELECTRICS
• The time lag in breakdown is
defined as
 Time taken from the instant of
application of the voltage sufficient
to cause breakdown and the
occurrence of breakdown
 This time lag ‘t’ consists of
statistical time lag ‘ts’ and
formative time lag ‘ tf’ :
 The statistical time lag is the
time taken to find electrons
near the cathode surface to
start the ionization process
 The formative time lag is the
time taken to complete the
ionization process and produce
avalanche causing final
breakdown
 Role of Time Lag and Significance of Impulse Ratio
• Breakdown voltage for a particular
insulation of flashover voltage for a
gap is
 Function of both the magnitude of
voltage and the time of
application of the voltage
• Waves of the same shape but of
different peak values are applied to
the insulation
 flashover occurs on the front of
the wave
 flashover occurs at the peak value
 flashover occurs on the tail side of
the wave

• The insulation breakdown is not only a function of voltage but it depends upon the time
for which it is applied and also it depends upon the shape and size of the electrodes
• Impulse Ratio is defined as
• Ratio of breakdown voltage due to an impulse of specified shape to the breakdown
voltage at power frequency
 Insulators should have a high impulse ratio
 Breakdown in Electronegative Gases

With such gases, the Townsend current growth equation is modified to include ionization
and attachment.
An attachment coefficient (η) is defined, similar to ∝, as the number of attaching
collisions made by one electron drifting one centimetre in the direction of the field.
Under these conditions the current reaching the anode, can be written as

Townsend breakdown criterion for attaching gases can also be deduced by equating the
denominator to zero
 Breakdown in Vacuum
• Vacuum is a system in which the pressure is at a value below atmospheric pressure
• Pressure measured in terms of mm mercury, ( 1 Standard Atmosphere is equal to 760
mm of mercury at a temperature of 0 °C; 1m of Hg = 1 Torr)
• Classification of Vacuum:
• High vacuum - 1 x 10-3 to 1 x 10-6 Torr
• Very high vacuum - 1 x 10-6 to 1 x 10-8 Torr
• Ultra high vacuum : 1 x 10-9 Torr and below.
Different mechanisms for breakdown in vacuum broadly divided into three
categories:
• Particle Exchange mechanism
• Field Emission mechanism
• Clump Theory
Particle Exchange Mechanism
• A charged particle would be emitted from one electrode under the action
of the high electric field, and when it impinges on the other electrode, it
liberates oppositely charged particles
• Particles are accelerated by the applied voltage back to the first electrode
where they release more of the original type of particles
• When this process becomes cumulative, a chain reaction occurs which
leads to the breakdown of the gap
 Breakdown in Vacuum
• The particle-exchange mechanism involves
electrons, positive ions, photons and the
absorbed gases at the electrode surfaces
• An electron present in the vacuum gap is
accelerated towards the anode, and on
impact releases A positive ions and C
photons
• These positive ions are accelerated towards
the cathode, and on impact each positive
ion liberates B electrons and each photon
liberates D electrons
• The breakdown will occur if the coefficients
of production of secondary electrons
exceeds unity
Condition for Breakdown: (AB + CD) > I

Trump and Van de Graaff measured these coefficients and showed that they were
too small for this process to take place. This theory was modified to allow for the
presence of negative ions E and F represent the coefficients for negative and
(AB + EF) >l positive ion liberation by positive and negative ions
 Breakdown in Vacuum
Field Emission Theory:
• Anode Heating Mechanism
• Cathode Heating Mechanism
Anode Heating Mechanism

• Electrons produced at small micro-projections

on the cathode due to field emission bombard
the anode causing a local rise in temperature
and release gases and vapours into the vacuum
gap
• Electrons ionise the atoms of the gas and
produce positive ions.
• These positive ions arrive at the cathode,
increase the primary electron emission due to
space charge formation and produce secondary
electrons by bombarding the surface
 Breakdown in Vacuum
Cathode Heating Mechanism
• Near the breakdown voltages of the gap,
sharp points on the cathode surface are
responsible for the existence of the pre-
breakdown current, which is generated
according to the field emission process
• This current causes resistive heating at the tip
of a point
• When a critical current density is reached, the
tip melts and explodes, thus initiating
vacuum discharge
• Thus, the initiation of breakdown depends on
the conditions and the properties of the
cathode surface.
 Breakdown in Vacuum

Clump/ Cranberg Mechanism

This theory has been developed on with the following assumptions:
• Loosely bound particle (clump) exists on one of the electrode surfaces
• On the application of a high voltage, this particle gets charged, subsequently gets detached
from the mother electrode, and is accelerated across the gap
• Breakdown occurs due to a discharge in the vapour or gas released by the impact of the
particle at the target electrode
Assumed that breakdown will occur when the energy per unit area (W) delivered to the target
electrode by a clump exceeds a value C, (constant) characteristic of a pair of electrodes
• The quantity W is the product of gap voltage (V) and the charge density on the clump.
• The criterion for breakdown, therefore, is VE = C’