Electric Breakdown in Gases

(Uniform field gaps)

 6.1 Gaseous Insulation
Desirable properties:
• High dielectric strength
• Low boiling point
• Less toxicity
• Low cost
Relative Dielectric Strength of Gases w.r.t. SF6
6.3 Generation of Charged Particles in Gases

Types of charged particles:

• Electron e- (negative charge)
• Positive ion (neutral atom missing one e-)
A+ = A - e-
• Negative ion (neutral atom with one excess e-)
A- = A + e-
Mechanisms responsible for production of
charged particles in gas
 Bohr’s atomic theories
(i) The electrons can exist only in specific stable
orbits located at a distance r from center of
nucleus without radiating energy

q = quantum number
h = Planck’s constant
ve = electron velocity
me= electron mass
 Bohr’s atomic theories (cont’d)
(ii) When the energy of an atom changes from a
higher value W1 to a lower value W2 ,the excess
energy is emitted as a quantum of radiation
(photon)
E = W1 - W2
hfp = W1 - W2
Ionization process in a gas medium
(a) Ionization by collision:
When E is applied b/w two electrodes isolated
from each other by a gaseous medium and a
free e- is present in the gap, the e- gains K.E. as it
travels towards anode.
Ionization by collision (cont’d)

A + e - → A+ + e - + e -
2A + 2e- → 2A+ + 4e-
4A + 4e- → 4A+ + 8e-

Ionization → main initial breakdown

process in most practical cases
 (b) Photoionization
• When excited atoms return to ground state,
they emit photons
A* → A + hfp
• If energy of photon > i.e. of atom B, it will
cause its ionization
B + hfp → B+ + e-
 (c) Thermal Ionization
• Thermal energy causes ionization at high temperature
A + W t → A + + e-

(d) Electron Detachment

• An electron may detach from negative ions as a result
of absorbing photon

A- + hfp → A + e-
 Cathode Processes
• The charged particles are derived from
cathode surface when minimum specified
energy (work function) is available to the
charged particles.
• The source of this external energy to carry out
the cathode process can be one of the
following:
(a) Positive ion & excited atom bombardment

• If a positive ion or neutral excited atom hits

cathode with impact energy greater than work
function, then electron is emitted from
cathode.

(b) Photoemission
• If the energy of photon striking the cathode is
greater than cathode work function, then
electron is emitted from cathode.
 (c) Thermionic emission
• Raising the cathode temperature to a very
high value will lead to some electrons leaving
the cathode surface.

(d) Field Emission

• An extremely high electrostatic field may
overcome the binding forces within cathode
that may lead to liberation of electrons.
 6.4 Decay Processes
• Decay processes are the desirable processes in
order to prevent avalanche growth or to
quench an arc as number of charged particles
during this process decreases.

(a) Diffusion
Charged particles move from region of higher
to lower concentration without ionization.
 Decay Processes (cont’d)
(b) Recombination
• Positive and negative ions combine to form
neutral atoms
A+ + B- → AB + hfp
• Rate of recombination is directly proportional
to concentration of +ve & -ve ions
r n n
+ -
= r n 2

r is the recombination constant

 (c) Electron Attachment
• Electronegative gases attach electrons to form
negative ions
A + e - → A-
• The decrease in the number of electrons in gas
by attachment process is measured by
attachment coefficient η
• It is defined as number of attachments
produced in path of a single electron travelling
in a unit distance in the direction of filed.
6.5 Basic theories of Gas Breakdown
(a) Townsend theory of breakdown
• Townsend observed that current through a
uniform field air gap at first increased
proportionately with the applied voltage and
then after certain voltage increased steeply
leading to breakdown.
 Drawbacks of Townsend’s theory
According to the Townsend theory,
• Current growth occurs as a result of ionization
processes only. But in practice, breakdown voltages
depend on the gas pressure and the geometry of the
gap.
• The mechanism predicts time lags of the order 10-5 s,
while in actual practice breakdown was observed to
occur at very short times of the order of 10-8s.
• The Townsend mechanism predicts a very directed
form of discharge, in actual practice, discharges were
found to be filamentary and irregular.
 (b) Streamer theory of breakdown
• Primary avalanche
• e- absorbed by anode
• Excess positive ions
• Excitation of atoms as a result of collisions
• De-excitation produces photons
• Gas atoms absorb photons to produce photoelectrons at
various distances from main avalanche resulting in auxiliary
avalanches
• Accumulation of space charges
• Space charge field builds up (Es)
• Avalanche → streamer (Es > Ea)
 Paschen’s Law
• Paschen's Law is an equation that gives
the breakdown voltage between two electrodes
in a gas as a function of pressure and gap length
 Paschen’s Law
As ionization constants depend upon E and P
a = P f1 ( ) ⇒ P f1 ( ) (1)
g = f2 ( ) ⇒ f2 ( ) (2)
Putting (1) & (2) in Townsend’s eqn. g [ead-1] = 1
f2 ( ) {[exp (Pd f1( )]-1} = 1
There is only one value of Pd which satisfies eqn
Vs = f(Pd)
• The decreases as
P is reduced and then
increases
• At normal pressure,
the reduces as the
gap size (d) is reduced
but only to a point.
As the gap is reduced
further, begins to rise
 Region bc Region ab
Pressure ↑ Spacing ↑ Pressure ↓ Spacing ↓

Density ↑ Breakdown Voltage ↑ Density ↓ Breakdown Voltage ↑

Mean free path ↓ Mean free path ↑

Collisions ↑ Collisions ↓

Effective Collisions ↓ Ionization ↓

Ionization ↓ Breakdown Voltage ↑

Breakdown Voltage ↑
 6.7 Corona Discharge
• Any gas can withstand a certain maximum
electrical stress after which discharge occurs
• Stress in uniform field gap is equal, so
discharge takes the form of breakdown
• In non-uniform field gaps, discharge occurs
where stress is greater than the dielectric
strength of gas. This is called partial discharge
and when it occurs at an electrode in air/gas,
it is called corona.
 Corona Inception
• The critical stress value at which corona
initiates is called corona inception voltage.
• For single conductor above ground,
Ec = 30 msRAD ) kVpeak/cm
Ec = critical field
r = radius of conductor
RAD = Relative Air Density
 Corona Inception (cont’d)
• RAD = (P in mbar and T in K)
• ms = surface irregularity factor
• Vc = Ecr ln () kVpeak
Vc = corona onset voltage
h = height of conductor above ground
 Corona Discharge Physics
• Depending upon the applied voltage, there
are 6 modes of corona