Switching Surge Breakdown Development in Large Conductor-Tower Air Gaps

The breakdown of long conductor-tower air gaps subjected to switching surges has been investigated in a series of tests performed in an outdoor laboratory. The tests were designed to provide additional experimental information for use in developing a model of long gap flashover. The studies included measurements of corona inception, leader inception, and leader propagation characteristics. These data were obtained for idealized electrodes and for practical configurations, and include influences of hardware and weather.