Control and suppression of impulse surface flashover in vacuum based on discharge development mechanisms

Surface discharge on solid insulator in vacuum is one of the significant issues for the development of vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs) and vacuum interrupters (VIs). For the development of higher voltage VCBs and VIs, control and suppression techniques of the surface flashover are required. The aim of present study is to suppress the surface flashover, based on physical mechanisms of flashover development. Impulse surface flashover in vacuum, starting with explosive electron emission (EEE) from cathode, develops with the formation of transient charge on the insulator as well as the development of secondary electron emission avalanche (SEEA) along the surface toward anode. To reduce the EEE current from the cathode and the SEEA development, we changed the electrode geometry such as thickness of alumina ceramics and tip radius of cathode rod, respectively, and installed a plane electrode as the back electrode of the cathode rod. As the results, EEE current was reduced by the field relaxation effect of transient charging due to EEE, and SEEA was also suppressed by the perpendicular electric field of the plane electrode. When the flashover was suppressed by using the cathode back electrode, transient charge amount was smaller on alumina dielectrics at the end of the plane electrode area. From the above results, it would be an effective technique for the control and suppression of surface flashover in vacuum to enlarge the perpendicular electric field for the insulator.