Breakdown Performance Statistics of a Nanoparticle Composite System

Summary form only given. Nanoparticle composites offer promise for construction of high voltage pulse-forming systems since they allow the combination of tunable dielectric constant and high dielectric strength. To estimate the expected lifetime of insulation subjected to high electric fields in actual use conditions it was necessary to determine the probability of failure as a function of electric field. This Weibull probability function is presented for a nanoparticle composite with a dielectric constant of 10. The implication of this result for the use of this material in actual use conditions is discussed.