Prebreakdown and Breakdown in Liquid Nitrogen under Pulsed Heating for Superconducting

An experimental study of breakdown and pre-breakdown phenomena in liquid nitrogen (LN
₂
) is performed in this work, aiming to provide useful knowledge for the design of high voltage superconducting systems. A metallic tape subjected to pulsed heating is used as ground electrode to properly simulate the operating conditions of a quenching superconducting apparatus. Measurements of breakdown voltages between the tape and a plane electrode tied to high voltage show the strong influence of tape polarity, LN
₂
temperature, and delay between heating and voltage application. Various measurements obtained with either a highspeed camera or an intensified camera allow to characterize the sequence of pre-breakdown events (i.e. liquid boiling, vapor bubble development, and streamer propagation) leading to breakdown.