Breakdown Time Characteristics Under Uniform Electric Field in Vacuum

Breakdown waveforms, including breakdown electric field or breakdown voltage and breakdown time, are the most direct and important parameters in the conditioning, which could help to reflect the conditioning process. This article studies the breakdown time characteristics of conditioning with impulse voltage under a uniform electric field in vacuum. The results show that breakdown time moves from the decreasing curve to the rising curve of the impulse voltage waveform in the conditioning process. When conditioning saturation is reached, breakdown time varies in a certain range in the rising curve of the impulse voltage waveform. The breakdown electric field increases during the conditioning and fluctuates in a certain range when conditioning saturation is reached. Breakdown time and breakdown electric field characteristics are explained by breakdown mechanism. Furthermore, a method combining breakdown time and breakdown electric field for conditioning saturation judgment is proposed.