Over Recovery in Low Pressure Sparkgaps

Nagesh, KV and Ron, PH and Nagabhushana, GR and Nema, RS (1999) Over Recovery in Low Pressure Sparkgaps. In: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 27 (1). pp. 199-210.

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Abstract

The recovery characteristics of the low pressure sparkgaps in the time interval of 300 \mu s to 50 ms by the influence of 1) gap spacings of 2.5 and 10 mm, 2) pulse voltages of 45 kV rising in 2.5 \mu s for positive and negative polarities, and 3) the pressure range of 1.3-34.7 Pa, have been determined for hydrogen, argon, and deuterium gases. A two-pulse system, capable of generating two pulses rising to 45 kV each in 2.5 \mu s and separated by a variable delay of 100 \mu s to 50 ms, has been used to study the recovery characteristics. It has been observed that the breakdown voltage under the second pulse is higher than the breakdown voltage under the first pulse along the left-hand side of Paschen's characteristics [1] and this has been defined as over recovery (>100% recovery) in these studies. The over recovery was found to be up to 120% and is dependent on the gas pressure \lbrace < 23Pa argon, <12.1 Pa for $H_2$, <4.5 Pa, -ve polarity and, <14.3 Pa, +ve polarity for $D_2$ gases \rbrace, discharge current magnitude (>1 kA), and its reversal. This over recovery in low pressure sparkgaps is due to pressure reduction in the gap after the first pulse discharge. This finding seems to have been reported for the first time. The recovery times are independent of gas pressure for negative polarity. It increases with pressure for positive polarity. It increases with increase in molecular weight of the gas in the gap. Shorter gaps recover faster than longer gaps. The experimental setups, principal of over recovery, measurement of breakdown voltages, and currents, results and discussions are presented here.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science
Publisher:	IEEE
Additional Information:	©1999 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE.
Keywords:	Gas sparkgaps;low pressure sparkgaps;over recovery; recovery times;sparkgaps;sparkgap recovery.
Department/Centre:	Division of Electrical Sciences > High Voltage Engineering (merged with EE)
Date Deposited:	22 Mar 2005
Last Modified:	19 Sep 2010 04:18
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/2938

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