Analytical and numerical modelling of the electrostatic behaviour of highly insulating materials in the time domain

Abstract

The usual response of an insulator subjected to a voltage step involves time power laws. We present here mathematical tools allowing to calculate this time domain response in open circuit after an initial charge deposit, within the framework of linear systems theory, using linear fractional transfer functions. In the time domain, the inverse Laplace transform of the data taken from the frequency domain leads to Mittag-Leffler functions, generalizing the Debye exponential response to an extended fractional α-order response. The open-circuit boundary conditions are different from the closed-circuit ones. We nevertheless demonstrate that using a transfer function deduced from the Cole-Cole response in closed-circuit, a precise analytical formula of the potential decay after an initial charge deposit may be established, and a numerical computation of this decay may be performed using easily available software. Applying the superposition principle, the voltage return following a brief short circuit may also be deduced. Experimental results are presented and the limits of the superposition principle applied to real materials are discussed.