Erosion of the electrodes in high-voltage high-current water discharges

Abstract

The erosion of electrodes under the action of an electric discharge in a liquid as a factor limiting the lifetime of high-power switching apparatus or as the basis for the working process in electric spark and electrical erosion technology has now been studied quite well with the oscillatory form of the current pulse with a duration of 10-6-10 -2 sec and comparatively low power (<107 W) developed in the discharge channel [1-3]. The rapid progress made in recent years in the development of the powerful high-voltage pulsed techniques and widespread use of high-current spark dischargers with liquid insulation in pulse-forming circuits make the questions of erosion stability of electrodes in such discharges, whose operational state is characterized by a short time (10-9-10 -7 sec) and a high rate of liberation of energy (107-10 12 W) in the discharge channel, of great interest. There is practically no published information on the erosion of electrodes under such conditions.