Photo electric properties during streamer-to-leader transition in a long positive sphere–plane gap

Abstract

In this work, a combined photoelectric detecting system is established using devices such as a photomultiplier, an electric field sensor based on optoelectronic integration, and a high-speed camera. The system is used to measure the instantaneous optical power, spatial electric field strength, and optical image during discharge of a 3-m-long sphere–plane gap under standard switching surge voltage of positive polarity. The test results show that the initial streamer of the 3-m-long sphere–plane gap can be divided into strong and weak ionization according to the rate of rise of optical power and electric field strength. Within the dark discharge period in the sphere–plane air gap, the intensity of the spatial electric field slightly jumps when the streamer-to-leader transition is completed, with an increase of about 162.59 kV/m. It is proposed to take the time when the intensity of the spatial electric field jumps in the dark discharge period as the criterion for the streamer-to-leader transition. The measured duration ta of the streamer-to-leader transition is calculated according to instantaneous optical power and spatial electric field strength. Based on the thermodynamic equilibrium equation, a Gallimberti simulation model for this streamer-to-leader transition is established. The duration ts for completing the streamer-to-leader transition is obtained according to the quantity Q of injected electric charges. By comparing the measured duration ta with the calculated duration ts of the streamer-to-leader transition, the rationality of the criterion is verified. The research results provide a basis for establishing an improved model for the inception of a leader in a long air gap.