Ionization-overheating Instability Research Articles

Influence of Nonlinear Processes in Soils on the Impulse Resistance of Grounding Electrodes

The article presents the results of laboratory studies of nonlinear processes during the flow of pulsed currents into moistened soil from electrodes modelling grounding devices of electric power facilities. A methodology for studying the pulse parameters of grounding devices has been developed and a laboratory stand and a generator measuring system have been developed on which these investigation were performed. The experiments were carried out on three types of electrodes at voltages of 20 - 50 kV and pulse durations from units to hundreds of microseconds. The article presents the combined results of optical and oscillographic studies. It is shown that the cause of the formation of spark channels during the nonlinear spreading of the pulsed current in the soil, when there is a sharp decrease in the grounding resistance, is the ionization-overheating instability that occurs when the current density on the electrode is greater than the critical one. The development of instability leads to an inhomogeneous current distribution and the appearance of spark channels. On the basis of experimental data, the current-voltage characteristics of the electrodes are obtained.

Some features of discharge initiation in vacuum gap by optical range radiation

The hypothesis of discharge initiation in vacuum gap by optical range radiation based on pre-viously obtained experimental data. During the laser pulse interaction withelectrode erosionproductsthe glow discharge has ignited. In result of ionization-overheating instability the dis-charge has had current channel contraction and has transferred to arc. Thedependences ofmaterial of target thermo dynamical parameters on theminimal and thresholdlaser pulse en-ergyhave demonstrated. The threshold laser pulse energy –the energy which enough to effec-tive impact on the laser plasma.

Features of a Supersonic Ionization Wave in Argon at Atmospheric Pressure in a Sub-Threshold Microwave Field

In the subthreshold microwave discharge (the wavelength of 4 mm) in argon at the pressure of 750 Torr at intensities of the wave beam from 3 to 7.8 kW/cm2, the velocity of the ionization front, measured from the phase change of the reflected wave, increases approximately as the intensity on the wave beam axis in the power of 3/2 from 0.5 × 105 to 2.9 × 105 cm/s. This velocity of the discharge front in argon is 20–30 times higher than the velocity of the discharge front in air at the same intensities in the microwave beam. The glow structure of the discharge at intensities higher than 3 kW/cm2 is similar to the glow structure in molecular gases. An even finer structure of the discharge is observed at glow intensities on the wave beam axis below 3 kW/cm2. The gas temperature in the discharge at radiation intensity of 6 kW/cm2 is 6 kK. It is concluded that the volume of high-temperature regions in the discharge is 0.01 of the volume of the discharge region. The problem of the mechanism of the argon ionization and the possibility of the development of ionization-overheating instability in a non-self-sustained microwave discharge in the UV halo of the discharge front are discussed.

Self-Organizing Transport Model of a Spark Discharge in a Thunderstorm Cloud

We propose a small-scale transport model of the electric-discharge tree formation and analyze its implementation for a characteristic case of the thundercloud conditions. The following innovative features of the model can be emphasized: no connection to the spatial grid, high spatiotemporal resolution, and allowance for the asymmetry of the development of the positive and negative streamers and the time evolution of the discharge-channel parameters. The criterion of the streamer-to-leader transition, which is used in this work, is formulated in terms of the channel temperature and is based on the well-known mechanism of ionization-overheating instability, which is universal for the spark discharge. Within the framework of the described approach, a heated well-conducting leader channel is formed by combining the currents of tens of thousands of streamers, so that each of them initially has f negligible conductivity and a temperature that does not differ from the ambient temperature. The model bileader tree has electrodynamic characteristics that are intermediate between those known for the laboratory long spark and the developed lightning, which is expected for an “immature” lightning leader. The morphology and electrical parameters of the calculated discharge tree of the incipient model lightning leader agree with the modern data on the lightning-discharge development.

The process of commutation of small vacuum gaps with initiation by an electric spark plasma and laser plasma

For a vacuum spark gap with initiation by an electric spark plasma, the limited possibilities of controlling the delay time of switching by varying the energy of the auxiliary discharge are demonstrated. For a vacuum spark gap with initiation by a laser plasma, the threshold value of the radiation energy is detected at which the change in character of the dependence of the recorded temporal parameters of switching on the radiation energy takes place. The threshold energy of radiation is determined by the thermodynamic parameters of the cathode material. Based on the experimental data, an assumption is proposed: under the action of a laser radiation pulse in the interelectrode space, glow discharge is initially ignited in the the electrode erosion products, which then as a result of the development of ionization-overheating instability, undergoes a contraction of the current channel and switches to an arc discharge.

Electric breakdown during the pulsed current spreading in the sand

Processes of spreading of the pulsed current from spherical electrodes and an electric breakdown in the quartz sand are studied experimentally. When the current density on the electrode exceeds the critical value, a nonlinear reduction occurs in the grounding resistance as a result of sparking in the soil. The critical electric field strengths for ionization and breakdown are determined. The ionization-overheating instability is shown to develop on the electrode, which leads to the current contraction and formation of plasma channels.

Process of commutation of a vacuum electric-discharge gap by laser plasma

The temporal parameters of a process of vacuum gap commutation under exposure to a nanosecond pulse of laser radiation incident on the cathode has been studied depending on the radiation energy. Based on the experiment data, it is suggested that a glow discharge is initially ignited in electrode erosion products under exposure to the laser pulse, which due to development of the ionization-overheating instability undergoes the contraction of current channel and transits to an arc discharge. With the radiation energy exceeding a threshold value, the radiation (incident on the cathode) accelerates directly the instability development and the glow discharge transition to the arc discharge due to the radiation absorption in the discharge plasma.

Evolution of electrical discharge channel in isopropyl alcohol solution

Evolution of the spark channel created by the high voltage pulse generator in 15% isopropyl alcohol solution in tap water was investigated experimentally. Fast camera images show the start of spark discharge channel with the anode region glowing, which is due to ionization-overheating instability near the surface of anode electrode. Measured propagation velocity is about 4 m/s and points to thermal process of channel evolution. Partial discharges in gas bubbles near the spark channel were observed. When the channel bridges the gap the cathode flash of lightning occurs which is much brighter than anode glowing and channel one. After destruction of the spark channel the cathode glowing stays for a longer period than anode one.

Electrical breakdown of soil under nonlinear pulsed current spreading

Laboratory investigations on pulsed current spreading from spherical electrodes and evolution of electrical breakdown of silica sand with different water contents under a 15–20 kV voltage pulse were carried out. A sharp nonlinear decrease in the pulsed resistance of soil was observed when the current density exceeded a certain threshold value. Then ionization-overheating instability develops and leads to current contraction and plasma channel formation in the soil. The method for determination of the threshold electric field for ionization is proposed. Electrical discharge in wet sand was found to develop with a significant delay time for long discharge gaps similar to thermal breakdown.

Instability control in microwave-frequency microplasma

Atmospheric argon microplasmas driven by 1.0 GHz power were studied by microwave circuit analyses and spatially-resolved optical diagnostics. These studies illuminate the mechanisms responsible for microplasma stability. A split-ring resonator (SRR) microplasma source is demonstrated to reflect excess microwave power, preventing the ionization overheating instability while limiting electron density to approximately 1 × 1014 cm−3 and OH rotational temperature to 760 K at 0.76 W. Providing the SRR microplasma with an electrical path to ground, however, allows the microplasma to transition from the SRR mode to the so-called transmission line mode (T-line). This transition is due to matching of the microplasma and transmission line impedances. The higher power T-line mode supports a more intense microplasma with electron density of 1 × 1015 cm−3 and OH rotational temperature of 1480 K with 15 W absorbed power. While the SRR mode is optimized for ignition and sustaining a stable nonequilibrium plasma, and T-line mode is better suited for driving a hot, high density microplasma. The estimated microwave discharge voltages were 15 V and 35 V in SRR mode and T-line mode, respectively, and the voltages are rather independent of input power. Microplasma stability is due to a combination of impedance mismatching and direct control of power, both inherent to microwave circuitry.

Ionization-overheating instability threshold in the electrodeless microwave discharge plasma

Experiments with a pulsed freely localized electrodeless microwave discharge in air under a pressure corresponding to the ascending branch of the pressure dependence of the breakdown field are described. The discharge is initiated in a focused quasi-optical electromagnetic beam. The minimal threshold values of the electromagnetic field (for which a brighter plasma channel extended along the field is formed in the initially spatially homogeneous diffuse discharge plasma) are determined by varying air pressure for several fixed values of this field in the focal region of the beam. In accordance with the prevailing theory, this phenomenon is interpreted as the result of evolution of ionization-overheating instability in the microwave discharge plasma.

The development of turbulence in the active medium of a fast-flow gas-discharge laser

The effect of pump nonequilibrium on the heat generation and the parameters of turbulent flow in the active medium of a fast-flow gas-discharge laser is studied. It is shown that the amplitudes of the turbulent pulsations of the density and refractive index of the active medium depend on the pump method and the degree of saturation by laser radiation and grow with the pump level. Criteria for estimating the effect of turbulence on the quality of the active medium are presented. A model is proposed that relates the build-up of the turbulent pulsations of the gas density and refraction to the heterogeneous heat release in the nonequilibrium active medium. The effect is determined by both the growth of the isobar local temperature pulsations and the ionization-overheating instability. In the case of dc-discharge pumping, the optical inhomogeneity of the active medium may substantially exceed that for the high-frequency discharge pumping.

A stationary filamentary microwave discharge at a high pressure of argon

A stationary discharge in the form of a filament about 1 mm in diameter is produced in a quartz tube 16 mm in diameter passed through the wider wall of a standard waveguide and field with argon at a pressure of 300 mm Hg at a microwave power of 50 W on a frequency of 7 GHz. The number of filaments increases gradually from one to seven as the power and pressure are increased. The filaments are parallel and oriented along the electric field of the wave. They are arranged symmetrically relative to the equatorial plane of the tube. The distance between the filaments decreases as their number increases. The stationary filaments arising due to ionization-overheating instability may be explained qualitatively using the interference-equilibrium model and assuming that a discharge is organized such as to provide for the maximal power absorption.

Ionization-overheating instability in a low-voltage arc discharge

Ionization-overheating instability in a low-voltage arc discharge