Pulsed Electro-acoustic Research Articles

High-resolution pulsed electro-acoustic (HR PEA) measurement of space charge in outer space dielectric materials

The pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method is used for thirty years for measuring space charge distribution in dielectric materials [1]. However, this method was limited to at least 150 μm thick films characterization. For some applications, in spatial industry for example, 50 μm thick outer space dielectric materials must be analyzed. A high resolution optimized measurement system is discussed in this paper in order to expand performances and ranges of this method. To design it, a new pulse generator has been conceived and an optimized acoustic detector, key of the PEA method, has been realized and validated. The optimized High-Resolution PEA apparatus allows to obtain calibration signal with 50 μm thick dielectric materials that can be used to obtain the characteristic transfer function of the PEA system, essential step to use the data processing to find space charge distribution to characterize thinner dielectric materials.

Effect of thermal ageing on space charge characteristics in double-layered polyester film

To understand the effect of thermal ageing mechanism on space charge formation and dissipation in double-layered polyester films (PET), the time dependence of space charge characteristics at physical interface and in the bulk of PET films have been investigated. The measurements of space charge characteristics in specimens of different thermal ageing conditions (80 and 130 °C) were conducted under different DC field strengths (polarization) and short circuit conditions (depolarization) using the Pulsed Electro Acoustic (PEA) measurement system. The influence of electric field distortion caused by the space charges on average AC breakdown strength of PET specimens was also investigated. Results indicate that the thermal ageing leads to polymer interface acts as positive charge traps at ageing temperature of 80 °C, but acts as electron traps at ageing temperature of 130 °C and provides deeper trapping level for positive charge carriers. Besides these, average breakdown strength of the composite decreases due to the electric field distortion caused by the space charges. A preliminary study of this phenomenon is given and further investigation is needed.

Field-dependent conductivity and space charge behavior of silicone rubber/SiC composites

High temperature vulcanized (HTV) silicone rubber (SiR), due to its excellent electrical insulation, elasticity and temperature resistance, is used in cable accessories for HVDC cables. The space charge, generated under dc stress in SiR, would distort the local electric field, further influencing the characteristics of partial discharge and accelerating the insulation aging. This paper tried to modify the space charge behaviors of HTV SiR composites by incorporating silicon carbide (SiC) particles into the polymer matrix with the filler content of 10, 30, 50, 100 wt%. The effects of the SiC particle content on the field-dependent conductivity and the space charge behaviors of HTV SiR were studied. The conductivities under different electric fields were measured by a three-electrode system at room temperature and the space charge behaviors were observed by the pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method. The results indicated that the conductivity of SiR/SiC composites was a nonlinear function of electric field when the content exceeds 30 wt%. With the increase of filler content, the threshold field for nonlinear conductivity decreased and the nonlinear coefficient increased. Meanwhile, the amount of space charges was dramatically reduced. It is suggested that the SiR/SiC composites with nonlinear conductivity can improve the dc conductivity under high electric field, thus raising the carrier mobility and suppressing the accumulation of space charge.

Effect of space charge on breakdown characteristics of aged oil-paper insulation under DC voltage

Due to its excellent performance, oil-paper insulation has been widely used in many power apparatuses including converter transformer of high voltage direct current (HVDC) system. Space charge accumulation phenomena may significantly distort local electric field inside transformer and cause oil-paper insulation overstressing. As a result of long term operation, oil-paper gradually degrades. In most severe cases, the breakdown of insulation system may occur. In this work, the effect of space charge on breakdown characteristics of aged oil-paper insulation is investigated. Oil-paper samples with different aging states are obtained by thermally accelerated aging for various periods of time, categorized by the degree of polymerization (DP) of 1107 (new), 725, 504, 376 and 241, respectively. Experimental results show that the breakdown voltage of oil-paper samples without pre-stressing remains almost constant with thermal degradation. After the homo-polarity pre-stress, when the DP value is higher than ∼300 (from 1107 to 376), the breakdown voltage has an increasing tendency with an increase in thermal degradation. On the contrary, the breakdown voltage presents a decreasing tendency after the hetero-polarity pre-stress. When the DP is lower than ∼300 (DP241), the changes of breakdown voltage does not remain the same trend as previous samples after pre-stressing. Meanwhile, space charge distributions in different aged samples are measured by the pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method, and the trap parameters are correspondingly evaluated. It has been experimentally demonstrated that special attention should be paid to space charge accumulation and aging state of oil-paper insulation, which may lead to severe insulation accidents.

Review of space charge measurement systems: acoustic, thermal and optical methods

In the last decade, remarkable developments have concerned the methods of space charge measurement in the field of insulation systems diagnostic. In particular, methods based on acoustic and thermal phenomena have been largely used. The present review provides a broad overview on the different techniques used describing, for each of them, the working principle, the main features and the most relevant applications. Further details are provided for the Pulsed Electro-Acoustic (PEA) method, as it seems to be the most used. This article provides more details on its historical evolution, showing evidence for its technological limits and taking into consideration the advantages and drawn from the different configurations of the measuring cell. A similar approach has been used for the group of thermal methods, whereas for the optical methods only the basic working principle and latest applications are reported.

Influence of hierarchy structure on electrical properties of gradient-distribution aluminum oxide/polyethylene nanocomposites

In the recent decades, the phenomena of space charge accumulation in the high voltage direct current (HVDC) insulation have attracted more and more attention. In this paper, the gradient-distribution multi-layered Al2O3/low density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites were prepared via layer-by-layer melting blending and hot pressing method. Morphologies and electrical properties of these gradient-distribution structured composites were discussed. Results showed that this unique structure could largely enhance the breakdown strength of LDPE. The breakdown strength of the LDPE nanocomposites varied with nano-Al2O3 concentrations, and it could reach to 200 kV/mm for the LDPE nanocomposites. Besides, space charge of the LDPE nanocomposites was measured by pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method. The charge profiles indicated that space charge suppression of the gradient-distribution multi-layered composites was better than that of the monolayer ones with general mean-distribution structure. Their excellent insulating properties were attributed to the trap which exists in the surface, and that could well inhibit the charge injecting into the materials.

Characteristics of space charge distribution in epoxy-paper composite insulation system

The HVDC dry-type bushing, with its main insulating medium being epoxyimpregnated- paper composite, is a key device in the ultra-high voltage direct current power transmission system. The HVDC bushing is under the combined effect of electricity, heat, and mechanical stress when it is in operation, in which case the electric field strength in the core of bushing is high, the temperature in the central conductor is high, and the interfacial effect between the epoxy layer and insulating paper is strong. Consequently, space charge will accumulate in the epoxy-paper composite insulation. Previous studies mainly focuses on the characteristics of space charge distribution in polymer-micro-nano filler, whereas the studies on that in epoxy-insulating-paper composite are quite limited. This paper, based on the HVDC bushing made up of epoxy-insulating-paper composite, establishes and a space charge measuring system which is suitable for the pulse electro-acoustic (PEA) method at high temperature (⩽110 °C). A modified PEA method which is applicable to the measurement of space charge in the multi-dielectric-layer composite with different acoustic impedance is put forward. By controlling the thicknesses of dielectric layers in the composite sample, the effect of sound wave reflection on the measuring system can be eliminated. An in-depth study is conducted on the effects of temperature and field strength on the characteristics of space charge distribution in epoxy-paper composite.

Preparation of polypyrrole nanobowls and their effect for improving direct current dielectric properties of polyethylene

Polypyrrole (PPy) nanobowls were successfully prepared through a reactive self-degraded template polymerization and the morphology of PPy nanobowls was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nanobowls were uniform with diameters of about 100 nm. The low density polyethylene/polypyrrole (LDPE/PPy) nanocomposites were obtained by melt blending method. The structures of PPy nanobowls and the nanocomposites were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). Space charge distributions in LDPE/PPy nanocomposites with different PPy nanobowls contents were measured using the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) method. The results indicated that PPy nanobowls doping with a small quantity exhibited excellent suppression performance of space charge accumulation in LDPE and the nanocomposites showed improved direct current (DC) electrical conductivity and breakdown characteristics.

Effect of stretching on electrical properties of LDPE/MgO nanocomposites

This paper researched the effect of stretching on electrical properties of LDPE/MgO. Pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method, dielectric analyzer and high resistance meter were used to research the DC breakdown, space charge behavior, permittivity, loss tangent and volume resistivity of neat LDPE and LDPE/MgO nanocomposites with concentration of 1, 3 and 5 wt% with and without elongation ratio of 1.1. Results indicate that the DC breakdown strengths of neat LDPE and nanocomposites decrease after stretching. The heterocharges near electrodes in neat LDPE change to homocharges after stretching and a large amount of positive and negative charges accumulated in samples with concentration of 3 wt% and 5 wt%. Meanwhile, homocharges near cathode electrode in nanocomposite with concentration of 1 wt% decrease a little and a small amount of positive charges were observed in the samples after stretching. Furthermore, there are different increases in amplitudes of permittivity in all samples after stretching as well as the loss tangents especially in the frequency domain from 10−1–102 Hz. The results of volume resistivity show that comparing with the nanocomposite with concentration of 1 wt% whose volume resistivity decrease after stretching, larger volume resistivity is observed in neat LDPE and nanocomposites with concentration of 3 wt% and 5 wt%. As we know, the electrical properties of polymer based nanocomposites is dominated by interface between nanoparticles and polymer matrix. After stretching, the area of interface may increase, which may increase the amount and depth of charge traps. Additionally, the free volume may increase and the force stressed on polar molecular may decrease, leading to the change of electrical properties of nanocomposites.

Space charge characteristics of oil-paper insulation in the electro-thermal aging process

High electric field and temperatures can result in electrical property degradation of oil-paper insulation and accelerate its aging process. This paper describes the regulation of space charge in the process of electro-thermal aging. Electric field distortion and differences in characteristic parameters during electro-thermal aging are analyzed, along with the effects of electro-thermal aging on space charge from the perspective of trap energy. High temperature and an electric field are used to accelerate the aging of oil-paper, and space charge characteristics are measured using the pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method throughout the electro-thermal aging. Based on results obtained, it can be concluded that homo-charge injection occurs at the anode and the type of the charge injection at the cathode varies throughout the electro-thermal aging; the decrease of permittivity during aging allows for space charge injection to take place; growth of trap depth makes the space charge accumulate in the middle of the sample; and space charge accumulation after electro-thermal aging results in inner electric field distortion, which leads to large current and decreased breakdown in voltages.

PEA System Modeling and Signal Processing for Measurement of Volume Charge Distributions in Thin Dielectric Films

This paper discusses our effort to develop advanced pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) measurement system capabilities that incorporate: 1) improved signal processing tools for increased signal/noise ratios and 2) integrated PEA modeling tools. In addition, we emphasize the state-of-the-art system electronic components, integrated environmental controls, and sensor improvements required to achieve high spatial resolution while maintaining reasonable temporal resolution for both ambient and in vacuo measurements of thin dielectrics charged using electron beam injection, which is most applicable for spacecraft charging tests. PEA measurement systems provide an important tool to investigate the spatial extent and dynamic evolution of embedded charge distributions in thin dielectric materials. This knowledge has important applications in spacecraft industries, as well as for semiconductors, high-power electronic devices, high-voltage dc power cable insulation, and high-energy and plasma physics apparatus. The emphasis of this paper is on improved signal processing methods and integrated PEA modeling tools.

Dependence of space charge dynamics in LDPE on history of voltage application

The space charge phenomenon in PE (polyethylene) particularly in LDPE (low density polyethylene) is being widely researched for more than two decades. Despite various theories proposed by researchers, the charge dynamics in general and charge packets in particular, inside the polymeric insulation are yet to be completely known. The authors have investigated the dependence of charge dynamics on electric field using PEA (pulsed electroacoustic) technique. The experiments were carried out at 25 °C on 100 μm LDPE film samples under applied electric fields of 100–150 kV/mm. External current measurements were also performed under similar conditions. The analysis of charge profiles and external currents shows that apart from other factors, charge formation and polarity of charge also depend on history of electric field application. Interesting observations were made on the consequence of such results. Experiments were performed repeatedly on virgin samples, taken from same lot, and the results were found to be almost same. It is believed that the effect of history of voltage application on charge formation, presented in the paper, is useful for understanding practical behavior of LDPE which, if used in power cables, is expected to serve as a dielectric for several years — accumulating a lot of history of voltage application.

Space charge behavior in oil gap and impregnated pressboard combined system under HVDC stresses

The reliability of oil-pressboard insulation system used in high voltage direct current (HVDC) convertor transformers can be affected by the presence of space charge. In this paper, the space charge behaviors in a 0.5 mm thick oil film combined with a 1mm thick impregnated pressboard have been investigated by the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) technique under 12 kV/mm and 20 kV/mm at room temperature for both short term and long time tests. Two types of oil with different aging status were used for comparison. The results show that a charge peak is quickly formed at the interface between oil and pressboard with the same polarity as the electrode at the oil film side. However, the dynamics of the interfacial charges are very different for fresh oil and aged oil samples. The maximum electric field occurs in the middle of the pressboard, which is significantly enhanced in the aged oil samples. Compared with the Maxwell-Wagner (MW) polarization, more space charges are formed in the insulation system. It needs much longer time to reach steady state, depending on the status of the oil. The interfacial and bulk effects result in a significant electric field enhancement in the middle of pressboard, especially in aged oil samples.

Research progress on space charge characteristics in polymeric insulation

Due to their excellent electrical insulation properties and processability, polymer materials are used in many electrical products. It is widely believed that space charge plays an important role for the electric field distribution, conduction, ageing, and electric breakdown of polymeric insulation. This paper reviews measurements and characteristics of space charge behavior which mainly determined by the pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) measurement technique. Particular interests are the effects of the applied voltage, the electrodes, temperature, humidity, microstructure, additives, and filler materials on accumulation, distribution, transport, and the decay of space charge in polymeric materials. This review paper is to provide an overview on various space charge effects under different conditions, and also to summarize the information for polymeric materials with suppressed space charge and improved electrical behavior.

Dielectric properties of epoxy resin fly ash composite

Epoxy resin is widely used as an insulating material in high voltage applications. Ceramic fillers are always added to the polymer matrix to enhance its mechanical properties. But at the same time, filler materials decreases the electrical properties. So while making the fly ash epoxy composite, it is obvious to detect the effect of fly ash reinforcement on the dielectric nature of the material. In the present research work, fly ash is added to four different weight percentages compositions and post-curing has been done in the atmospheric condition, normal oven and micro oven. Tests were carried out on the developed polymer composite to measure its dielectric permittivity and tan delta value in a frequency range of 1 Hz - 1 MHz. The space charge behaviours were also observed by using the pulse electroacoustic (PEA) technique. The dielectric strength and losses are compared for different conditions.

Charge transport in thermally and electrically stressed oil-impregnated paper insulation

The relation between ageing and space charge is a hot area, but there is little direct evidence. In this paper, oil-paper samples were exposed to 20-kV/mm DC electrical field, 130°C temperature or both 20-kV/mm DC electrical field and 130°C temperature separately. Charge transport through them was analyzed at intervals by the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) method. We find that the quantity of trapped charge increases with stressing durations, no matter what kind of stress oil-paper is exposed to. That indicates that energy release through space charge movement, such as charge trapping/detrapping and recombination, is another reason for traps generation besides deterioration caused by thermal ageing. However, because the difference in cellulose degradation mechanism among them, charge transport dynamics are thereby different under different stressing conditions. Space charge accumulates faster inner electrothermally stressed oil-paper than that inner another two kinds of oil-paper, and the sign of trapped charge is positive if oil-paper is electrically or electro-thermally stressed. The latter behavior is discussed in terms of electromagnetic dynamics due to cavity within oil-paper once there is external electric field.

Investigation of the electrical properties of XLPE/SiC nanocomposites

The interface between nanoparticles and the polymer matrix, which dominates the electrical properties of nanocomposites, can effectively improve the DC breakdown and suppress space charge accumulation in nanocomposites. To research the interface characteristics, XLPE/SiC nanocomposites with concentrations of 1 wt%, 3 wt% and 5 wt% were prepared. The DC breakdown, dielectric properties and space charge behavior were examined using pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) equipment and a dielectric analyzer. The test results show that the nanocomposites with concentrations of 1 wt% and 3 wt% have higher DC breakdown field strength than neat XLPE. In contrast, there is a lower DC breakdown strength at a concentration of 5 wt%, possibly due to the agglomeration of nanoparticles. Nanoparticle doping increases the real and imaginary permittivities over those of neat XLPE. Furthermore, with increasing concentration, a larger increase in the permittivity amplitude was observed. Based on the space charge behavior, all nanocomposites could suppress space charge accumulation, but the nanocomposite with a concentration of 1 wt% exhibited the best effect. Meanwhile, heterocharge accumulation near electrodes was observed in neat XLPE and the nanocomposite with a concentration of 5 wt%. In contrast, homocharge accumulation near electrodes was observed in the nanocomposite with a concentration of 3 wt%. This phenomenon may be due to different amounts of shallow traps in nanocomposites with different concentrations, which might lead to differing electron or hole mobility.

Effect of Nanoparticle Surface Modification and Filling Concentration on Space Charge Characteristics in TiO2/XLPE Nanocomposites

This paper focuses on the space charge characteristics in TiO2/cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) nanocomposites; the unmodified and modified by dimethyloctylsilane (MDOS) TiO2 nanoparticles were added to XLPE matrix with different mass concentrations (1 wt%, 3 wt%, and 5 wt%). The scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the MDOS coupling agent could improve the compatibility between TiO2 nanoparticles and XLPE matrix to some extent and reduce the agglomeration of TiO2 nanoparticles compared with unmodified TiO2 nanoparticles; the volume resistivity testing indicated that the volume resistivity of TiO2/XLPE nanocomposites was higher than Pure-XLPE and increased with the increase of filling concentrations. According to the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) measurements, it was concluded that the space charge accumulation was suppressed by filling TiO2 nanoparticles and the distribution of electric field in samples was improved greatly. In addition, it was found that the injection of homocharge was more obvious in MDOS-TiO2/XLPE than that in UN-TiO2/XLPE and the homocharge injection decreased with the increase of filling concentration.

Preparation, microstructure and properties of polyethylene/alumina nanocomposites for HVDC insulation

In the recent decades, the phenomena of space charge accumulation in the high voltage direct current (HVDC) insulation have been attracted more attention. In this paper, low density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites filled with alumina nanoparticles (nano-Al2O3) were prepared employing melting blend method. Morphologies of nanoparticles and LDPE/Al2O3 nanocomposites were performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electrical properties of the LDPE nanocomposites were also investigated. Results shown that the nano-Al2O3 particles modified with vinyl silane coupling can effectively enhance the breakdown strength of LDPE nanocomposites. With the nano-Al2O3 particles loading, the volume resistivity of the LDPE nanocomposites was increased, while dielectric permittivity of the nanocomposites was decreased. Space charge of the LDPE nanocomposites was measured by pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method. The charge profiles indicated that space charge suppression of the LDPE nanocomposites was better than that of pure LDPE. The excellent insulation properties of the LDPE nanocomposites were attributed to the better interfacial adhesion between the surface-treated nano-Al2O3 particles and the LDPE matrix.

Surface flashover characteristics in polyimide/ZnO nanocomposite under DC voltage in vacuum

It is well known that the solid materials flashover phenomenon is very complicated and influenced by many factors, such as surface conditions, electrodes and traps, etc. In this paper, dc flashover experiments of polyimide (PI) and PI/ZnO nano-composite are studied in vacuum to reveal the surface flashover mechanism. The trap levels and space charge distributions were obtained by thermally stimulated current (TSC) and pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) methods respectively. Further researches on surface states of flashover tested sample, such as observation by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and measurement of secondary electron emission (SEE) coefficient, were carried out as well. Experimental results showed that the dc surface flashover voltage of PI/ZnO nano-composite is significantly enhanced compared to that of pure PI. The experiments results can be explained as that the doped ZnO nano-particles introduced deeper traps, which can reduce the level of charge carrier mobility, secondary electron emission and space charge accumulation. Meanwhile, the gas desorption efficiency of nano-composite is much lower than that of pure PI. It suggests that the doped ZnO nano-particles plays a critical role in affecting the surface flashover performance under dc voltage in vacuum.