Space Charge Packet Research Articles

Migration behavior of space charge packet researched by using electron beam irradiation and real-time space charge distribution measurement in piezo-pressure wave propagation (PWP) method

The space charge packet is a special sort of space charge phenomenon that is characterized by the migration of aggregated space charge in the form of a packet in the sample. Currently, most of the experimental and simulation studies on the generation and migration of space charge packets focus on the space charge packets with positive polarity in polyethylene and their cross-linking products, while the characteristics of the space charge packets with negative polarity still need studying. This paper presents an integrated experimental system for studying space charge packet with negative polarity, which enables experimental studies combining electron beam irradiation technique and real-time space charge distribution measurement. The beam flux for electron beam irradiation is controlled by a metal grid with an optical fiber-electric relay, and the space charge distribution measurement is performed by the piezo- pressure wave propagation method. The system achieves a withstand voltage value of 17 kV and a measuring resolution of 25 ns for space charge distribution measurement and is suitable for experimental studies of various material samples with different thickness ranges under different electric fields. In this work, the migration behaviors of space charge packets with negative polarity in polypropylene (PP) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) samples under different applied electric fields (15, 20, 25, 30 kV/mm) are studied by using the experimental system. The relationship between the migration properties of carriers with negative polarity (electrons) and the electric field can be extracted from the experimental results. The “negative differential mobility” phenomenon is found for both materials, i.e. the migration rate decreases with the increase of the electric field. The threshold electric field for the “negative differential mobility” phenomenon of electrons in PP sample is about 26.0 kV/mm while the threshold electric field for the “negative differential mobility” phenomenon of electrons in PMMA sample is 19.5 kV/mm, and the phenomenon disappears at an electric field of 27.5 kV/mm. The electric field where the "negative differential mobility" phenomenon of electrons appears and disappears in different materials can be extracted by using the experimental system proposed in this paper.

Thermal Aging Properties of 500 kV AC and DC XLPE Cable Insulation Materials.

Despite similar material composition and insulation application, the alternating current (AC) cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) and direct current (DC) XLPE materials cannot replace each other due to different voltage forms. Herein, this work presents a systematical investigation into the effects of thermal aging on the material composition and properties of 500 kV-level commercial AC XLPE and DC XLPE materials. A higher content of antioxidants in the AC XLPE than in the DC XLPE was experimentally demonstrated via thermal analysis technologies, such as oxidation-induced time and oxidation-induced temperature. Retarded thermal oxidation and suppression of space charge effects were observed in thermally aged AC XLPE samples. On the other hand, the carbonyl index of DC XLPE dramatically rose when thermal aging was up to 168 h. The newly generated oxygen-containing groups provided deep trapping sites (~0.95 eV) for space charges and caused severe electric field distortion (120%) under -50 kV/mm at room temperature in the aged DC XLPE samples. For the unaged XLPE materials, the positive space charge packets were attributed to the residue crosslinking byproducts, even after being treated in vacuum at 70 °C for 24 h. Thus, it was reasoned that the DC XLPE material had a lower crosslinking degree to guarantee fewer crosslinking byproducts. This work offers a simple but accurate method for evaluating thermal oxidation resistance and space charge properties crucial for developing high-performance HVDC cable insulation materials.

Fast space charge packet characteristics within low-density polyethylene affected by epitaxial crystallization

The formation of space charge packet increases the maximum electric field within HVDC polymeric cable insulation. However, the influence of epitaxial crystallization on transient characteristics of space charge packet behavior in polyethylene (LDPE) under high temperature is still unrevealed. Therefore, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), isotactic polypropylene (iPP), and glass (G) were adopted as the substrates to prepare LDPE samples with different epitaxial crystallization, denoted as PE-PTFE, PE-iPP, and PE-G respectively, for the measurement of space charge packet at 60 °C under −125 kV/mm. The experimental results show that space charge packets with both positive and negative polarity occurred immediately in LDPE samples after polarization, whose mobility and rising rate of electric field are at least 10 times higher than that at normal temperature. The injection amount of positive space charge packet arranged as PE-PTFE > PE-G > PE-iPP. According to the epitaxial crystallization characteristics of parallel (PE-PTFE), crossed (PE-iPP), and random (PE-G) arrangement of molecular chain, as well as the feature that hole migration is tend to be affected by molecular chain arrangement, the epitaxial crystallization of PE-iPP is contributed to the transport within inter-molecules, resulting in the difficulty of the appearance of positive space charge packet. The obtained results in this paper are important to have deep understanding for space charge behavior within cable insulation.

The Simultaneous Evolution of Space Charge and Conduction Current in LDPE

The development of a system to measure simultaneously the current and space charge in a dielectric is described. The results obtained for low density polyethylene samples show that the relationship between space charge accumulation and the time-dependent current is not straightforward. In accord with previous work on space charge limited currents, the transient currents initially decreased, but after a while an increment or peak appeared. Additionally, the generation and extraction of space charge packets caused an impulse-like current peak such as previously observed. By comparing the electric field and current at the anode, it was found that the increment and the peak of the anode current are determined by injected negative carriers reaching the anode rather than the increase of electric field at the anode. It is shown that the dynamical evolution of the current can be divided into three stages similar to transient space charge limited current theory.

A model and simulation of fast space charge pulses in polymers

The transport of space charge packets across polyethylene and epoxy resin in high electric fields has been characterized as fast or slow depending on packet mobility. Several explanations for the formation and transport of slow space charge packets have been proposed, but the origins of fast space charge pulses, with mobilities above 10−11 m2 V−1 s−1, are unclear. In one suggested model, it is assumed that the formation of fast charge pulses is due to discontinuous electromechanical compression and charge injection at the electrode-insulation interface, and their transport is related to corresponding relaxation processes. In that model, charges travel as a pulse because of group polarization. This paper provides an alternative model based on the reduction of charge carrier activation energy due to charge density triggered polymer chain movement and subsequent chain relaxation times. The generation and transport of fast charge pulses are readily simulated by a bipolar charge transport model with three additional parameters: reduced activation energy, charge density threshold, and chain relaxation time. Such a model is shown to reproduce key features of fast space charge pulses including speed, duration, repetition rate and pulse size. This model provides the basis for a deep understanding of the physical origins of fast space charge pulses in polymers.

Negative differential mobility for negative carriers as revealed by space charge measurements on crosslinked polyethylene insulated model cables

Among features observed in polyethylene materials under relatively high field, space charge packets, consisting in a pulse of net charge that remains in the form of a pulse as it crosses the insulation, are repeatedly observed but without complete theory explaining their formation and propagation. Positive charge packets are more often reported, and the models based on negative differential mobility(NDM) for the transport of holes could account for some charge packets phenomenology. Conversely, NDM for electrons transport has never been reported so far. The present contribution reports space charge measurements by pulsed electroacoustic method on miniature cables that are model of HVDC cables. The measurements were realized at room temperature or with a temperature gradient of 10 °C through the insulation under DC fields on the order 30–60 kV/mm. Space charge results reveal systematic occurrence of a negative front of charges generated at the inner electrode that moves toward the outer electrode at the beginning of the polarization step. It is observed that the transit time of the front of negative charge increases, and therefore the mobility decreases, with the applied voltage. Further, the estimated mobility, in the range 10−14–10−13 m2 V−1 s−1 for the present results, increases when the temperature increases for the same condition of applied voltage. The features substantiate the hypothesis of negative differential mobility used for modelling space charge packets.

Study of Space Charge in SC Shield / XLPE Interface and Mid-Voltage Cable Perfomance

Three experimental mid-voltage cables C2, C3 and C4 with cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) isolation, rated respectively as Medium, High and Low in perforation tests over 150KV, are studied. All these cables have been systematically measured by Electroacoustic Pulse (PEA) and Thermally Stimulated with Depolarization Currents (TSDC), using 120 KV of polarization voltage in samples as received, annealed at 90 kV and 120°Cup to 672 hours. Measured internal charge of cable C4 at least doubles that of cables C2 and C3. The interfacial phenomenon has been studied by Infrared spectroscopy measurements Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) that show chemical components that migrate, spread, and transport from the external semiconductor layer to the cross-linked polyethene isolation during the thermic treatment of the cable. The PEA measurements using 120 kV/mm electric field showed the formation and propagation of space charge packet from SC to isolation. These results are coherent with TSDC measurements that also show differences in the areas under the curve of current as a function of temperature for each cable type C2, C3and C4. This is a result of the amount of charge accumulated. To sum up, combination of PEA, TSDC and ATR measurements is a useful tool in understanding charge relaxation processes and XLPE cable performance.

Packet charge dynamic in thin polyethylene under high dc voltage

Abstract In this paper, we present a bipolar transport model in low-density polyethylene under high direct-current voltage in order to investigate the charge packet dynamic generated under high injection. These charge packets, observed by our model for the first time, have already been seen in some previous experimental works for a long time. Our model results show that applied electric field and sample thickness play important roles on the apparition of space charge packets.

Space charge packets in polyethylene nano-scales under dc applied voltages

Abstract In this paper, we are interested in space charge packet phenomenon generated at submicron scales in insulating polyethylene materials that have not been extensively investigated in all previous theoretical modeling and experimental works. Indeed, a bipolar charge transport model is proposed to simulate space charge dynamics in nano-scale polyethylene material under dc high electric field. For these scales, our results show space charge packet appearance which induces new dynamics that are marked on injected and conduction current oscillations. In addition, our results also show the establishment of post breakdown phenomena that are indicated by an external current abrupt increase without saturation.

Post breakdown and lifetime of low density polyethylene film under generated transient charge packets

It is well known that space charge accumulation in insulating materials constitutes the principal cause of dielectric breakdown. Though space charge measurements in polymeric materials have been extensively developed over the last two decades, modeling and simulation works have progressed slowly in this respect. In the present study, a model for bipolar charge transport, as a basis for studying breakdown phenomenon in low density polyethylene (LDPE), is presented. Indeed, we are especially interested in external current dynamic which is the witness of the sample post breakdown. Our results show the effect of the high dc applied voltage and the generation of the space charge packets on the apparition of the post breakdown of the insulator. In order for this effect to be revealed, the external current evolutions under low and high dc applied voltages before and at the breakdown are determined. Indeed, these evolutions show an abrupt increase that is observed when the charge packet aspect occurred in the sample under high dc applied voltage. This observed abrupt increase of the external current is attributed to post breakdown phenomenon. These results are obtained for the first time in modeling and show some aspects similar to those observed in some experimental works.

Numerical analysis of packetlike charge behavior in low-density polyethylene by a Gunn effectlike model

Under some conditions, charges may transport like an isolated packet in polyethylene. It has been demonstrated that many factors, such as applied field strength, temperature, and material itself, influence on formation and migration of space charge packet, which cause many difficulties in understanding the general mechanism of the phenomenon. In this paper, based on the analysis about the influences of charge injection, carriers’ migration, and the interaction between the free charge and trap in polyethylene on packetlike space charge behavior, a new physical model is established to give a physical description of packetlike charge behavior in low density polyethylene (LDPE). This model includes some interesting features: (1) it gives an exact calculation of charge changes in all positions of specimens; (2) the negative differential mobility mechanism of Gunn effect in semiconductor is introduced to explain the generating process of space charge packet; (3) field-induced charge detrapping model is utilized to simulate the diversity of packetlike charge packet behavior under different applied fields. By considering such a model, we simulate two kinds of positive packetlike charge behavior in LDPE from different research groups. The simulated results show well fitting with the experiment data.

Morphology Effects on Space Charge Characteristics of Low Density Polyethylene

Low density polyethylene (LDPE) film samples with different morphology were prepared by three kinds of annealing methods which were different in cooling rates in this study. A pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) space charge measurement system was improved to solve the surface discharge problems for small samples applied with a high voltage. Negative direct current (DC) fields from 50 to above 220 kV/mm were applied to the samples. The influences of morphologies on space charge and space charge packet characteristics were measured by the improved high voltage withstand (HVW) PEA system. Mobility and trap depth of released charges were calculated by space charge decay. It was found that there is a different probability of space charge packet initiation under applied field from -60 to -100 kV/mm. Average velocity and mobility of the space charge packets were calculated by space charge packet dynamics. It was found that the lower cooling rate samples have higher crystallinity, more homo-charge accumulation, lower mobility and deeper trap depth. The mechanism of morphological effects on space charge phenomena have been presumed to give a plausible explanation for their inherent relationships. The morphology in the metal–dielectric interface and in the bulk is convincingly suggested to be responsible for the injection and propagation processes of space charge. A model of positive space charge initiation in LDPE samples was also suggested and analyzed. The mechanism of morphological effects and the charge injection model are well fit with the injection and propagation processes of space charge. The different effects of morphology in the metal–dielectric interface and in the bulk of polymers are stressed.

Morphology Effects on Space Charge Characteristics of Low Density Polyethylene

Low density polyethylene (LDPE) film samples with different morphology were prepared by three kinds of annealing methods which were different in cooling rates in this study. A pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) space charge measurement system was improved to solve the surface discharge problems for small samples applied with a high voltage. Negative direct current (DC) fields from 50 to above 220 kV/mm were applied to the samples. The influences of morphologies on space charge and space charge packet characteristics were measured by the improved high voltage withstand (HVW) PEA system. Mobility and trap depth of released charges were calculated by space charge decay. It was found that there is a different probability of space charge packet initiation under applied field from -60 to -100 kV/mm. Average velocity and mobility of the space charge packets were calculated by space charge packet dynamics. It was found that the lower cooling rate samples have higher crystallinity, more homo-charge accumulation, lower mobility and deeper trap depth. The mechanism of morphological effects on space charge phenomena have been presumed to give a plausible explanation for their inherent relationships. The morphology in the metal–dielectric interface and in the bulk is convincingly suggested to be responsible for the injection and propagation processes of space charge. A model of positive space charge initiation in LDPE samples was also suggested and analyzed. The mechanism of morphological effects and the charge injection model are well fit with the injection and propagation processes of space charge. The different effects of morphology in the metal–dielectric interface and in the bulk of polymers are stressed.

Numerical simulation of charge packet behavior in low-density polyethylene based on Gunn effect-like model

Packet-like space charge behavior usually induces the electric field distortion and strongly affects the electrical performance of low-density polyethylene. In this paper, we analyze the influence of charge injection, carriers migration and interaction between the free charge and trap in polyethylene on packet-like space charge behavior and introduce the mechanism of Gunn effect to describe the generating process of space charge packet. Based on this, we simulated two kinds of packet-like space charge behaviors with different variation trends and in different applied fields reported by different research groups. The simulated space charge packet shows very good fitting with the experiment data in both packet amplitude and migration velocity. The simulation results also indicate that the injection conditions and trap level depth play an important role in the diversity of packet-like space charge behavior.

Transient and steady-state currents in polyethylene film under low and high dc voltages

Transient and steady state currents in polyethylene, under low and high dc voltages, are studied. In fact, a bipolar transport physical model is developed in order to characterize the space charge dynamics within an additive-free polyethylene film, under trapping and recombination mechanisms. The numerical computational models, used for the bipolar transport of carriers, are applied to the Poisson's, the continuity and the transport equations with the appropriate physical conditions. The principal and the new numerical results are calculated especially when high dc voltages are applied. Indeed, the net charge density numerical profiles show the appearance of the space charge packets that are revealed for the first time in numerical modelling although they have long been reported in experimental works. These space charge packets induce some new aspects on the external transient current evolutions, produce the oscillations of the conduction and the displacement current before the steady state, and generate a conduction regime that is dominated by the interface electrode-insulator. These numerical results are consistent with those reported in some experimental works. However, under low dc voltage the space charge packets disappear and the space charge limited current aspect appears on the external current profile.

Effect of surface topography and morphology on space charge packets in polyethylene

Polyethylene (PE) is a major kind of internal insulating material. With great progresses of space charge measurement technologies in the last three decades, lots of researches are focused on space charge in PE. The heat pressing and annealing condition of polyethylene affect its morphology obviously. During the heat pressing, the surface of PE forms different surface topographies because of different substrate materials. Surface topography has great relation to the epitaxial crystallization layer and influences the space charge characteristic of PE dramatically. This paper studied the formation process of different surface topographies and their micrographic characters in low density polyethylene (LDPE). pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method was used to measure the space charge distribution of samples with different surface topographies and morphologies in LDPE. The effect of surface topography and morphology to space charge packet were studied. The surface topography has great influence on space charge packet polarity and morphology has influence on both movement speed rate and polarity of space charge packet.

Pre-stressing effect on DC breakdown in low-density polyethylene

Polyethylene is widely used in electrical wires and power cables. The pre-stressing effect, which restricts the applications of polyethylene, has not yet been investigated in depth. We studied the breakdown of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films pre-stressed by direct current (DC) electric field. The results showed some conformity, as reported in many other papers, that the DC breakdown strength E B+ with the same polarity to that of the pre-stressing field was higher than the DC breakdown strength E B of thin LDPE films without pre-stressing, while the DC breakdown strength E B − with the opposite polarity was lower than E B. Such phenomena could be explained by the hetero effects of accumulating space charges, which enhanced the electrical field when the polarity was reversed. However, as a further increase in pre-stressing electrical field, both E B+ and E B − were found higher than E B. We investigated the space charge behavior in LDPE films and found that when applied with a higher electrical field, space charge packet initialized and traveled through the specimen. The results suggest that the space charge packet behavior may contribute to the pre-stressing effects on electrical breakdown in LDPE films.

Fast and slow charge packets in polymeric materials under DC stress

The presence of slow space charge packets crossing the insulation thickness from one electrode to the other and causing significant electrical field distortion has been reported already in several papers. They are activated in general by very high dc fields or, in highly polluted materials, by relatively low fields and constitute an important ageing factor, concerning dc electrical stress. It has been observed, in fact, that such packets can cause accelerated breakdown of insulation. The development of fast systems for space charge measurements has allowed the presence of almost instant heterocharge to be observed close to electrodes in certain field and temperature conditions, especially in cable models. This has been explained often by the separation of ionic charge populations, even though such heterocharge appears also in materials, such as Polyethylene or crosslinked Polyethylene that represent the best extra-clean technologies. The measurements reported here use a high speed technique to investigate the build up of heterocharge in model cables that have been treated to remove volatile chemical species. They show that in fact the heterocharge is built up by many very small and very fast charge packets (i.e. charge packets having a high mobility), which are injected from both electrodes and cross the insulation in less than one second. Because the packet charge is unable to exit the counter-electrode at the same rate at which it arrives, hetero-charge is built up within just a few seconds from the beginning of the polarization. The mobility of these charges, depending significantly on temperature, is estimated through observation of charge packets as a function of time, and compared with that of the already-known slow packets, generally occurring at higher fields with respect to fast packets. The basis for the interpretation and modelling of such phenomena is discussed.

Numerical simulation of space charge packet behavior in low-density polyethylene under direct current voltage

Packet-like space charge behavior is a kind of special transport behavior of space charge in polyethylene. It has been demonstrated that many factors, such as the intensity of applied field, temperature and material have great influence on the formation and migration of space charge packets. This would cause much difficulty in understaning the general mechanism of the phenomenon. In this paper, on the basis of analysis of charge injection and migration, the interaction between the charge and charge trap and the influence of electric field on charge trap level, a model is proposed to simulate the packet-like space charge behavior. We suppose thar there exists a negative differential relationship for the charge velocity against the electric field when the electric ficld exceeds a threshold value. By considering the negative differential relationship, we simulated various kinds of packet-like charge behaviors and the results of numerical simulation show a good agreement with the experimental results issued by different research groups.

The contribution of field-induced morphological change to the electrical aging and breakdown of polyethylene

A brief review of the early literature is given which provides evidence that electrically-induced mechanical stresses make an important contribution to the electrical breakdown of solid dielectrics. Special attention is given to polyethylene and the manner in which this semi-crystalline polymer yields under mechanical stress by microvoid, crack and craze development in the amorphous phase between the lamellar crystallites. The nature of the forces induced by an electrical field is considered and it is shown that a significant component of tensile stress is generated in a direction orthogonal to the field and can become large as breakdown is approached. This suggests a correlation between the responses of the polymer to mechanical and electrical stresses and consequently the importance of morphology in determining the latter. The likely effect of field-induced morphological change on charge transport and electrode processes is described and its underlying contribution to possible aging markers for polyethylene, such as high field conduction, electroluminescence, space charge and charge packets is considered.