Inductance, Capacitance, and Resistance of a Surrogate Exploding Wire

Recent research into the exploding wire phenomenon has shown that capacitor grade metallized polypropylene film (MPPF) may perform as a surrogate to an exploding wire. The reaction of the MPPF to a high voltage capacitive discharge is similar to that of an exploding wire. A key difference that exists between the MPPF and the wire is that due to geometry, the stray capacitance and inductance of the film may have an effect on plasma formation. Tests have been performed on three types of MPPF to determine a relation, if any, between the impedance of the film and the formation of the plasma. MPPF samples of a fixed width with varying lengths were subjected to a 2.5 kV capacitive discharge. Trends in current, power, time duration, and energy as functions of length were compared to the measured inductance, capacitance, and resistance.