Abstract :
This paper reviews the last twenty years of work concerning surface flashover of insulators in vacuum. It complements an earlier review paper [H.C. Miller, Flashover of Insulators in Vacuum, IEEE Trans. Electr .Insul., Vol. 28, pp. 512-527, 1993]. The surface flashover voltage of insulators in vacuum depends upon many parameters, such as material, geometry, surface finish, and attachments to electrodes, but also on the applied voltage waveform, duration, single pulse or repetitive, and on the process history of the insulator, operating environment, and previous applications of voltage. Suggestions are made for choosing the material, geometry, and processing when selecting an insulator for a particular application. Some specific techniques for improving the holdoff voltage of insulators are recommended.
Keywords :
flashover; insulators; vacuum insulation; applied voltage waveform; insulator geometry; insulator holdoff voltage; insulator material; insulator surface flashover voltage; surface finish; Flashover; Insulators; Rough surfaces; Surface charging; Surface discharges; Surface roughness; Surface treatment; Vacuum surface flashover; flashover initiation; surface discharges; vacuum insulation;
