Analysis of Conduction Characteristics of Field-Breakdown Triggered Vacuum Switches

This paper is concerned with the conduction process of field-breakdown triggered vacuum switches (TVS). The TVS with long gap spacing is fabricated to enlarge the time scale for the investigation of the physical phenomena. According to the image analysis of the conduction process, an approach based on introducing a concept of triggering charge quantity is put forward, which can be used to describe the conduction condition of TVS. Finally, the forming reason of the time delay and the jitter and the influence of the current growth rate and the peak value of trigger current on them are discussed on the basis of test results and come to the conclusion that the injection form of energy plays a prominent part in the conduction process.