Electric field analysis in insulating films for complex electrode systems

The present work contributes for an extensive research of physical electrode systems namely axi-symmetric and non-uniform field systems. In an attempt to optimize the dimensions of the electrode system for subsequent use in electrical measurements, such as electroluminescence, capacitance and conduction current, field values at key points (sharp edges and triple junctions) in an axi-symmetric electrode system are simulated as a function of clearances between low voltage and guard electrodes. The configurations simulated, results, analyses and configurations for an optimal design are presented. The hemispherically capped rod-plane gap has been thoroughly used for studies on breakdown characteristics of gaseous dielectrics. In this study, influence of a dielectric barrier on the electric field and potential distributions in a vertically arranged rod-plane gap was numerically analyzed by using 3D BEM field software. Maximum field intensities and their occurrence in the electrode system were examined for different gap distances, applied potentials, and positions of the barrier between electrodes for estimating the discharge phenomena. The results of the field computation show how the maximum electric field varies in small air gaps with thin insulating barriers. There is a good agreement between the values computed with BEM and other methods reported in literature.