Circuit modelling of a vacuum gap during breakdown

Author

Djogo, G. ; Cross, J.D.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Waterloo Univ., Ont., Canada

Volume

1

fYear

1996

fDate

21-26 Jul 1996

Firstpage

65

Abstract

In this paper several aspects of circuit modelling of a vacuum gap during breakdown are improved or introduced for the first time. More accurate perveance formulae are derived by the method of tracing electron trajectories in the self-consistent electric field calculated by finite element method. The formula for maximum anode current density is also derived by the same method. A practical model of anode heating is proposed by which transient anode temperature is calculated coupled with gap voltage and current, providing more accurate modelling of anode plasma initiation. The circuit model of a vacuum gap during breakdown incorporating all these features is implemented as a subcircuit element in the PSPICE

Keywords

SPICE; anodes; cathodes; circuit analysis computing; current density; electric fields; electron field emission; finite element analysis; plasma production; vacuum breakdown; PSPICE; anode heating; anode plasma initiation; circuit modelling; electron trajectories tracing; finite element method; gap current; gap voltage; maximum anode current density; perveance formulae; self-consistent electric field; subcircuit element; transient anode temperature; vacuum breakdown; vacuum gap; Anodes; Coupling circuits; Current density; Electrons; Finite element methods; Heating; Plasma density; Plasma temperature; Vacuum breakdown; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Discharges and Electrical Insulation in Vacuum, 1996. Proceedings. ISDEIV., XVIIth International Symposium on

Conference_Location

Berkeley, CA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-2906-6

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/DEIV.1996.545323

Filename

545323