Electrical insulation RF breakdown in space environment

High voltage devices and systems operating in space environment are usually subject to partial discharges or corona discharges because the space environment is considered as a partial vacuum environment. These corona and PD activities may become major design problems for space power systems. The corona or partial discharge initiation is a function of several design and environmental parameters. The most important factors can be listed as the operation pressure, the electrode geometry, and the frequency and voltage level of the applied power within a power system. In this work we have reviewed the literature data that can be readily implemented in the design of these power systems, and we have studied the breakdown at kHz frequencies. Initial studies conducted in the laboratory suggest that the corona breakdown voltage levels at high frequency are indeed much lower than the DC breakdown voltages for varying pressures. The data obtained in the laboratory is also presented. In this work frequency effects on the breakdown voltage of helium at frequencies between 10 kHz and 45 kHz are investigated.