Breakdown with Streamer Discharge

(Streamer or Kanal Mechanism)

S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 1
Streamer or Kanal Mechanism




In 1940,Raether and Meek and Loeb proposed the
streamer theory against Townsend mechanism.

S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 2
Why Townsend mechanism failed

Townsend mechanism

1. Current growth occurs as a
result of ionization process
only.
2. It predicts time lags of the
order of 10
-5
s

3. It predicts a very diffused
form of discharges.

But , practically

1. Depends on gas pressure
and gap geometry.

2. It was observed that time
lags of the order of 10
-8
s.

3. Discharges were found to be
filamentary and irregular.

S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 3
The streamer breakdown mechanism describes the
development of spark breakdown directly from a single
avalanche.

The space charge developed by the avalanche itself due to
rapid growth of charge carriers, transforms it into a
conducting channel.

As described by Raether, it is the 'eigen space charge' which
produces the instability of the avalanche.
Streamer or Kanal Mechanism
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 4
By approximate calculations, the transformation from
avalanche to streamer began to develop from the head of an
electron avalanche, when the number of charge carriers
increased to a critical value,



For an avalanche initiated by a single electron (n
0
= 1) in a
uniform field, corresponds to a value,



Streamer or Kanal Mechanism
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 5
x
c
is the length of avalanche in
the field direction when it
amplifies to its critical size.
or words, x
c
is the critical
length of the electrode gap d
c
.
This means that the streamer
mechanism is possible only
when d x
c
.
If x
c
is longer than the gap
length d (x
c
> d) then the
initiation of streamer is unlikely
as shown in Fig.

Streamer or Kanal Mechanism
Effect of space charge field E
a
of an
avalanche of critical amplification on
the applied uniform field.
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 6
On the basis of experimental results and some simple
assumptions, Raether developed the following empirical
formula for the 'streamer breakdown criterion'.




The interaction between the space charges and the polarities
of the electrodes results in distortion of the uniform field.

Streamer or Kanal Mechanism
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 7
Condition for streamer in air by Raether
x
c
= d
c
gives the smallest value of to produce streamer
breakdown, where d
c
is given in cm.


For x
c
= ln 10
8
, x
c
works out to be equal to 2cm which can be
considered to be critical gap distance, d
c
, for streamer
phenomenon to take place in atmospheric air in uniform field.
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 8
Field intensities towards the head and the tail of avalanche
acquire a magnitude (E
a
+ E
o
), while above the positive ion
region, just behind the head, the field is reduced to a value
(E
0
- E
a
)

The condition for transition from avalanche to streamer
breakdown assumes that E
a
E
0
.
Hence the above breakdown criterion becomes,
x
c
= 17.7 + ln x
c

The minimum value of x
c
required for breakdown in a uniform
field
d
c
= 17.7 + ln x
c
20

Condition for streamer in air by Raether
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 9
Streamer or Kanal Mechanism
1. The electrons are swept into the
anode, and the positive ions in
the tail of the avalanche stretch
out across the gap

2. A highly localized space charge
field due to positive ions is
produced near the anode but
since the ion density elsewhere
is low, it does not constitute a
breakdown in the gap.
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 10
Streamer or Kanal Mechanism
3. In the gas surrounding the avalanche, secondary electrons
are produced by photons and photo-electric effect from the
cathode.

4. The secondary electrons initiate the secondary avalanches,
which are directed towards the stem of the main avalanche

5. The positive ions left behind by the secondary avalanches
effectively lengthen and intensify the space charge of the
main avalanche in the direction of the cathode and the
process develops a self propagating streamer breakdown






S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 11
Figure shows the photograph of an
avalanche where secondary
avalanches are feeding into the
primary avalanche, taken in a gap of
3.6 cm in air at 270 Torr and a field
intensity of about 12,200 V/cm by
Raether .

Streamer or Kanal Mechanism
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 12
Streamer or Kanal Mechanism by Meek
He proposed a simple quantitative criterion to estimate
the electric field that transforms an avalanche into
streamer.

The field E
0
produced by the space charge, at the radius
r is given by


( )
cm V
p x
e
E
x
/ 10 27 . 5
2
1
7
0
o
o

=
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 13
Streamer or Kanal Mechanism by Meek
To determine minimum break-down voltage, let E
0
=E and x=d in the above equation
( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + =
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + =
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + =
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + =

=
p
d
d
p
p E
p
d
d p p E
p
d
d E
p
d
d
e E
Take
cm V
p d
d
e
E
ln
2
1
ln 5 . 14 ln ln
ln
2
1
ln ln 5 . 14 ln ln
ln
2
1
ln 5 . 14 ln
ln
2
1
ln ln 5 . 14 ln
ln
/
2
1
7
10 27 . 5
o
o
o o
o o
o
o
o
o
Experimental values of o/p and E/p are used to solve the equation
using trial and error method
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 14
Paschen's Law



The scientist, Paschen, established it experimentally
in 1889 from the measurement of breakdown voltage in air,
carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 15
1. At higher pressure

2. Gaps of more than several mm


Breakdown characteristics is non linear.

It is a function of the product of the gas pressure and gap length.
Conditions to apply Paschen's Law
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 16
In uniform fields, the Townsend's criterion for breakdown in
electropositive gases is given by the following equation,
(e
d
-1 ) = 1
or
d = ln (1/ + 1)
where the coefficients and are functions of E/p and are
given as follows:
i.e




Paschen's Law
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
p
E
f
p
E
f p
p
E
f
p
2
1
1

o
o
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 17
Paschen's Law
In a uniform field electrode system of gap distance d,
Sub o and in Townsends eqn,



) (
1 1
1 1
1
1
2
2
pd f V So
e
pd
V
f
d
V
E Let
e
p
E
f
pd
V
pdf
p
E
pdf
=
=
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
=
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 18
Breakdown voltage vs pd characteristics in uniform field
Paschen's curve
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 19
To explain the shape of the curve,
It is convenient to consider a gap with fixed spacing
(d = constant), and
Let the pressure decrease from a point P
high
on the curve at the
right of the minimum.

As the pressure is decreased, the density of the gas decreases,
consequently the probability of an electron making collisions with
the molecules goes down as it travels towards the anode.

Since each collision results in loss of energy, a lower electric field
intensity, hence a lower voltage suffices to provide electrons the
kinetic energy required for ionization by collision to achieve
breakdown.
Paschen's curve
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 20
When the minimum of the breakdown voltage is reached and
the pressure still continues to be decreased, the density of
the gas becomes so low that relatively fewer collisions occur.

Under such conditions, an electron may not necessarily ionize
a molecule on colliding with it, even if the kinetic energy of
the electron is more than the energy required for ionization.

In other words, an electron has a finite chance of ionizing
which depends upon its energy.


Paschen's curve
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 21
The breakdown can occur only if the probability of ionization
becomes greater by increasing the field intensity.
This explains the increase in breakdown voltage to the left of
the minimum.
At low pressures, P
low
, partial vacuum conditions exist, hence
this phenomenon is applicable in high voltage vacuum tubes
and switchgears.
Under these conditions, the effect of electrode material
surface roughness plays an important role on the breakdown
voltage especially at small gap distances and the Paschen's
law is no more valid to the left of the minimum of this curve.
Paschen's curve
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 22
To account the effect of temperature,
Voltage=f(Nd) where N-density of gas molecules
From gas law PV=NRT
N=PV/RT where V volume of the gas
R - constant
T Temperature

Paschen's law
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 23
Paschen's law
pressure atm and temp room at air for cm KV E
gap long for cm KV E
cm KV
d
d
V
E
d d
V
K and Torr At
T
pd
T
pd
V
/ 30
/ 24
/
08 . 6
22 . 24
293 760
760 293
08 . 6
293 760
760 293
22 . 24
293 760
760
293
08 . 6
760
293
22 . 24
2
1
2
1
=
=
+ = =
(

+
(

=
(

+
(

=
Breakdown potential
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 24
Breakdown voltage characteristics of
atmospheric air in uniform fields
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 25
S.Krishnaveni AP/EEE 26