Conduction & Breakdown in Gases

Gases as insulating medium Simplest & most commonly found dielectrics gases Most apparatus use air but some of them use SF6 When the applied voltage is low , small currents flow between the electrodes and insulation retains its electrical properties (i.e. works as insulators) If the applied voltages are large, the current flowing through the insulation increases very sharply and electrical breakdown occurs. A strongly conducting spark formed during breakdown produces a short circuit between the electrodes. The maximum voltage applied to the insulation at the moment of breakdown is called breakdown voltage.
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Conduction & Breakdown in Gases

To understand the breakdown phenomenon in gases , a study of the electrical properties of gases and process by which high currents are produced in gases is essential. The electrical discharges in gases of two types. 1) non sustaining discharge 2) self sustaining discharge The break down in gases is known as spark breakdown which is the transition of non sustaining discharge into self sustaining discharge The build up of high currents in a breakdown is due to the process known as ionization . In ionization , electrons and ions are created from neutral atoms or molecules and their migration to anode & cathode leads high currents.
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Conduction & Breakdown in Gases

Two types of theories explain the mechanism for breakdown under different conditions. (I) Townsend Theory (II) Streamer Theory Factors affecting ionization process i) pressure ii) temperature iii) Nature of electrodes surfaces iv) Availability of initial conducting particles
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Collision Process
Types of Collision An electrical discharge is normally created from unionized gas by collision process. Two types of Collisions (I) Elastic Collisions (II) Inelastic Collisions Elastic Collisions - Collisions which when occur , no change takes in
the internal energy of the particle but only their kinetic energy gets redistributed. Does not takes place in practice. When electrons collide with gas molecules, a single electron traces a zigzag path during its travel. In between the collisions , its is accelerated by electric field. Since electrons are very light in weight, they transfer only a part of their kinetic energy to the much heavier ions or gas molecules with which they collide. This results in very little loss of energy by the electrons and electrons gain very high energies and travel at a much higher speed than the ions. 4

Collision Process
Inelastic Collisions Inelastic collisions are those in which internal changes in energy take place within an atom or a molecule at the expense of the total kinetic energy of the colliding particle. The collisions often results in a change in the structure of the atom. All collisions that occur in practice are inelastic collisions. Example-ionization, attachment , excitation, recombination are in elastic collisions.
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Ionization Process
Ionization Process

Ionization by collision

Photo ionization

Secondary ionization Process

Ionization Process
Ionization by collision The process of liberating an electron from a gas molecule with the simultaneous production of a positive ion is called ionization. A free electron collides with a neutral gas molecules and gives to a new electron and positive ion.
Cathode UV Light Anode
Current Limiting Resistor

Considering Electric field E applied across two parallel electrodes as shown in figure, then any electron starting at the cathode will be accelerated more and more 7 between collisions with other gas molecules during its travel towards the anode.

Ionization Process
Ionization by collision (contd) If the energy ()gained during this travel between collisions exceeds the ionization potential ,Vi which is the energy required to dislodge an electron from its atomic shell , then ionization takes place. - +A >Vi e- + A+ +eA is the atom, A+ is the positive ion, e- is the electron

A few electrons are generated at the cathode by some external means (UV light), ionize neutral gas particle producing positive ions and additional electrons.
The additional electrons , then themselves make ionizing collisions and thus the process repeats itself. The positive ions also reach the cathode and on bombardment on the cathode gives rise to secondary electrons.

Ionization Process
Photo ionization Photo-ionization occurs when the amount of radiation energy absorbed by an atom or molecule exceeds the ionization potential. Process by which radiation can be absorbed by atom or molecule are a) excitation of the atom to a higher energy sate. b) continuous absorption by direct excitation of the atom or dissociation of diatomic molecule or direct ionization etc. An excited atom emits radiation when the electron returns to the lower state or to the ground state .
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Ionization Process
Photo ionization (contd) hf+A A* Ionization occurs when c.h/vi
h is the planks constant c.is the velocity of light is the wavelength of incident radiation Vi is the ionization energy of the atom Higher the ionization energy, the shorter will be the wave length of radiation capable of causing ionization It was observed experimentally that a radiation having wavelength of 1250A0 is capable of causing photo-ionization of almost all gases.
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h.f Vi, (condition for photo ionization)

h.c/ vi,
h. c/vi

Ionization Process
Secondary Ionization Process Secondary Ionization is process by which secondary electrons are produced which sustain a discharge after it is established due to ionization by collision and photo ionization A) Electrons emission due to positive impact B) Electron emission due to Photons C) electrons emission due to Metastable and Neutral Atoms Electrons Emission due to Positive Impact Positive ions are formed due to ionization by collision or by photoionization and being positively charged , they travel towards the cathode A positive ions approaching a metallic cathode can cause emission of electrons from the cathode by giving up its kinetic energy on impact. If the total energy of the positive ion is greater than twice the work function of the metal, then one electron will be ejected and a second electron will neutralize the ion.
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Ionization Process
Secondary Ionization Process (contd) Electron emission due to Photons To cause an electron to escape from a metal, it should be given energy to overcome the surface barrier. The energy can be supplied in the form of photon of ultraviolet light of suitable frequency Electron emission from a metal surface occurs at the critical condition hv where is the work function of the metal electrode If the incident radiation has a greater frequency than the threshold frequency, then excess energy goes partly as the kinetic energy of the emitted electron and partly to heat the surface of the electrode

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Ionization Process
Secondary Ionization Process (contd) Electron Emission due to Metastable and Neutral atoms A meta-stable atom or molecule is a particle whose lifetime is very large(10-3) compared to the lifetime of an ordinary particle. Electrons can be ejected from the metal surface by the impact of excited (meta-stable) atoms provided that their total energy is sufficient to overcome the function This process is most easily observed with meta-stable atoms , because the life time of other excited states is too short for them to reach the cathode and cause electron emission, unless they originate very near to cathode surface. Neutral atoms in the ground state also give rise to secondary electron emission if their kinetic energy is high.
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Electron attachment Process

The types of collisions in which electrons may attached to atoms or molecule to form negative ions are called attachment collisions. Electron attachment process depends on the energy of the electron and the nature of the gas and is very important . Insulating gases (SF6) molecules have vacancies in their outermost shells and ,have an affinity for electrons. The attachment process plays a very important role in the removal of free electron from an ionized gas when arc interruption occurs in gasinsulated switchgear
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Town Sends Current Growth Equation

UV Light Anode Cathode d x Current Limiting Resistor

When an electron collides with a neutral particle, positive ion and an electron are formed. This is called an ionizing collision. Let = Average number of Collision made by an electron per centimeter travel in the direction of field = Collision /electron/length This depends on gas pressure p and is te function of electric field and pressure. It is written as /p= f(E/p)
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Town Sends Current Growth Equation (contd)

At any distance x from cathode , let the number of electrons be nx. When these nx electrons travel a further distance of dx , they give rise to (nx.dx) electrons. d(nx) = nx.dx = electrons generated when dx distance is covered. At x=0 , nx= no where nx is the no of electrons leaving cathode at initial stage. dnx/dx = .nx On solving this we get , nx = noex The number of electrons reaching the anode (x=d) will be nd= no ed . In current form

I=Ioed

Where Io is the initial current at the cathode

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Town Sends Current Growth Equation (contd)

Current growth in the presence of Secondary Process The amplification of electrons (ed) is occurring in the field , the probability of additional new electrons being liberated in the gap by other mechanism increases and these new electrons create further avalanches The other mechanism are (i) The positive ions liberated may have sufficient energy to cause liberation of electrons from the cathode when they impinge on it. (ii) The excited atoms or molecules in avalanche may emit photons and this will lead to the emission of electrons due to photoemission (iii) the meta-stable particles may diffuse back causing electrons emission The secondary ionization coefficient is defined in te same way as . = net number of secondary electrons produced per incident positive ion, photo, excited particle or meta-stable 17

Town Sends Current Growth Equation (contd)

Current growth in the presence of Secondary Process (contd) The value of is the sum of the individual coefficients due to the three different process is called the Townsends Secondary Ionization Coefficient and is a function of gas pressure and E/p So = f (E/p) Let no = number of secondary electrons produced due to secondary process() no = total no. of electrons leaving the cathode. Then no =no + no The total number of electrons n reaching the anode becomes n= no ed n= (no+ no) ed (1) no = (n- no ) = (n- (no + no) )(2) where n= no of electrons 18 reaching anode

Town Sends Current Growth Equation (contd)

Current growth in the presence of Secondary Process (contd) On solving (1) & (2), we get

n= n0 ed / 1-(ed -1)

I= I0 ed / 1-(ed -1)

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Town Sends Criterion for breakdown

The Equation I= I0 ed / 1-(ed -1) gives the total average current in a gap before the occurrence of breakdown As the distance between the electrodes d is increased , the denominator of the equation tends to zero and at some critical distance d=ds 1-(ed -1) = 0 If d=ds , 1-(ed -1) 0 & I infinity This condition is called TownSend's breakdown Criterion and is written as (ed -1) =1
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