TY - GEN
T1 - High Field RF Breakdown of Pressurized SF6
AU - Powell, M.
AU - Shaw, Z.
AU - Dickens, J. C.
AU - Mankowski, J. J.
AU - Neuber, A. A.
AU - Scribner, C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 IEEE.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/6
Y1 - 2019/6
N2 - Pure N2 and SF6, as well as their mixtures, are evaluated for high electric field breakdown tested at pressures ranging from 750 torr to 1650 torr at 2.85 GHz. Previous research concerning the breakdown characteristics of pressurized SF6 and SF6 mixtures at S-Band frequencies is limited, likely due to the high electric fields required to breakdown pressurized SF6. A stepped impedance transformer is used in conjunction with a traveling wave resonator to obtain the high electric field amplitudes necessary to break down the gases. Starting with the output from a 3.5 MW coaxial magnetron the electric field amplitude in the test piece at the center of the stepped impedance transformer yielded a maximum of about 150 kV/cm RMS field. Using Pure SF6 as a baseline, the measured breakdown field shows a mostly linear dependence upon pressure in a range from 750 torr to 1350 torr, while some leveling out tendency is observed at pressures greater than 1350 torr. Since pure N2 exhibits a much lower breakdown threshold, 60%, compared to pure SF6, mixing the two gases also results in a lower effective breakdown threshold; however, the reduction in the electric field breakdown threshold is not strictly proportional. For example, a 60/40 SF6 to N2 mixture resulted in a 90% breakdown field while a 20/80 mixture still yielded about 80% in the high-pressure regime.
AB - Pure N2 and SF6, as well as their mixtures, are evaluated for high electric field breakdown tested at pressures ranging from 750 torr to 1650 torr at 2.85 GHz. Previous research concerning the breakdown characteristics of pressurized SF6 and SF6 mixtures at S-Band frequencies is limited, likely due to the high electric fields required to breakdown pressurized SF6. A stepped impedance transformer is used in conjunction with a traveling wave resonator to obtain the high electric field amplitudes necessary to break down the gases. Starting with the output from a 3.5 MW coaxial magnetron the electric field amplitude in the test piece at the center of the stepped impedance transformer yielded a maximum of about 150 kV/cm RMS field. Using Pure SF6 as a baseline, the measured breakdown field shows a mostly linear dependence upon pressure in a range from 750 torr to 1350 torr, while some leveling out tendency is observed at pressures greater than 1350 torr. Since pure N2 exhibits a much lower breakdown threshold, 60%, compared to pure SF6, mixing the two gases also results in a lower effective breakdown threshold; however, the reduction in the electric field breakdown threshold is not strictly proportional. For example, a 60/40 SF6 to N2 mixture resulted in a 90% breakdown field while a 20/80 mixture still yielded about 80% in the high-pressure regime.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081593982&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/PPPS34859.2019.9009615
DO - 10.1109/PPPS34859.2019.9009615
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85081593982
T3 - IEEE International Pulsed Power Conference
BT - 2019 IEEE Pulsed Power and Plasma Science, PPPS 2019
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Y2 - 23 June 2019 through 29 June 2019
ER -