Time enlargement law for gas pulse breakdown

This paper investigates the possibility of applying the time enlargement law for predicting how gas-insulated systems would behave when exposed to pulse voltage loads of different shapes. For this purpose, the validity of the time enlargement law in this case has first been tested and the most suitable theoretical distribution function of the breakdown time random variable established. Pulse characteristics of the investigated insulating system have subsequently been determined, by applying the time enlargement law to experimental values of the breakdown time random variable, obtained in measurements with predefined shapes of the voltage load. Pulse characteristics thus obtained were compared with the corresponding pulse characteristics derived from the area law. The results demonstrate the advantages of the time enlargement law method, especially in the case of a non-homogeneous electric field. The experiments were conducted with SF(6) gas, at different values of the pd product (pressure x inter-electrode gap), in a wide frequency range of applied pulse voltages, for a homogeneous, radial and point-plane electrode configuration.