Chapter 6 Breakdown in solid and liquid dielectrics

6.1 Breakdown in solids

Solid insulation forms an integral part of high voltage structures. The solid materials provide the mechanical support for conducting parts and at the same time insulate the conductors from one another. Frequently practical insulation structures consist of combinations of solids with liquid and/or gaseous media. Therefore, the knowledge of failure mechanisms of solid dielectrics under electric stress is of great importance.

In gases the transport of electricity is limited to positive and negative charge carriers, and the destruction of insulating properties involves a rapid growth of current through the formation of electron avalanches. The mechanism of electrical failure ...

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