Vacuum insulation
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Vacuum Dielectric medium
• An ideal insulation medium
• No electron amplification takes place since no gas molecules
present
• Perfect vacuum should provide perfect insulation
• Very low pressure in vacuum system
1. High vacuum :1x10-3 to 1x10-6 Torr One mm of Hg pressure is also
known as one torr
2. Very high vacuum : 1x10-6 to 1x10-8 Torr
3. Ultra high vacuum: 1x10-9 torr and below
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Electric Discharge in Vacuum
Since in case of vacuum, the emission occurs only at the
cathode spots and not from the entire surface of the cathode,
the vacuum discharge is also known as cold cathode discharge.
The emission of electrons could be due to
(i) Field emission;
(ii) Thermionic emission;
(iii) Field and Thermionic emission;
(iv) Secondary emission by positive ion bombardment;
(v) Secondary emission by photons;
(vi) Pinch effect.
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Breakdown process in vacuum
1. Particle exchange mechanism
2. Field emission mechanism
3. Clump theory
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Particle exchange mechanism
• Electron emitted from cathode and
accelerate to anode under the action
of the high electric field.
• Collision with anode release positive
ion and photon.
• These particles are accelerated by the
applied voltage back to the first
electrode.
• They release more of the original
type of particles.
• This process becomes cumulative. 5
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Particle exchange mechanism
Break down criterion
The Vacuum Breakdown will occur if the coefficients of production of secondary
electrons exceeds unity. Mathematically, the condition for breakdown can be
written as
(AB+CD)>1
Where A-no of positive ions,
C-no of photons,
B-No of electrons liberated by positive ions,
D-No of electrons liberated by photons.
Trump and Van de graff modified the above condition
(AB+EF)>1
E-No of negative ion by positive ion
F-No of positive ion by negative ion
It was experimentally found that the values of the product EF were close enough to
unity for copper, aluminium and stainless steel electrodes to make this mechanism
applicable at voltage above 250 kV. S.Krishanveni ASP/EEE 6
Field Emission Mechanism
When the gap voltage increases and nearer to the
breakdown voltage, sharp points on the cathode surface are
responsible for the existence of the pre-breakdown current.
1. Anode heating mechanism
2. Cathode heating mechanism
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Anode heating Mechanism
Electrons Increase the
These primary
produced at It causes a
electrons electron
small micro- local rise in These
ionize the emission due to
projections temperature positive
atoms of space charge
on the and release ions formation and
the gas
cathode due gases and arrive at produce
and
to field vapours into the secondary
produce
emission and the vacuum cathode. electrons by
positive
bombard at gap. bombarding
ions. the surface.
anode
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Cathode heating Mechanism
Experimental evidence
shows that breakdown
takes place by this
process when the
effective cathode
electric field is of the
order of 106 to 107
V/cm.
sharp points Thus, the
on the when a critical initiation of
cathode current density is Vacuum
This current
surface are reached, the tip Breakdown
causes
responsible melts and depends on
resistive
for the explodes, thus the conditions
heating at the
existence of initiating vacuum and the
tip of a point.
the pre- discharge. properties of
breakdown the cathode
current. surface.
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Clump Mechanism proposed by Cranberg
A loosely bound particles exists
on one of the electrode
surfaces.
On the application of a high
voltage, this particle gets
charged subsequently gets
reached from the mother
electrode and is accelerated
across the gap.
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Clump Mechanism
The Vacuum Breakdown occurs due to
a discharge in the vapour or gas
released by the impact of the particle
at the target electrode.
Breakdown will occur when the energy
per unit area, W, delivered to the
target electrode by a clump exceeds a
value C′, a constant.
It can be W = V x E = C’.
Let E = V/d
V x V/d = C’
S.Krishanveni ASP/EEE V 2 = C’d 11
Applications of Vacuum Insulators
1. Interrupters and contactors
2. High frequency capacitors
3. Relays and circuit breakers
4. Electrostatic generators
5. Microwave tubes
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Summary
• Classifications of vacuum
• Theories
• Applications are discussed
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