Abstract
For the development of higher voltage vacuum circuit breakers (VCB) and vacuum interrupters (VI), surface discharge phenomenon in vacuum is one of the most significant issues. We measured the charge activity on alumina dielectrics in vacuum through ultra-high speed optical and electrical measurements. We found out that the surface flashover in vacuum starts with an explosive electron emission (EEE) with the higher current density, which is the electron emission from the cathode, and results in the surface flashover development. Transient charge on the alumina dielectrics formed by electrons emitted by EEE influences the distortion of electric field distribution around the cathode rod and then the subsequent flashover development. Especially, in the case of the shorter gap between the cathode rod and the alumina dielectrics, the electron emission could be suppressed by the relaxation effect of the electric field due to the transient charge accumulation.
