Abstract
It has been reported that the flashover voltage of gaseous dielectrics may greatly increase when they are mixed with carbon-halide mist. However, the factors which bring about the increase of the flashover voltage are not fully clarified yet. Based on our study on the basic flashover characteristics of vapor-mist dielectrics, we have suggested the scarcity of initial electrons as the predominant factor.
In the present work, we have furthermore investigated the effect of ultraviolet light irradiation, flashover characteristics under forced supply of initial electrons and for lightning impulse superimposed on DC voltage. These results have verified that the scarcity of initial electrons is the decisive factor of increasing the lightning impulse flashover voltage of vapor-mist dielectrics. We have also made clear that the scarcity is principally attributed to: (1) the reduction of effective period (lifetime) of initial electrons, (2)the suppression of photoelectric emission from electrodes.