Proceedings of the 4th lntanational Conference on Paper 4221

Properties and Applications of Dielectric Materials

July 3 4 , 1 9 9 4 , Brisbane Australia

BREAKDOWN AND PRE-BREAKDOWN CHARACTERISTICS OF MIXED LIQUID DIE-

LECTRICS AND THE EFFECT OF MAGNETIC FIELD ON THEM
Professor J.C.Pau1
Tripura Engineering College
Tripura 799055, India .

ABSTRACT disciplinary basic research , the understanding of the

breakdown in liquid dielectric is stdl incomplete and
Breakdown and pre-breakdown studies of liquid diele- unsatisfactory. Thus the mechanism of conduction and
ctrics have been the topics of cinsiderable studies and breakdown in liquid dielectric is a complex phenome-
research for the long time . From Whitehead onward non and there is no generally accepted theory which
a considerable studies have been made and several may be applied to analyse the breadown behaviour of
theories have been put forwarded by researchers, but liquid dielectric under electric field.Although individual
there is no generalized theory developed so f a r . In this liquid dielectric has been investigated and several
paper breakdown and pre-breakdown behaviour of theories have been reported by different researchers
mixed liquid dielectrics such as Transformer oil(mine- but the behaviour- of mixed liquid dielectrics has not
ral oil)& castor oil, Linseed oil & Castor oil and been reported much.Measurements of conductivities
Mineral oil & Linseed oil have been investigated, which of mixed liquid dielectrics have been carried out by
have not been reported so far in the available literatu- some researchers but the breakdown characteristics of
res .Further , the effect of megnetic field on the mixed liquid dielectrics has not been presented much.
breakdown characteristics of all the mixed liquid diele- It may be pointed out further that almost all the works
ctrics as stated have been studied. It has been observed which have been reported are carried out under the
that the effect of cross magnetic field increases the influence of electric field only.
breakdown strength to some extent in all the mixed Dielectric materials,as used in the field of electrical
liquid dielectrics used for the experiment. It has been /electronics engineering, are not only subjected to an
further observed that an axial magnetic field has no electric field alone, quite often they are under the
effect on the change in the breakdown strength. It may influence of both clectric and magnetic fields. Conside-
stated that during the time of breakdown of liquid ring this in view the author has published quite a
dielectric, gaseous phase is present. At the time of number of papers (6-20)which dealt with the various
breakdown under the influence of cross magnetic aspects of dielectric materials in presence of both
field,electrons,instead of moving in straight line be- electric and magnetic fields. These studies include
tween collisions,are deflected as a result of which there breakdown field calculation, conduction, ageingtra-
is an increase in collision frequency resulting in decrea- sport properties,energy change in activated stage,inte-
se of clectron mean free path which in turn increases mal field,polarization , etc, under the influence of both
the breakdown strength in all the mixed liquid diele- electric and magnetic field. In this paper breakdown
ctrics used for the experiment. and pre-breakdown behaviour of mixed liquid diele-
ctrics such as Mineral oil(M.O.),Castor oil (C.O.) and
INTRODUCTION Linseed oil (L.O.) have been presented which have not
been reponed so far in the available literature.Further,
Conduction and breakdown mechanism of liquid diele- the effect of magnetic field on the breakdown chara-
ctrics have been the subject of considerable interest cteristics of these mixed liquid dielectrics have been
for more than seven decades.Severa1 theories have reported and discussed.
been put forwarded by the scientists to analyse the
pre-breakdown and breakdown behaviour of liquid EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP
dielectrics. Recently comprehensive reviews ( 1-2)
have reported in the fields of electrical conduction The experimantal set up consists of a testing chamber
process and breakdown in liquied dielectrics.Very and its assembly, a variable high voltage a.c. 50 Hz
recently pre-breakdown,breakdown phenomena ,pa- supply , arrangement of perpendicular electric and
rtial discharges, internal field, polarization,etc. have magnetic field as shown in Fig. 1.The testing chamber
been presented (3-5).From all these studies reportedf consists of a glass chamber and parallal plate electro-
so far it is evident that in spite of intense, inter des of Rogowski’s profile, made of copper ,having

07803-13070/94/u.000~9% IEEE

75
 diameter of one centimetre ,was used for the experi- liquid dielectrics used for the experiment . It may be
ment. The gap distance between the eletrodes could stated that bubbles formation and gaseous phase are
be easily vaned and measured with a scale fitted with present in the case of liquid breakdown.Aa such free
the chamber.The desired value of flux density across electrons which are present in the liquid dielectrics
the gap can be obtained by passing a suitable current acquire sufficient energy from the local field to disso-
through the coil of the electromagnet. However, the ciate liquid molecules by the rupture of C-H bond, thus
value of flux density was kept at about 0.91 tesla for liberating hydrogen and the conductions for the forma-
the present experiment. It has already been stated that tion of bubbles and their subsequent growth leading to
liquid dielectrics used for the experiment were C.0- the ionization process are highly favourable.It is alrea-
.,M.O. and L.O.The mixtures of any two liquids were dy known ( I I, 12,14) that under the influence of cross
mixed at different proportions by volume and the magnetic field the charge carriers, instead of moving
mixing was done by stirring two liquids with a glass in straight line between collisions, are deflected ,as a
rod.After pouring the mixed liquid into the testing result of which there is an increase of collision freque-
chamber it was left for ten minutes to allow the air ncy and reduction in mean free path of the charged
bubbles to escape. The breakdown value reported was panicles.As a result of the above the net effect of the
taken as the average value of ten breakdown measure- cross magnetic field is the increase of the breakdown
ment. voltage .

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS REFERENCES.

Fig.2a,3a,4a, represent the breakdown strength chara- 1 . A.H.Sharbaugh, J.C. Devins and S.J.Rzad, Progress
cteristic of the liquid mixture in terms of volume in the Field of Electric Breakdown in Dielectric Liqui-
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2 is increased the breakdown strength reaches a mini- 2 4 9 - 2 7 6 , A ~ g ~1978.
~t
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volume fraction increases the number of molecules of 5 . D.A. Hoch and J.P.Reynders, Partial Discharge
liquid 2 increases and that of liquid 1 decreases. The Breakdown of Mineral oil/ Perchlorethylene Mixtu-
density of the mixture also changes with the chage of res,8thISH. Yokohama ,Japan ,23 -27 August ,1993.
volume fraction. All these factors are responsible for 6. J.C. Paul. Effective Field Calculation of Dielectric
the peculiar behaviour of the breakdown strength Under the Influence of Electric and Magnetic Field,
which has been presented in Fig.2a,3a,4a,.Since two International Symposium on High Voltage En=, zu-
different types of molecules having different diameters rich, 9-13 Sept,1975.
and dielectric constants were used hence field will be 7. J.C. Paul ,Conduction and Breakdown Mechanism
different and as such there is every possibility of field of some Liquid Dieletrics Considering their Chemical
distortion in the liquid mixture which may be one of Structure ,CEIDP,Gaitherburg,USA, 3-6 Nov. 1975.
the reason of such breakdown behaviour . 8. J.C.Pau1 .Average Energy Change and Conduction
It may be revealed that pressure effect arises through, in Liquid Dielectric in Presence of Electric and Magne-
the elevation of the boiling point or the case with which tic Fields,CEIDP,Pennsylvania, 18-21 Oct.1976.
a region of zero pressure or any other pressure may 9. J.C. Paul, Effect of Magnetic Field on the Brea-
be formed in the liquid. kdown Voltage of Liquid Dielectric ,Ind.J.Te-
Fig.2b.3b and 4b represent breakdown strength chara- ch.Vol.16,pp 99- 101,1978.
cteristics of liquid mixtures in terms of volume fra- 10. J.C.Paul,Conduction Current in Air Under the
ctions under the influence of cross magnetic field at Influence of Cross Magnetic Field,J. Pure and Appl.
a flux density of 0.91 tes1a.h is evident from these Phys.Vol.8,pp 797-800 ,1978.
curves that the effect of cross magnetic field increases 11. J.C.Pau1, Modified paschen's Law Under the
the breakdown strength to some extent in all the mixed Influence of Electric and Magnetic Fields in Air ,Nitro-

76
gen and Hydrogen , Ind.J.Phys.53B,pp 85-95,1979.
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Path and Viscosity and its Influence at Low Pressure
Gaseous Discharge , 1nd.J.Phys. 53B, pp
96-100,1979.
13. J.C.Paul,Photographic Observation of Gaseous
Discharge Under the Application of Electric and Ma-
gnetic FieldsJnd. J.Phys. 53B ,pp 4 9 l-96,198 l .
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Materials in Crossed Electric and Magnetic Field with
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84-86.1983.
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Vacuum Under the Influence of Electric and Magnetic
Fields ,J.I.E(I),Vol.6S,pt EL .pp 6-8.1984.
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Oxford , UK. 1 - 3 Sept.1988.
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Vacuum and Liquid Breakdown Under the Influence
of Electric and Magnetic Field ,6th International
Symposium on Gaseous Dielectrics , Tennessee, USA
, 2 3 - 2 1 Sept. 1990.

77
FIG I -
:a
S:- 2 3 0 V , 1 PHASE , 50HZ SUPPLY VOLUME FRACTION
T - HIGH VOLTAGE FIG -3
Tc - TESTING CHAMBER
EM - ELECTROMAGNET
MD - .MEASRING DEVICES

I10
' :,
Y II T.O,.l
I

C.0(2) ,'
z,

U! I L
00 I I
0.20 0.40 0'60 080 1'
+
070 I I I I I I
VOLUME FRACTION
9
U
0'20 0'40 0'60 0.80 1
FIG- 4
VOLUME FRACTION

FIG -2

78