Specification of conditions for stable arc discharge formation in an electro-plasma device during secondary breakdown in a discharge gap

This paper discusses the features of the occurrence of secondary breakdown in the products of electrical explosion of copper wires of different lengths in an electroplasma device. The experiments are performed using a high-voltage electrical installation at the Research Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics of Tomsk State University. The design and overall scheme of the high-voltage installation are described in this paper. The methodology for producing a set of experimental samples with copper wires of different lengths and the results of experiments involving the produced samples are presented. The analysis of the obtained electrophysical parameters of the operating electroplasma device with and without secondary breakdown is performed on the basis of the products of the wire explosion. The analysis of the experimental results allowed one to determine the minimum values of charging voltage of the capacitive energy storage device which are required for the occurrence of secondary breakdown with arc formation in discharge gaps of different lengths. The determined characteristics is experimentally studied depending on the parameters of the high-voltage installation. The obtained dependences can be used when developing new electro-plasma devices employed under cramped conditions in the charging chambers of ballistic installations using electrothermal-chemical throwing technology.

Keywords

Authors

References