Review of Streamer Dynamics and Surface Charge Accumulation on Ice Surfaces

Abstract

This paper reviews the main contributions of the CIGELE research team to the dynamics of streamer discharges along ice surfaces. These investigations were mainly performed under lightning impulse voltage, in atmospheric air. High-speed streak photography techniques were used to observe the streamers propagating between a rod-plane configuration half-submerged in ice bulk. The dynamics of streamer were investigated as influenced by the voltage characteristics, gap configuration, freezing water conductivity, and surrounding temperature. In addition to ice surface, corona discharge was also studied at insulator surface and at the air gaps between the electrodes in order to assess the role played by ice surface on discharge inception and propagation processes. The paper is not restricted to previously published work but contains a substantial amount of new material with a view to closing some major gaps in the present state of ice surface flashover knowledge.