Modeling the dependence of the negative corona current density on applied voltage rise time

Abstract

In this paper, a numerical simulation is used to investigate the influence of applied voltage rise time on negative corona current characteristics in SF6 at atmospheric pressure. There were 23 particle species and 67 kinds of reactions considered in plasma chemical reactions. The influence of different rise times of the applied voltage is investigated. The spatial distributions of the radial electric field and total density of electrons and positive and negative ions, at and after the inception time of the corona current pulse, are used to explain the role of the rise time of the applied voltage on the mechanism of corona current pulse formation. It is found that the corona inception time, inception voltage, peak value of current pulse, number of sub-current pulses, and the time between the sub-pulses are strongly affected by the movement of negative ion clouds produced by the attachment. The quantitative analysis of the negative ions shows that the light ions preceded the heavy ions in their motion far away from the cathode and that this motion is governed by the rise time of the applied voltage.