Kinetic interpretation of the structural-time criterion for fracture

The incubation-period-based criterion for fracture is considered in terms of the Zhurkov kinetic model of fracture. Within the kinetic model, fracture is treated as a continuously developing process, which starts immediately after the application of a tensile load to a sample and consists in breaking of the interatomic bonds and gradual accumulation of broken bonds in the material in the course of a fracture test. For certain materials, the inclusion of the thermal-fluctuation mechanism for fracture in the incubation-period-based criterion significantly affects the position of the static branch of the time dependence of strength. Time dependences of strength are calculated for a number of materials. The experimental data are analyzed using the structural-time criterion for fracture, which allows one to obtain a unified time dependence of strength for quasi-static and high-rate short-term loadings. The temperature dependence of the incubation period (latent time) is calculated analytically, and a relation is found between the latent fracture time and the thermal vibration frequency of atoms.     

Statistical study of nanosecond electric breakdowns in n-hexane

Methods for analyzing statistical distributions of the breakdown delay time are generalized. A statistical approach is used to study electric breakdown in n-hexane in a 2.1-MV/cm quasi-uniform electric field at a pulse duration of ∼5×10⁻⁸ s. Two different mechanisms for the anode breakdown are shown to coexist and compete with each other. One of them incorporates the “bubble” stage, whereas the other one is related to ionization in the liquid itself. It is found that the weaker influence of the external pressure on the pulsed electric strength of liquids in the nanosecond range is caused by a transition to the ionization mechanism for the anode breakdown at elevated pressures.     

Nature of the rebinder effect in the fracture of inorganic dielectric and electrocohesion phenomena

The authors consider the effect of electric charges which appear on the sides of cracks developing in inorganic dielectrics under the action of a mechanical load on the change in strength of the dielectrics during their test in solutions and liquid media of various kind. Relation is stipulated.between the strengthof the dielectric and the intensity of the electrocohesion phenomena during fracture. It is concluded that the effectiveness of the use of a liquid medium to facilitate the fracture process is determined by the density of the electric charges on the sides of the growing crackand themagnitude of the relaxation time of the electric charges created by the liquid in the gap of the crack.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 2, pp. 29–35, February, 1985.     

Dynamic cracking resistance of structural materials predicted from impact fracture of an aircraft alloy

A new approach to studying the dynamic strength properties of structural materials is demonstrated with fracture of 2024-T3 aircraft aluminum alloy. The central idea of this approach is the incubation time to failure. In [1], experimental data for dynamic fracture of this alloy were analyzed in terms of the classical fracture criterion, which is based on the principle of maximum critical stress intensity factor [2]. In [1], the dependence of the stress intensity factor limiting value (the dynamic fracture toughness K_Id, which was assumed to be a functional characteristic of the material) on the loading rate was also measured. The same experimental data were analyzed in terms of an alternative structure-time approach [3]. In this approach, the dynamic fracture toughness K_Id is considered as an estimable characteristic of the problem, so that determination of limiting loads does not require a priori knowledge of the loading-rate dependence of the dynamic fracture toughness. The incubation time to failure of the aircraft aluminum alloy is calculated. The difference in the loading-rate dependences of the dynamic fracture toughness, which is observed for various structural materials, is explained. The dynamic fracture toughness of the alloy under pulsed threshold loads is calculated.     

压力水介质脉冲击穿实验研究

 为了提高水介质脉冲形成线的储能密度和减小大型加速器的脉冲功率系统几何尺寸，实验研究了水在静压力作用下的耐压强度。简要介绍了液体绝缘介质的击穿机理，在设计的水介质耐压实验装置上研究了去离子水介质在压力作用下的脉冲击穿特性。结果表明，当压强由0.1MPa增加到0.7MPa时，水的击穿场强由25.3MV/m增加到46.7MV/m。     

Dynamics of the Thermal Instability Evolution in Dielectric Breakdown

A mathematical model of the dynamics of temperature, electric field strength, and charge density in thermal dielectric breakdown is examined. The characteristics of the evolution of a thermal instability initiated by a local temperature disturbance are studied by numerical modeling. The conditions of initiation and growth of an electrothermal structure resulting in the formation of a highly conductive channel and shunting of the dielectrics current are identified.     

Physics of Solid-State Dielectrics: Superstrong Electric Fields

Electric strengthening with decreasing dielectric thickness allows superstrong electric fields, whose strength exceeds the breakdown one for thick dielectrics, to be created in thin layers of solid-state dielectrics without an electric breakdown. Such fields are called superstrong. In thin dielectric layers of micron thickness, the processes can be investigated which cannot be observed in thicker layers due to the onset of the breakdown. In the present paper, the results of experimental investigations of processes and phenomena taking place in thin monocrystal layers of alkali-halide crystals (AHC) in superstrong electric fields are generalized. Among these processes and phenomena are: electric currents and luminescence (electroluminescence) of AHC layers, impact excitation and electronic ionization of luminescence centers and ions of the host crystal lattice, emission of electrons, accelerated in the layer by the electric field, in vacuum, formation of point and linear defects in AHC under the action of strong and superstrong electric fields, etc. All these phenomena form a new scientific direction – physics of solid-state dielectrics: superstrong electric fields. The results of investigations of superstrong electric fields allow new approaches to the understanding of mechanisms of dielectric breakdown to be realized.     

Pulsed electric strength of polypropylene film

We have reported on the results of experiments on electric strength of a 2-μm-thick polypropylene film under pulsed loading of samples in the submicrosecond and microsecond time intervals. It has been shown that experimental data on the pulsed breakdown of the polymer film can be described using the concept of the ionization mechanism of breakdown of polymers, which is not associated with the development of impact ionization of molecules in them.     

Time dependence of the spall strength under nanosecond loading

The problem of spall fracture is considered using an incubation time criterion. Some experimental fracture effects are discussed. The spall strength is found to depend substantially on the pulse parameters, in particular, the rate of decrease of the load. The strain-rate and time dependences of spall strength are shown to be considered as calculated characteristics rather than as functions of a material.     

真空中A-B-A绝缘结构的电场分析

提出了一种变插入层电导率和介电常数的三层(A-B-A)绝缘结构。分析了插入层(A)电导率和介电常数对三层绝缘结构真空-绝缘子-阴极三结合点处和真空-插入层绝缘子(A)-主绝缘子(B)三结合点处电场的影响,结果发现通过控制插入层电导率和介电常数可以有效降低真空-绝缘子-阴极三结合点处的电场又不至于使真空-插入层绝缘子-主绝缘子三结合点处电场过高。考虑了介质表面带电的情况,分析插入层介质表面带不同极性电荷对真空-绝缘子-阴极和真空-插入层绝缘子-主绝缘子两个三结合点电场分布的影响。估计了三层绝缘结构真空沿面闪络电压的变化趋势,发现在插入层电导率或介电常数不断增大时,真空沿面闪络电压会呈现先上升后下降,最后趋于稳定。     

Consideration on fracture of solid-state materials

Fracture of solid state materials is considered based on a gauge theoretical approach. The critical condition in which a material is about to fracture is defined. This condition is analogous to the condition of the electric breakdown of a gas. Supporting experimental results are presented.     

微秒脉冲下碳酸丙烯酯的击穿特性

采用紧凑Tesla变压器型脉冲功率驱动源及球电极击穿试件,通过改变初级充电电压,开展了微秒级充电条件下碳酸丙烯酯及其与碳酸乙烯酯的混合液的击穿实验研究。由结果和分析可知:碳酸丙烯酯理论工作温度可低至-55℃,这意味着它可以成为一种低温下的良好液体电介质;碳酸丙烯酯耐压性能与去离子水相当,且实测电阻率达到了10 MΩ·cm以上;向碳酸丙烯酯中添加碳酸乙烯酯后,介电常数可提高至80以上,耐压强度也有所提升;将碳酸丙烯酯、碳酸乙烯酯/碳酸丙烯酯混合液用于脉冲形成线作为储能介质无需附加去离子处理系统,有利于装置的紧凑化和小型化。     

加压去离子水短脉冲击穿特性的初步研究

 液体的介质气泡击穿理论作为研究基础,开展了两种短脉冲下高压强水介质开关的击穿实验,获得了水介质击穿场强及耐压时间与水中压强关系的数据,通过分析比较得出：在脉宽300 ns和1 μs两种脉冲电压作用下,当水中压强逐渐提高时水介质击穿电压和耐压时间均呈上升趋势,压强越高趋势越明显,而且作用脉冲越宽水中压强对于水介质击穿特性的影响越显著。     

Theory and analysis of frequency-domain photoacoustic tomography

A new frequency-domain approach to photoacoustic tomography has recently been proposed, promising to overcome some of the shortcomings associated with the pulsed photoacoustic approach. This approach offers many of the benefits of pulsed photoacoustics but requires a different set of equations for modeling of the forward and inverse problems due to the longer time scales involved in the optical input signal. The theory of photoacoustic tomography with an optical input that is not necessarily a short pulse is considered in this paper. The full optical, thermal, and acoustic governing equations are derived. A transfer function approach is taken for the solution and analysis of this problem. The results and implications are compared with those of pulsed photoacoustics and traditional ultrasonic diffraction tomography. A Fourier diffraction theorem is also presented, which could be used as a basis for the development of tomographic imaging algorithms.     

纳秒脉冲下几种液态介质绝缘性能的比对

利用自行研制的纳秒脉冲实验平台(输出脉冲前沿30 ns,半宽百纳秒)和标准介电强度测试仪,对变压器油、甘油、去离子水、Galden HT200四种液体绝缘介质在直流与纳秒脉冲下的击穿特性进行了实验研究与结果比对,结果表明:在直流与纳秒脉冲下,Galden HT200均具有最高的击穿场强,且两种情况下均比变压器油高出40%以上;纳秒脉冲下,Galden HT200与变压器油的击穿场强均提高6.5~7倍,Galden HT200击穿过程耗时最短(ns量级),其次是变压器油(20 ns),然后依次为甘油(45 ns)和去离子水(70 ns);多次放电后,粘度系数最大的甘油更易在电极间隙处聚集碳化放电产物,粘度系数较小的Galden HT200和去离子水则无明显痕迹,但二者放电过程会产生明显的冲击波,多次放电后易造成间隙电极松动。     

百kV/cm场强下SF6气体开关纳秒脉冲击穿场强和时延经验公式

百kV/cm高场强纳秒脉冲条件下,采用J. C. Martin经验公式估算SF₆气体击穿场强时,估算值与实验结果差异显著。为了进一步指导高场强脉冲气体开关设计,为开关工作状态调节提供依据,借鉴经典击穿场强经验公式形式建立了百kV/cm场强下SF₆气体开关纳秒脉冲击穿场强和时延与实验参数之间的关系,基于实验数据拟合形成了修正系数的击穿场强和时延经验公式。研究表明,百kV/cm场强和纳秒脉冲条件下脉冲电压斜率对开关击穿特性有重要影响,击穿场强与击穿时延相互关联。百ns至μs脉冲与几十ns脉冲气体放电机理的区别引起放电过程中击穿时延组成发生变化,导致了经典击穿场强经验公式估算值与实验结果的显著差异。修正系数的击穿经验公式可为电磁脉冲模拟器输出开关提供更为精确的工程设计依据。     

Similarity law for a homogeneous discharge in the presence of a strong field and analogues of the Stoletov constant for the pulsed regime

It is demonstrated that the similarity relationships (breakdown curves), which establish a dependence of the field strength divided by the pressure on the product of the pressure and the delay time of the breakdown, are realized upon the uniform breakdown of the gas gap in the presence of both rectangular and triangular voltage pulses, which is interesting for the physics of gas and plasma discharges, and remain valid for strong fields. The breakdown criterion is described with a two-valued curve such that the effective multiplication of electrons in gas becomes possible in the presence of both weak and strong fields and at small products of the pressure and the pulse time. An analogue of the Stoletov effect, which corresponds to a maximum in the current with respect to pressure at a given voltage pulse, is demonstrated for the pulsed discharge. The analogues of the Stoletov constant are calculated for non-self-sustained pulsed discharges in various gases. The minimum delay time of the breakdown is also determined by these constants.     

Experimental study of pulsed corona discharge in air

We report on the results of experimental investigation of a pulsed corona discharge in electric fields with different degrees of nonuniformity under the action of a standard thunderstorm pulse in a wide range of voltages from the origination threshold to the breakdown. A high-sensitivity video camera makes it possible to record microdischarge and streamer processes in air long before the spark breakdown. It is known that the size of the corona discharge sheath increases with the supplied voltage, and the shape of the corona sheath depends on the polarity of the active electrode [1, 2]. It was demonstrated for the first time by Peek [3] that the range of voltages from the initiation of a corona discharge to the spark breakdown increases with the degree of nonuniformity of the electric field. We show that an analogous pattern is observed for a pulsed corona also. Our results show that the form of a pulsed corona discharge considerably depends on the pulse polarity, and a spark breakdown becomes possible when most branches in the streamer corona cover the electrode gap.     

Phenomenological model of nonlinear dielectric losses related to the intrinsic conductivity of dielectrics

A phenomenological approach was applied to the dynamics of the intrinsic electric conductivity of dielectrics in an electric field in order to analyze its contribution to dielectric losses. The proposed differential equation contains only two parameters - the effective time of conductivity decay in an electric field, and , the time describing the recovery rate of the conductivity after switching off the field. The proposed approach predicts a linear dependence of specific conductivity of dielectrics on the sample thickness, as experimentally confirmed by Du Pont [1] for Teflon FEP. The field and time (or frequency) dependences of intrinsic conductivity and related dependences of dielectric losses were calculated, analyzed and illustrated with the published experimental data. The results show that the discussed contribution in dielectric losses is characterized by two hyperbolas (instead of one) while the distance between the branches depends on the intensity of applied electric field.Received: 3 November 2003, Published online: 29 June 2004PACS: 72.20.Ht High-field and nonlinear effects - 72.80.Sk Insulators - 77.22.Gm Dielectric loss and relaxation     

液体介质快脉冲电压下击穿特性研究

 设计了液体介质快脉冲击穿试验装置和电压电流测量系统，研究了重复频率、电极形状及电极间距与介质击穿场强、击穿电压和击穿时延等击穿特性参数的关系，比较了变压器油、十二烷基苯、蓖麻油三种典型液体绝缘介质在直流及快脉冲电压作用下的绝缘性能。结果表明：短脉冲持续时间下液体绝缘材料有异常高的击穿场强；重复脉冲串作用下的击穿场强比单个脉冲下明显减小，重复频率2 kHz时击穿场强减小了约30％；电极头半径大小对击穿也有影响，半径R＝5 mm时，击穿电压最高；击穿时延随击穿场强减小而变长，在其他条件相同的情况下，测得击穿时延随机波动；蓖麻油的快脉冲电压绝缘性能最好，变压器油次之。