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Title: Process for measuring degradation of sulfur hexafluoride in high voltage systems

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6903654

A process is described for detecting by-products from electrically induced degradation of SF/sub 6/ in high voltage systems comprising: at a pressure within the reaction cell sufficient to cause electron attachment to SF/sub 6/, placing an SF/sub 6/ gas to be tested in an ion-molecule reaction cell having a cathode at a first end, an anode opposite the cathode at a second end, a pin hole aperture incorporated into the anode that opens into a negative ion mass spectrometer that is at a lower pressure than is the reaction cell; producing thermal electrons at the cathode thereby ionizing molecules of the SF/sub 6/ gas in the vicinity of the cathode to form SF/sub 6//sup -/ ions; applying an electrical field in the reaction cell to induce the transfer of the SF/sub 6//sup -/ ions from the cathode to the anode resulting in the formation of by-product ions from intervening by-product molecules having a high affinity for fluoride ions; introducing a combination of the SF/sub 6//sup -/ ions and the by-product ions into the pin hole aperture thereby effecting flow of the combination of ions from the reaction cell to the negative ion mass spectrometer; and detecting the by-product ions using negative ion mass spectrometry techniques.

Assignee:
Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC
Patent Number(s):
US 4633082
OSTI ID:
6903654
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: Filed date 23 Apr 1985
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English