High stored-energy breakdown tests on electrodes made of stainless steel, copper, titanium and molybdenum

Journal Article · Wed Apr 08 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4916469· OSTI ID:22391449

Simonin, A.; Grand, C. ^[1]

---

1. CEA-Cadarache, IRFM, F-13108 St. Paul-lez-Durance (France)

IRFM have conducted resilience tests on electrodes made of Cu, stainless steel 304L, Ti and Mo against breakdowns up to 170 kV and 300 J. The tests of the 10×10 cm{sup 2} electrodes have been performed at an electrode distance d=11 mm under vacuum (P∼5×10{sup −6} mbar). No great difference in voltage holding between the materials could be identified; all materials could reach a voltage holding between 140 and 170 kV over the 11 mm gap, i.e. results scatter within a ±10% band. After exposure to ∼10000 seconds of high-voltage (HV) on-time, having accumulated ∼1000 breakdowns, the electrodes were inspected. The anodes were covered with large and small craters. The rugosity of the anodes had increased substantially, that of the cathodes to a lesser extent. The molybdenum electrodes are least affected, but this does not show in their voltage holding capability. It is hypothesized that penetrating high-energy electrons from the breakdown project heat below the surface of the anode and cause a micro-explosion of material when melting point is exceeded. Polished electrodes have also been tested. The polishing results in a substantially reduced breakdown rate in the beginning, but after having suffered a relatively small number (∼100) of breakdowns, the polished electrodes behaved the same as the unpolished ones.

• OSTI ID: 22391449
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1655, Issue 1; Conference: NIBS 2014: 4. International Symposium on Negative Ions, Beams and Sources, Garching (Germany), 6-10 Oct 2014; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANODES
BREAKDOWN
CATHODES
COPPER
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRONS
MATERIALS TESTING
MELTING POINTS
MOLYBDENUM
POLISHING
STAINLESS STEEL-304L
STORED ENERGY
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
TITANIUM