Conditioning Saturation Diagnosis With Breakdown Electric Field and Breakdown Time in Vacuum

Conditioning technology could increase the vacuum interrupter’s insulation obviously, and the breakdown voltage or breakdown electric field of the conditioning saturation represents the final breakdown withstand capability. This article proposes a method with a breakdown electric field and breakdown time (BE–BT), both obtained from a breakdown voltage waveform, to diagnose conditioning saturation. The conditioning of the original electrode pair and pure metal electrode pair with impulse voltage is carried out. The results show that during the conditioning process, the breakdown electric field first increases and then reaches a final saturation, and the corresponding breakdown time first decreases and then reaches saturation. Before the conditioning saturation, the BE–BT showed a contrary trend, but they show the same trend during the conditioning saturation. Thus, the two parameters’ first contrary and then the same trend could indicate the conditioning saturation precisely and efficiently. It has significant and meaningful guidance for industrial practice.