Nanosecond surface corona discharge for different types of strip electrodes and ceramic or polymer dielectrics

Surface corona discharge characteristics from single-stripped and multi-stripped electrodes on the surface of thin dielectric plates of different kinds of ceramics and polymers are presented. Experimental results are obtained with voltage pulses of microsecond and nanosecond duration and they show significant difference in the values of the inception voltage, the discharge structure and current impulse amplitude for different barrier materials. Analysis of calculated and experimental values of the inception voltage is given, and it shows that beside electrical characteristics such as the relative permittivity epsilon and the specific resistance of the barrier material, the surface properties of the barrier, its thickness and its structure play a significant role in the discharge appearance and development. Nanosecond applied voltage pulses give a more dense and uniform discharge structure than microsecond ones, other conditions being equal.