摘要：The object of the research is the circuit simulation model of a streamer breakdown of a rod-rod air gap when exposed to positive voltage pulses. One of the most problematic places in this task is determination of the time interval of the streamer propagation. The lower bound of this interval corresponds to the beginning of the streamer propagation, and the upper bound corresponds to the time when the streamer reaches the opposite electrode. To create such model, it is not enough to take into account only the functional relationship between the breakdown voltage and the spacing between the electrodes.With the help of Kind's equal-area criterion in the circuit simulation programs it is possible to create the model of electrical breakdown of any air gap, including the rod-rod configuration.The article shows how to create the model of electrical breakdown of the air gap in the evaluation version of the Micro-Cap 11 circuit simulator. Using the model, the breakdown time of the air gap is determined when subjected to the lightning pulses of positive polarity with different amplitudes. Wherein, the moments of breakdown of the air gap both at the front and at the tail of the applied voltage pulse are measured. Simulation results are compared with experimental data. It is determined that the simulation relative error does not exceed 10%. As experimental data, the experimentally obtained expression for the volt-time characteristic of the rod-rod air gap subjected to the positive polarity voltage pulses is used.The proposed model allows to predict the volt-time characteristic of various air gaps in a virtual experiment. The model can be used in scientific work or in the educational process as an auxiliary tool for visual demonstration of the conditions for the electric breakdown in long air gaps.
关键词：circuit simulation;high voltage engineering;electrical breakdown;volt-time characteristic;equal-area criterion
