Surface Charge Accumulation on Silicon Rubber Material under DC Voltage in Atmosphere

Abstract

The charge accumulation on the surface of dielectric materials is a long-term academic research focus. As part of an effort to understand the origins of this behavior, surface charge distribution on silicon rubber under DC high voltage before and after flashover in atmosphere was measured by an electrostatic voltmeter with a vibrating Kelvin probe. Three types of electrode systems were employed in the study, i.e. circle-circle electrodes, ellipse-circle electrodes and tip-circle electrodes. The results showed that surface charging processes are close related with uniformity of electric field and voltage polarities. Once flashover happens, there exists a channel linking HV and grounded electrodes, which presents a low potential.