An Investigation of Energy Efficiency in Electrical Explosion of Aluminium Metallized Film: Particle Liberation

Abstract

Avalanche breakdown is the primary contributor to the peak current observed during the exploding film event. This process occurs in a gas when a free electron collides with an electron orbiting a nearby atom with enough energy to eject it from its orbit. This results in an additional free electron that acts as positive feedback to the sum of free electrons in the gas. If more atoms are present in the gas, it would follow that more free electrons are generated and contribute to the peak current observed. Past experiments have shown a correlation between ambient pressures and temperatures and the peak current of the event. This work compares the particle liberation observed on a sample after the event takes place to the varying ambient pressures and temperatures, the results of which are presented in this document.