Effect of Humidity on the Discharge Characteristics of Air Streamer in Low-Temperature Subatmospheric Pulsed Electric Field

Abstract

With the increasing emphasis on green and low-carbon initiatives, electric aircraft have become a focal point in the aviation industry. To investigate the air discharge mechanisms of onboard equipment under high-frequency voltage, this study analyzes the air discharge phenomena in a needle-plate gap under pulsed electric fields in high-altitude environments. The research considers factors such as temperature and air pressure at different altitudes, pulsed electric field parameters, and humidity. A simulation model of needle-plate electrode streamer discharge was constructed, and an experimental platform was developed for qualitative analysis. The results indicate that the streamer discharge characteristics obtained from simulations and experiments are highly consistent under variations in altitude, pulsed electric field parameters, and humidity. When the reduced field strength remains constant, the breakdown voltage values at different altitudes were quantitatively calculated. In addition, the effects of altitude, pulsed electric field parameters, and humidity on streamer discharge characteristics were studied. Furthermore, the study explains the underlying reasons for variations in electron density, electric field intensity distribution, and streamer development speed under different conditions.