A Calculation of Sphere?Plane Fields with Applications to Dielectric Breakdown

Abstract

The method of images is used to compute the field between a charged sphere and an earthed plane. From this field distribution the electrical conductivity of a sphere-plane system and also the temperature distribution during thermal breakdown are determined for ranges of geometrical and electrical parameters. Heat-sink efficiencies of the electrodes are included in the calculation, and an experimental method for assessing these is proposed.