Gases breakdown voltage calculation for the case of accelerator nonuniform fields by the method of base

The method for calculating the breakdown voltage of gas insulation of gaps in an accelerator has been developed. Firstly a new model of the insulation system element has been proposed according to the results of tests for the EG-2.5 Van de Graaff accelerator, IPPE. Then a complete-enough set of causes (factors) for the gas breakdown has been defined based on the experimental and calculational study. The calculation method includes a combination of some analytical equations coupled with the results of a special experiment with breakdown. A conclusion is made based on the comparison of experimental and calculated findings for the EG-2.5, MP and FN accelerators and other insulation structures that the accepted element model and the dependencies of the breakdown voltage on the main factors used here are adequate to the gas discharge nature of different gases. Since the calculation error is within the limit for the input data, the method described allows to predict the breakdown voltage for insulation gays of an accelerator with accuracy of 1-5%. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.