EFFECTS OF ELECTRODE GEOMETRY ON BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE OF A SINGLE-GAP PSEUDOSPARK DISCHARGE

The breakdown voltage of a single-gap pseudospark discharge device is measured for a wide range of nitrogen gas pressure, p, and various geo metrical dimensions of the electrodes, i.e., anode-cathode gap distanc e, L, diameter of electrode hole, d, thickness of the electrode, t, an d depth of the hollow cathode cavity, h. The breakdown voltage V-s is expressed as an empirical scaling relation, V-s = (197/p(3.40)L(3.41)) {t(L/d)(3.25)/[t(2)(L/d)(2) + 50](1/2)}. The breakdown voltage charact eristic can be qualitatively explained by the geometrical dependence o f the penetrating electric field through electrode holes. The real dis charge path length in the pseudospark discharge is estimated.