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org
International Journal of Electrical and
El ectroni cs Engineering Research (IJEEER)
ISSN(P): 2250-155X; ISSN (E): 2278-943X
Vol . 4, Issue 2, Apr 2014, 41-46
TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.

ANALYSIS ON EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT PERMITTIVITY ON ELECTRIC FIELD AT
METAL STUD OF 3MeV DC ACCELERATOR
VANDANA PANDEY
1
, S. DEWANGAN
2
, D. K SHARMA
3
& JAISHREE MUNDKAR
4
1
Research Scholar, A. C. Pat il College of Engineering Kharghar, Mumbai University, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
2,3
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (B.A.R.C)/APPD, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
4
A. C. Patil College of Engineering Kharghar, Navi Mumbai , Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACT
In view of increasing demand of electron-beam treat ment for value-addition of industrial products, BARC is
setting up a 3MeV, 30kW DC accelerator at Electron Beam Center, Khargharin Navi Mumbai. High-voltage source for this
accelerator is a parallel-fed multiplier. A resistive voltage divider is used to measure 3MV accelerat ing potential in this
accelerator. This paper presents comparison forelectric field at metal stud of 3MeV DC accelerator with different
permittivities. An electric field simulation was carried out on the resistor metal shield using Maxwell 2-D software. The
results of comparison of electric field distribution with different permittivities are described in this paper briefly.
KEYWORDS: Maxwell 2D Software, L-Clamp Simulat ion, Resistive Voltage Divider
INTRODUCTION
A machine rated for 3 MeV, 30 kW beam power is now under development which being commissioned at Electon
Beam Centre, Kharghar, Navi-Mumbai. The 3 MV DC supply for this based on a parallel fed voltage mult iplier scheme
considering power efficiency, energy stability and reliability.The accelerator is designed to operate with beam energies
from 1 MeV to 3 MeV with beam current of 0 -10 mA. The ult ra-high voltage DC required for acceleration of
electron-beam isdevelopedbya74-stageparallel-fed capacitance-coupled, cascaded-rectifier system (similar to Dynamitron
in principle) driven by a 300kVp, 103kHz inputsource.Electron currentisgeneratedbyaLaB
6
cathode based 5kV electron
gun located on top of a 2.8m tallacceleratingcolumn,whichacceleratesinjected electronbeam in avacuum of10
-7
mbar.
The voltage

multiplier is configured in a cylindrical geometry around

the accelerating column in SF
6
gas at 6kg/cm
2
pressure & enclosed in a vessel of 2.1m ID and 6.0m internal height.

The 3-phase input from mains is stabilized,
stepped-up, rectifiedandfilteredtoachieveavariable10kVDC, which is inverted at 103 kHz by a 50kW colpitts

oscillator.
An air-cored RF transformer located in a sidevessel

steps-up

this

voltage at

300kVp,

to

feed a pair of semi-cylindrical RF
Electrodes surrounding the voltage mult iplier to develop 3MV DC at the UHV terminal.
Design of Di vi der Module
For the measurement of terminal potential of the mult iplier, a resistive divider with a divider ratio of 310
7
has
been selected. The HV arm has a total resistance of 46G. The voltage divider has been located at a place where radial
stresses are negligible. The length of the divider has been kept the same as of the HV mult iplier to match the
equi-potentials of multiplier and the divider. This resulted in the reduction of electrical stresses. The divider is located in
the area surrounded by corona guards to minimize the effect of stray capacitances between divider links and ground.
42 Vandana Pandey, S. Dewangan, D. K Sharma & Jaishree Mundkar


Impact Factor(JCC): 5.9638 Index Copernicus Value(ICV): 3.0
To avoid corona discharges due to sharp points of connecting leads etc., each resistor has been provided with mirror
polished, edge-rounded electrostatic shields. The LV arm of divider has effective resistance of 46k and will be made of
parallel combination of several resistors. The HV arm of divider has been made in modular form, consisting of 4 identical
modules each of about 750kV rating. A photograph of one of the modules has been shown in Fig ure 1. Each module has
been constructed on a mirror polished, acrylic sheet of 810mm175mm size and 12mm thickness. Specially designed,
embedded SS studs have been used for reducing the electrical stresses on the Perspex insulator surface. Each divider
module consists of 23 Nos. of metal-oxide film resistors of 500M, 50kV rating. These resistors have been mounted in
mirror polished L-shaped electrostatic shields of aluminium to protect them from corona discharges. All the 4 modules will
be series connected and supported from the HV column support structure.

Figure 1: 750kV Voltage Di vi der Module
RESEARCH METHOD
Controlling electric field distribution in high voltage components is critical to avoid excessive electric stress on
the insulation and thus reducing the risk of insulation breakdown and damage to equipment. For subsea applications this is
even more important due to the costs involved in accessing and replacing the damaged parts. The simulat ion have been
performed for metal divider clamp by filling the 100 micron gap size with different permittivit ies. Further the comparison
have been done for maximum electric field at the insulator surface of metal divider clamp.
Spacing of 7.5 mm between insulator to electrode with a gap distance of 100 micron filled with the
permi tti vity of 4 and 1 in the insulator and comparison of electric fiel d obtained with di fferent permi tti vities

Figure 2: Voltage Di vi der Clamp Simul ati on Model
Analysi s on Effects of Di fferent Permitti vi ty on Electri c Fiel d at Metal Stud of 3MeV DC Accelerator 43

www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org

Figure 3: Potential Distribution on Voltage Di vi der (Filled Lines)

Figure 4: Electric Fiel d Distri buti on on Voltage Di vi der (Gap Size: 100 Micron, Spacing: 7.5 Mm)

Figure 5: Electric Fiel d Distri buti on on Voltage Di vi der for Lower Left (Gap Size: 100 Micron, Spacing: 7.5 Mm)

Figure 6: Electric Fiel d Distri buti on on Voltage Di vi der for Upper Left (Gap Size: 100 Micron, Spacing: 7.5 Mm)
44 Vandana Pandey, S. Dewangan, D. K Sharma & Jaishree Mundkar


Impact Factor(JCC): 5.9638 Index Copernicus Value(ICV): 3.0

Figure 7: Electric Fiel d Distri buti on on Voltage Di vi der for Lower Right (Gap Size: 100 Micron, Spacing: 7.5 Mm)

Figure 8: Electric Fiel d Distri buti on on Voltage Di vi der for Upper Right (Gap Size: 100 Micron, Spacing: 7.5 Mm)
In the above Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure 7 and Figure 8 the electric field distribution at the insulator surface with
spacing of 7.5mm have been obtained for metal divider clamp. The maximum electric fieldat the insulator surf ace
(lower left and lower right) as shown in Figure 5 & Figure 7 obtained is 59kV/cm where as the maximum electric field at
the insulator surface (Upper left and upper right) as shown in Figure 6 & Figure 8 obtained is 107kV/cm which is much
more than the electric field obtained at lower left. This is because the 100 micron gap size in Figure 5 and Figure 7 is filled
with the permittivity of 4, because of which the maximum electric field at the insulator surface obtained is less as
compared to the 100 micron gap size which is filled with permittivity of 1 as shown in the Figure 6 and Figure 8 which
gives the more electric field at the insulator surface.
This is because, a dielectric materialis an electrical insulator that can be polarized by an applied electric field.
When a dielectric is placed in an electric field, electric charges do not flow through the material as they do in a conductor,
but only slightly shift from their average equilibrium positions causing dielectric polarizat ion. Because of dielectric
polarization, positive charges are displaced toward the field and negative charges shift in the opposite direction.
This creates an internal electric field that reduces the overall field within the dielect ric itself. If a dielectric is composed of
weakly bonded molecules, those molecules not only become polarized, but also reorient so that their symmetry axis aligns
to the field. The study of dielectric properties concerns storage and dissipation of electric and magnetic energy in materials.
The most obvious advantage to using such a dielectric material is that it prevents the conducting plates the charges are
stored on from coming into direct electrical contact. More significantly, however, a high permittiv ity allows a greater
stored charge at a given voltage. Dielectric materials can be solids, liquids, or gases. In addition, a high vacuum can also be
a useful, nearly lossless dielectric even though its relative dielectric constant is only unity. Solid dielectrics are perhaps the
most commonly used dielectrics in electrical engineering, and many solids are very good insulators. Some examples
Analysi s on Effects of Di fferent Permitti vi ty on Electri c Fiel d at Metal Stud of 3MeV DC Accelerator 45

www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org
includeporcelain,glass, and most plastics. Air, nitrogen and sulfur hexafluoride are the three most commonly used gaseous
dielectrics.
The maximum electric field obtained between two metal divider clamp is 119kv/cm as shown in Figure 4.
The Designed value in our design at the insulator surface is 14kv/cm and in gas medium is 160kv/cm. The obtained value
in gas medium is 119kv/cm and is not exceeding the designed value of 160kV/cm which therefore reduces the risk of
insulation breakdown and damage to the voltage divider module.
RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
The above simulations are performed in Maxwell 2D software for the comparison of maximum electric field at the
insulator surface of the metal divider clamp. The material assigned to the Perspex structure is plexi glass because of its
excellent physical properties such as Acrylic plastic, Transparency, Breakage resistance, Weather resistance,
chemical resistance and further the material assigned to the divider clamp is aluminiu m. The boundaries value assigned to
the divider clamp is 0kV and 35kV. Relative permittivity of plexi glass is 3.2 and for aluminium the relative
permittivity is 1.
Table 1
Maxi mum
Spacing
(Mm)
Maxi mum Electric Field
(kV/cm)
Relati ve
Permitti vity
4
Relati ve
Permitti vity
1
7.5 59 107

It has been analysed from above simulat ion, that the maximum electric field obtained at the insulator surface is
less after filling the 100micron gap size with permittivity 4 whereas it is found to be more after filling the 100 micron gap
size with the permittivity 1. In both the cases, it is exceeding the designed value of 14Kv/cm at the insulator surface which
therefore causes the risk of insulation breakdown and damage to the voltage divider module.
CONCLUSIONS
Hence, it has been found from above simulation that if, the 100micron gap size is filledwith the permittivity more
than 1, the maximum electric field obtained will be less. Therefore, greater the permitt ivity, lesser will be the electric field
obtained by filling the 100 micron gap size.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to place on record my deep sense of gratitude to my guide Mr. Suryaprakash Dewangan for his
constant supervision, generous guidance, continuous encouragement, help and useful suggestions. Author is also thankful
to entire staff of Accelerator Pulse Power Division
REFERENCES
1. R. Majumder, K.C. Mittal, K.Nanu et al, Design and Development and Status of 3 MeV, 30 kW DC Industrial
Electron Accelerator at Electron Beam Centre, Kharghar.
46 Vandana Pandey, S. Dewangan, D. K Sharma & Jaishree Mundkar


Impact Factor(JCC): 5.9638 Index Copernicus Value(ICV): 3.0
2. K. Nanu, K.C. Mittal, D. K. Sharma, S.P. Dewangan Beam Trials At 1 MeV Of A DC Electron Accelerator.
3. D. K. Sharma, K. Nanu Design and Development of A ResistiveVoltage Divider For 3MeV DC Accelerator
4. D.K Sharma, K .Nanu, S. Dewangan, R. N. Rajan Performance of 3MV Voltage Multiplier For 3MeV, 30kW
DC Electron Beam Accelerator At EBC, Kharghar
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6
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AUTHOR DETAILS

Ms.Vandana Pandey is persuing M.E in Power System from A.C.Patil College of Engineering (Kharghar),
Mumbai University. She is doing her research work for (M.E) in high voltage area from Bhabha AtomicResearch Centre
(B.A.R.C)Her area of interest includes Marx Generators, High Voltage Sources, Low Voltage Power Supplies, Induction
Heating, Pulse Power.