Electric field simulation of vacuum insulator stack

Vacuum insulator stack is a critical part of the pulsed power system, and it assumes an important role of supporting insulation and isolating different atmospheres. The electric field distributions of the high-gradient vacuum insulators are simulated, and such influential factors are considered as the number of conducting layers, the positions of the conducting and insulating layers, the ratio of the two kinds of layers, the coning angle of the insulators, and the embedded electrode in insulator. The simulation results reveal that adding conducting layers changes the electric field distribution on insulator surface; the more the conducting layers, the smaller the maximum electric field intensity; the electric field distortion becomes smaller when the conducting layers are outside; with scaling up the insulator and metal layers the electric field distortion increases; when the insulator angle is forty-five degrees, the electric field distortion decreases; embedded electrode decreases the electric field intensity at the triple junction. This study may be helpful to the design of the high-gradient insulators.