大电流条件下气体火花开关电极烧蚀的研究进展

Spark gaps are widely adopted in various pulsed power equipment. However, thermal plasmas with high temperature and heat flux will erode electrode materials. Furthermore, erosion products (metallic vapor or liquid drops) will cause the degradation of the switch's insulation. Special attention has been paid on this topic since the electrode erosion and insulation degradation can affect the operating characteristics and lifetime of switch. In the last few decades, scholars have made a systematic investigation on erosion mechanisms and influence factors. Erosion performance of different electrode materials has been obtained. Recently, as the development of material science and diagnostics, research on electrode erosion becomes more comprehensive and explicit, with two research focuses on novel electrode materials and erosion characterization. This paper reviews the research on electrode erosion under different conditions. Erosion features are depicted and influencing factors are summarized. Meanwhile, methods for analyzing erosion morphology and erosion products are introduced. In addition, the influence of electrode erosion on the operating characteristics is clarified. At last, a general framework for evaluating electrode erosion is proposed, and research focus and orientation of electrode erosion are mentioned as well. It is hoped this work will offer a better understanding of electrode erosion phenomenon and act as a reference for related research and applications.