Progress Towards Atmospheric Correction for Aerospace Electric Discharge Applications

In combating the threat of irreversible climate change, all
sectors will need to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and
wider environmental impact. In addition, the rising cost of fuel
and maintenance and the quest for continual improvement in
aircraft performance has led the aviation industry to the
challenge of transitioning from traditional mechanical
systems and subsystems to electrical equivalents. In this work,
different electrode configurations, simulating the divergent
field distributions present in aircraft electrical systems, are
examined with adjustable gap distance and variable pressure
to simulate flying altitudes. The temperature and humidity in
the test vessel are monitored continuously during the tests, but
not controlled. We present initial results showing the effect of
atmospheric pressure on the partial discharge inception and
breakdown voltages in standard electrode configurations.