Simulation of discharge in insulating gas from initial partial discharge to growth of a stepped leader using the percolation model

Sasaki, Akira; Kato, Susumu*; Takahashi, Eiichi*; Kishimoto, Yasuaki*; Fujii, Takashi*; Kanazawa, Seiji*

A percolation model of discharge, which can reproduce stochastic behaviors of initial partial discharge to the growth of a stepped leader, is presented. The model uses macroscopic cells, from which a network of electric circuits is defined, and the spatial and temporal evolutions of the electric field and current in the discharge medium are calculated. For each cell, one of two states, either insulator or conductor, which corresponds to neutral gas or ionized plasmas, respectively, is decided. The decision is made on the basis of probability for each calculation cell at each time step, taking the effects of local electric field and current, which enhance ionization and sustain the discharge channel, respectively, into account. The stochastic behavior of discharge is discussed, in conjunction with the characteristic feature of ionization, that is, the ionization occurs not only ahead of the streamer tip where the electric field is enhanced but randomly in the discharge medium.