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UBC Theses and Dissertations
Switching characteristics of electrodeless gas-filled bulbs immersed in both A.C. and unipolar, uniform electric fields Richardson, Michael J.
Abstract
A more complete understanding of the switching characteristics of external electrode gas filled discharge bulbs is needed for many electrical devices (e.g. AC plasma display panels). When a glass (or pyrex) bulb filled with gas (e.g. neon) is placed in an electric field, it can emit light in the form of a pulse. Whether or not a discharge (light pulse) occurs depends on the magnitude of the electric field in the bulb and the various bulb parameters (geometry, pressure, gas, etc.). The field inside the bulb is made up of the field created by the external electrodes, and the field created by any wall charges deposited inside the discharge vessel. The bulbs used in this thesis were of two varieties; spherical bulbs (1 Torr of Ne), and spherical Ne-Xe (5 Torr) bulbs with getters attached to one end spoiling their overall symmetry. The spherical, ungettered bulbs have an isotropic response to the applied field, but possess long time lags (up to 2 seconds) before breakdown occurs. The duration of the time lag can be reduced by increasing the frequency of the applied field. These bulbs also experience an aging process which causes the AC threshold field (the minimum AC field required for breakdown) to increase over time so long as the bulbs are not exposed to any discharges. The gettered bulbs do not possess this aging effect but are unique in that breakdown in an AC field only occurs when electrons and ions are accelerated in a specific direction. Furthermore, the gettered bulbs only exhibit long time lags if they are initially exposed to a low field (too low to induce breakdown) for at least a few seconds. Without the occurrence of time lags, the effects of wall charges (created from previous discharges) can be studied. This thesis presents the theoretical and experimental results which explain these characteristics for both bulb types. The geometry of the gettered bulbs and the relative orientation of the applied field is described along with the necessary apparatus for producing the various electric fields. Finally, the characteristics of the two types of bulbs are compared. Suggestions for improving their switching performance are also advanced.
Item Metadata
Title |
Switching characteristics of electrodeless gas-filled bulbs immersed in both A.C. and unipolar, uniform electric fields
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
1992
|
Description |
A more complete understanding of the switching
characteristics of external electrode gas filled discharge bulbs
is needed for many electrical devices (e.g. AC plasma display
panels). When a glass (or pyrex) bulb filled with gas (e.g.
neon) is placed in an electric field, it can emit light in the
form of a pulse. Whether or not a discharge (light pulse) occurs
depends on the magnitude of the electric field in the bulb and
the various bulb parameters (geometry, pressure, gas, etc.). The
field inside the bulb is made up of the field created by the
external electrodes, and the field created by any wall charges
deposited inside the discharge vessel. The bulbs used in this
thesis were of two varieties; spherical bulbs (1 Torr of Ne), and
spherical Ne-Xe (5 Torr) bulbs with getters attached to one end
spoiling their overall symmetry. The spherical, ungettered bulbs
have an isotropic response to the applied field, but possess long
time lags (up to 2 seconds) before breakdown occurs. The
duration of the time lag can be reduced by increasing the
frequency of the applied field. These bulbs also experience an
aging process which causes the AC threshold field (the minimum AC
field required for breakdown) to increase over time so long as
the bulbs are not exposed to any discharges. The gettered bulbs
do not possess this aging effect but are unique in that breakdown
in an AC field only occurs when electrons and ions are
accelerated in a specific direction. Furthermore, the gettered bulbs only exhibit long time lags if they are initially exposed
to a low field (too low to induce breakdown) for at least a few
seconds. Without the occurrence of time lags, the effects of
wall charges (created from previous discharges) can be studied.
This thesis presents the theoretical and experimental
results which explain these characteristics for both bulb types.
The geometry of the gettered bulbs and the relative orientation
of the applied field is described along with the necessary
apparatus for producing the various electric fields. Finally,
the characteristics of the two types of bulbs are compared.
Suggestions for improving their switching performance are also
advanced.
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Extent |
2095244 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2008-12-18
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0085434
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
1992-11
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.