ARCING AT HIGH ALTITUDE
- Thread starter fifty60
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- Placerville, CA, USA
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- Retired PV System Designer
The dielectric breakdown voltage gradient (volts per inch) of any gas including air will be lower as the pressure decreases.
The mechanism is that an ionized molecule or free electron will travel farther through the electric field before hitting another molecule. This allows it to build up more speed and allows it to ionize the molecule that it hits as well.
At very low pressures the molecule makes it all the way to the electrode without hitting anything so there is no cascade effect and the breakdown voltage starts to increase again.
The mechanism is that an ionized molecule or free electron will travel farther through the electric field before hitting another molecule. This allows it to build up more speed and allows it to ionize the molecule that it hits as well.
At very low pressures the molecule makes it all the way to the electrode without hitting anything so there is no cascade effect and the breakdown voltage starts to increase again.
ghostbuster
Senior Member
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- Great White North
Approx. reduction in the dielectric strength of air is 15% for Salt Lake City Utah (high altitude) compared to cities near sea level.
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