TY - CONF A1 - Mieller, Björn A1 - Stargardt, Patrick A1 - Greinacher, M. T1 - Numerical study of electric field distribution in breakdown strength testing of ceramics N2 - Dielectric breakdown of insulators is a combined electrical, thermal, and mechanical failure. The exact breakdown mechanism in ceramics and the formulation of useful models are still subject of investigation. Recent studies highlighted that several experimental aspects of dielectric breakdown strength testing affect the test results, and thus impede the recognition of fundamental principles. Excess field strength near the electrode can lead to premature breakdown in the insulating liquid. This would cause superficial damage to the test specimen and thus falsify the measurement results. The field strength distribution is influenced by the ratio of permittivity of the sample and the surrounding insulating liquid. Premature breakdown depends on the breakdown strength of the liquid and the actual test voltage. The test voltage again depends on the specimen thickness. To systematically investigate these relations, a numerical simulation study (FEM) of the electric field distribution in a typical testing rig with cylindrical electrodes was performed. The permittivity of the sample and the insulating liquid was parameterized, as well as the sample thickness. The electric field distribution was calculated for increasing test voltage. Field strength maxima are compared to experimental breakdown strength of typical insulating liquids and experimental breakdown locations on alumina. Strategies are discussed to adjust the insulation liquid and the sample thickness to reduce the influence of the testing setup on the dielectric breakdown strength results. T2 - Ceramics in Europe 2022 CY - Krakow, Poland DA - 10.07.2022 KW - Ceramics KW - Dielectric breakdown strength KW - Electric field distribution KW - Alumina PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55325 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -