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Surface flashover characteristics and breakdown of novel dielectrics, including diamond-like carbon (DLC), polycrystalline diamond, and nano-dielectrics in vacuum and partial atmospheric pressure. Knowing the behavior of new materials in a new environment provides possibilities in power system design for application in extreme environments. These systems can be lighter weight and more efficient than traditional designs when use of these new materials is feasible. Most dielectric materials used in space-power systems are subject to extreme conditions, such as ionospheric plasma, space radiation, and high energy particles, in addition to vacuum. Dr. Kirkici’s group has studied surface flashover characteristics of these novel materials under very high dc / ac / high-frequency-pulsed fields. Research revealed that polycrystalline diamond is a good dielectric material for such applications, but DLC should not be used as an insulating material in space power systems due to interface effects [1]. This is important because, at some point, DLC was a prime candidate for protective coating in/on space and aerospace vehicles due to its ease of fabrication [2]. Nano-dielectrics are polymer-based dielectric matrix materials and can have superior dielectric properties in terrestrial applications. Dr. Kirkici’s work in surface-flashover characteristics of these materials in partial vacuum shows that adding nano-particles to the host material increases the operating voltage levels; thus nano-dielectrics are very promising dielectric materials to be used in space-power systems [3, 4]. Breakdown studies of “non-traditional” dielectrics include Lunar soil as a dielectric material [5] for transmission lines and pulsed electric field effects on biological matter (weed-seeds) and breakdown of these materials in the emerging field of biodielectrics. The research revealed that pulsed electric field has different effect on different species weed-seeds [6].
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