Phase field analysis of eutectic breakdown.

In this paper an isotropic multi-phase-field model is extended to include the effects of anisotropy and the spontaneous nucleation of an absent phase. This model is derived and compared against a published single phase model. Results from this model are compared against results from other multi-phase models, additionally this model is used to examine the break down of a regular two dimensional eutectic into a single phase dendritic front

Impulse-driven surface breakdown data : a Weibull statistical analysis

Surface breakdown of oil-immersed solids chosen to insulate high-voltage, pulsed-power systems is a problem that can lead to catastrophic failure. Statistical analysis of the breakdown voltages, or times, associated with such liquid-solid interfaces can reveal useful information to aid system designers in the selection of solid materials. Described in this paper are the results of a Weibull statistical analysis, applied to both breakdown-voltage data and time-to-breakdown data generated in gaps consisting of five different solid polymers immersed in mineral oil. Values of the location parameter γ provide an estimate of the applied voltage below which breakdown will not occur, and under uniform-field conditions, γ varied from 192 kV (480 kV/cm) for polypropylene to zero for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. Longer times to breakdown were measured for UHMWPE when compared with the other materials. However, high values of the shape parameter β reported in the present paper suggest greater sensitivity to an increase in applied voltage – that is, the probability of breakdown increases more sharply with increasing applied voltage for UHMWPE compared to the other materials. Analysing peak-applied-voltage data, only PP consistently reflected a low value of β across the different sets of test conditions. In general, longer mean times to breakdown were found for solid materials of εr more closely matched to that of the surrounding mineral oi

Aspects of Dielectric Breakdown in a Model for Disordered Nonlinear Composites

We study dielectric breakdown in a semi-classical bond percolation model for nonlinear composite materials introduced by us and the related breakdown exponent near the percolation threshold in two dimensions. The breakdown exponent after doing finite size scaling analysis is found to be $t_B \simeq$ 1.42. We discuss in detail the differences in our model from the traditional models for dielectric breakdown and argue that our result seems to be different from the standard result of 4/3 obtained in the previous models.Comment: 20 pages, LaTex file (6 postscript figures included

Study of second breakdown in power transistors using infrared techniques

Infrared thermal maps pinpoint exact location where second breakdown will occur before phenomenon happens and before physical damage develops at hot spot. Crystal structure analysis at that point determines cause of fault. Absolute power of radiation emitted from hot spot is direct indication of voltage level at which second breakdown occur

A Breakdown Voltage Multiplier for High Voltage Swing Drivers

A novel breakdown voltage (BV) multiplier is introduced that makes it possible to generate high output voltage swings using transistors with low breakdown voltages. The timing analysis of the stage is used to optimize its dynamic response. A 10 Gb/s optical modulator driver with a differential output voltage swing of 8 V on a 50 Ω load was implemented in a SiGe BiCMOS process. It uses the BV-Doubler topology to achieve output swings twice the collector–emitter breakdown voltage without stressing any single transistor

Reversibility, coarse graining and the chaoticity principle

We describe a way of interpreting the chaotic principle of (ref. [GC1]) more extensively than it was meant in the original works. Mathematically the analysis is based on the dynamical notions of Axiom A and Axiom B and on the notion of Axiom C, that we introduce arguing that it is suggested by the results of an experiment (ref. [BGG]) on chaotic motions. Physically we interpret a breakdown of the Anosov property of a time reversible attractor (replaced, as a control parameter changes, by an Axiom A property) as a spontaneous breakdown of the time reversal symmetry: the relation between time reversal and the symmetry that remains after the breakdown is analogous to the breakdown of $T$-invariance while $TCP$ still holds.Comment: 15 pages, plain TeX, no figure