Speaker
Description
The reliability of high-voltage Cockcroft-Walton injector systems is strongly dependent on the performance of insulating structures operating in SF₆ environments. This work presents a comprehensive study of the refurbishment and breakdown mitigation of an SF₆-insulated acrylic jacket in a 750 keV Cockcroft-Walton injector system that exhibited persistent arc-down events due to surface tracking, material degradation, and contamination from SF₆ decomposition byproducts. A full disassembly and inspection identified surface roughening, carbon tracking, and localized defects in high-field regions as primary contributors to electrical instability. Refurbishment efforts included precision mechanical polishing of the acrylic jacket to restore surface uniformity, electro-polishing of electrodes to minimize field enhancement, and bead blasting and cleaning of the ceramic column to eliminate conductive paths across insulating gaps. Damaged components were repaired or replaced, including mitigation of a severely crazed region of the acrylic jacket through the implementation of Vespel hardware and a PEEK insulating washer to redistribute the local electric field.
| I have read and accept the Privacy Policy Statement | Yes |
|---|