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A Study on Liquid Dielectric Breakdown in Micro-EDM Discharge

Santosh Kumar Verma#, Dr. Nagahanumaiah*


#

Department of Mechanical Engineering, NIT Durgapur *Micro Systems Technology Lab., CMERI
2 1 san2sh.nit@gmail.com nagahanumaiah@yahoo.com

Abstract The research work carried out in this paper, aims at understanding the breakdown phenomenon of liquid dielectric by the low energy ultra-short pulsed electric discharge produced between tiny electrodes (~ 100m diameter electrode) through experimental studies In literature not many studies are reported on liquid dielectric breakdown mechanism, and in micro-EDM no published literature discusses about this. Therefore, a detailed study on literature has been performed and preliminary experiments have conducted on micro-EDM to understand the glow discharge and its breakdown phenomenon better, towards validation of scientific analogies for micro-EDM process conditions.

I. INTRODUCTION The growing interest in applications of micro-nano scale devices in many applications diversified the market demand towards batch production of multi material micro parts. Therefore, innovative integration and development of knowledge base for scaling up of production by precision manufacturing technologies to ensure effective industrial utilization has become the primary focused area of micro-nano scale manufacturing research. The successful adaptation of milling by electric discharge (i.e. EDM milling) for micro manufacturing, which is known as micro-EDM milling (EDM milling) has shown significant potential for producing accurate simple holes to a complex 3D feature on micro molds. In this context, several researchers are striving towards understanding the process fundamentals. Differences in plasma [1], localization of thermal heating [2] and effects of non-thermal forces in material erosion [3] have been reported. In spite of this, mechanism of material removal in micro-EDM process conditions is still debatable, and moreover the recent review on this subject emphasized the need for investigations towards better understanding gap phenomenon, thermal modeling, modeling influence of non-thermal forces and upscaling of the process. In order to understand the gap phenomenon, understanding of liquid dielectric breakdown under low energy ultra-short pulsed electric discharge is the primary aspect, which is currently being investigated during this fellowship period. Over the years, many models have been proposed to explain the mechanisms of liquid breakdown, but none of them has been unanimously accepted throughout. Breakdown

theories in the order of their acceptance are included as given above: Bubble Theory: Instability of formed bubbles results in the formation and propagation of streamers, finally resulting into breakdown [4,5,6,7]. Suspended Particle Theory: Conducting and polarizable impurities present in the liquid are involved in breakdown [8,9,10,11]. Electronic Breakdown Theory: The electrons ejected by field emission form avalanches similar to that in gas discharge and result into final breakdown [12,13,14,15]. Cavitation Theory: When electric field Eb developed in the presence of bubbles, which are responsible for cavitation, becomes equal to gaseous ionisation field, discharge takes place leading to decomposition and followed by breakdown [12,16]. In addition liquid breakdown involves a unique level of complexity compared to gas or solid dielectric breakdown. Physical characteristics, such as fluid viscosity, electroconvection, temperature, density and pressure dependencies complicate the analysis and modeling of the conduction and breakdown mechanisms [8]. Moreover, majority of the reported literature on liquid dielectric breakdown are either use laser energy or high energy electric discharges with longer discharge time. However, in micro-EDM conditions it is low energy and ultra-short pulsed discharge is the energy source to initiate the breakdown. II. EXPERIMENT In order to evaluate the adoptability of the above reported breakdown theories for micro-EDM conditions, experiments were conducted at Micro Systems Technology Lab at CMERI on DT110 Multipurpose micro machine tool. The glow discharges between two 100m tungsten carbide electrodes were recorded using a camera SONY HVR-Z7E HDV. A. Specification of EDM machine Name: Integrated Multi-process Machine Tool DT-110 Manufacturer: Mikrotools Pte Ltd. Power requirements: 230v, 50/60Hz Travel: 200(X-axis), 100(Y-axis), 100(Z-axis)

CONCLUSION The preliminary experimental study conducted in this work on micro-EDM process at open circuit voltage 100-120V using 100m electrode indicates that discharge is growing over time. The growth rate is relatively slow and breakdown is found to be rapid. The discharge initiates near the cathode surface and grows towards anode before it forms plasma channel between the electrodes. The plasma channel expands III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION over time in elliptical shape with maximum light intensity and The spark discharge images were further studied using then collapse rapidly. This preliminary study indicated that PFV software. In spite of compatibility issues between the bubbles and streamers formation do exists in dielectric images recorded in above said camera and the PFV software breakdown by micro-EDM discharge; however, it could not in studying at higher frames rate, these experiments helps us be confirmed unless otherwise the images recorded at higher to understand the pattern of glow discharge and its breakdown. frame rates are analysed. In this study the glow discharge in each and every frame using images recorded at higher frames rate could not have been succeeded due above limitations, however the discharge glow ACKNOWLEDGMENT and breakdown over time has been studied at 30fps. Figure 1 The financial and technical support of India Academy of and 2 depict the changes in spark intensity during glow Sciences (IAS) and Central Mechanical Engineering Research discharge and its breakdown over a time of 3sec using de- Institute (CMERI) is gratefully acknowledged. ionized water as a dielectric fluid. It has been noted that the discharge initiates near the cathode surface and grown towards anode before the plasma channel has been formed between REFERENCES electrodes. Over time this plasma channel expands in elliptical shape before it breakdowns. It has been found that breakdown [1] Nagahanumaiah, Janakarajan Ramkumar, Nick Glumac, Shiv G. Kapoor and Richard E. DeVor, (2009). Characterization of plasma in of discharge is relatively rapid compared to the discharge micro-EDM discharge using optical spectroscopy, Journal of growing rate. This confirms that during discharge initiation, Manufacturing Processes, 11(2), 82-87 formation of bubbles and streamers do exists in low energy [2] Katz, Z. and Tibbles (2005). Analysis of micro-scale EDM process, Int. J.l of Adv. Manufacturing Technology 25 923-928. discharge of micro-EDM. However in this experiment bubbles and stream formation could not be visualized at the 30fps. [3] Singh Ajit and Ghosh Amitabha (1999). A thermo-electric model of material removal during electric discharge machining. Int. Journal of This work can be further extended by processing the high Machine Tools & Manufacture. 39 669-682 speed images in each and every frame to understand the [4] Beroual, C. Marteau and R. Tobazon, Behaviour of streamers in liquids under step voltages in point-plane geometry, IEEE Trans. bubbles formation and cavitation effects in future. B. EDM Process parameters Discharge circuit: RC relaxation circuit Open circuit voltage: 100-120 V Discharge Capacitor: 120-150 pF Diameter of electrode: 100m
[5] Electr. Ins., 1988, 23(6), 955-959. W. G. Chadband , From bubbles to breakdown, or vice-versa, in IEEE 11th International Conference on Conduction and Breakdown in Dielectrics Liquids(ICDL 93), 1993,184-193. T. Aka-Ngnui and A. Beroual, Bubble dynamics and transition into streamers in liquid dielectrics under a high divergent electric field ,J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 2001, 34(9),1408-1412. J. Qian , R. P. Joshi, J. Kolb, K. H. Schoenbach ,J. Dickens , Microbubble-based model analysis of liquid breakdown initiation by a submicrosecond pulse ,J. Appl. Phys. , 2005, 97(11),113-304. Michael David Butcher, Mechanism of Charge Conduction and Breakdown in Liquid Dielectrics, Ph. D. Thesis, Texas Technical University, May 2005 E. Kuffel, W.S. Zaengl, J. Kuffel, High Voltage Engineering, 2000, Butterworth-Heinemann, Great Britain. V. KamaRaju and M. S. Naidu, High Voltage Engineering, 1996, MacGraw-Hill, USA. N. H. Malik, Nazar Hussain Malik, A. A. Al-Arainy, Mahammad Iqbal Qureshi, Marcel Dekker, 1998, USA. E. Kuffel, W.S. Zaengl, J. Kuffel, High Voltage Engineering, 2000, Butterworth-Heinemann, Great Britain. V. KamaRaju and M. S. Naidu, High Voltage Engineering, 1996, MacGraw-Hill, USA. von Hippel , Journal of Applied Physics ,1937, Vol. 8,pp. 815-832. D. W. Swan, Proceedings of the Physical Society ,1961, Vol. 78,pp. 423-432 Z . Krausucki, Proceedings of the Royal Society London,1966, Vol. A294, pp.393-404.

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[8]

[9] Fig. 1 Plasma channels formed during the electrical breakdown of deionized water in the order of increasing spark appearance [10] [11] [12] [13]

.Fig. 2 Plasma channels formed during the electrical breakdown of deionized


water in the order of decreasing intensity of light

[14] [15] [16]

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