Effect of gaseous void on bipolar charge transport in layered polymer film

This paper describes a hybrid algorithm to study the effect of a gaseous void on bipolar charge transport in layered polymer film. This hybrid algorithm uses a source distribution technique based on an axisymmetric boundary integral equation method to solve the Poisson equation and a fourth order Runge–Kutta (RK4) method with an upwind scheme for time integration. Iterative stability is assured by satisfying the Courant–Friedrichs–Levy stability criterion. Dynamic charge mapping is achieved by allowing conducting and insulating boundaries and material interfaces to be represented by equivalent free and bound charge distributions that collectively satisfy all local and far-field conditions. This hybrid technique caters to bipolar charge injection, field-dependent mobility transport, recombination, and trapping/de-trapping in the bulk and at material and physical interfaces. The resulting charge map is the taxonomy of the different charge types and their abundance, and presents a dynamic view of the temporal and spatial distributions. The paper is motivated by images of breakdown experiments that point to the role of gaseous void in delamination growth. For the test configuration, the high field at the edge of the gaseous void act as a sink first for positive and then negative charge. The net effect is to increase delamination stress at the edge leading to further growth of the defect and increasing the potential for partial discharge within the void. (paper)