POSSIBILITY OF ACHIEVING AN ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE RATE OF GAS-FILLED SURGE ARRESTERS BY SUBSTITUTION OF ALPHA RADIATION SOURCES BY SELECTION OF ELECTRODE MATERIAL AND THE ELECTRODE SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY

The possibility of substituting the usage of a radioactive a-source to improve the characteristics of the gas surge arrester is considered in this paper. The solution to this problem is sought in the engineering of the characteristics by applying different electrode materials and varying electrode surface topography. Materials that differ in the output work value were examined. The electrode surface topographies were either polished, or with engraved regular spikes, or with polished cavities. The paper is mostly experimental in nature. The experiments were performed under well-controlled laboratory conditions. The measurement uncertainty of the experimental procedure was satisfactory. Experimental results were processed by sophisticated statistical methods of low statistical unreliability. The obtained results show that it is possible to avoid the installation of a radioactive source in the gas surge arresters and how it should be done. In this way, a possible contamination of the natural environment with extremely dangerous alpha - radioactive sources would be avoided.