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Title: Supercritical Dielectric Fluids for High Power Density Applications
Committee:
Dr. Lukas Graber, ECE, Chair, Advisor
Dr. Paul Steffes, ECE
Dr. Martin Mourigal, Phys
Dr. Maryam Saeedifard, ECE
Dr. Chanyeop Park, Mississippi State
Abstract: The objective of the proposed research is to further the fundamental understanding of dielectric properties of supercritical fluids and their mixtures, especially near the critical point. The electron kinetic process and Boltzmann analyses are conducted on different substances to investigate their dielectric properties. The breakdown characteristics of pure supercritical fluids and their mixtures are investigated and demonstrated experimentally in uniform electrostatic field. Investigations on dielectric properties of promising candidate supercritical fluids and mixtures, such as trifluoroiodomethane (CF3I), oxygen (O2), and perfluorinated nitriles, are conducted theoretically and experimentally. A theoretical method that combines the electron kinetics theory and the unique property of supercritical fluids at nanometer scale, also considers the mean free path of electrons, is developed. The method provides a new way to understand electrical breakdown characteristics of supercritical fluids by analyzing the mean free path of electrons and the cluster size. It also gives a quantitative evaluation of the critical anomaly of electric discharge in supercritical fluids. Research tasks discussed in this dissertation are expected to enable the design of numerous applications that require high power density, spanning from particle accelerators over X-ray radiography and radiotherapy to electrical power systems.
