Dielectric interfaces in high-voltage technology: overview and theoretical approaches to the modelling of functional and breakdown behaviour

In virtually all modern electronic and electrical systems, the understanding of dielectric materials is imperative to the design, operation, and performance of system components. The use of dielectrics in solid, gas, and liquid phases is commonplace within the electrical engineering discipline, where the exact choice of material will be application-dependent, based on the specific requirements of the system being designed. It is common for different dielectrics of different phases to be found in a single system. For instance, phase-specific properties of dielectrics are often crucial for the operation of power equipment, and their inclusion is therefore unavoidable. In these cases, interfaces are generally undesirable. With ever increasing system complexity, situations where interfaces are formed between different materials often becomes a necessity. While solid, gas, and liquid dielectrics have been extensively studied in isolation, the behaviour of dielectric interfaces and composite insulation, in general, has historically received far less attention.