Voronoi Simulation on Puncture Phenomenon of ZnO Varistors

ZnO 바리스터의 평처 현상에 대한 보로노이 시뮬레이션

ZnO Varistor is an electronic ceramic device for controlling the surge voltage from low level to high. In this study, the puncture mechanism occurring in ZnO varistor is investigated, and the simulation for restraining the puncture by formulating the relation between the applied voltage and the increase of the inside temperature of grain is applied. In order to simulate the cause of the current localization which is the primary factor causing the puncture, the localization phenomenon and the temperature distribution induced by the localized current, the Voronoi network is applied, which can realize the structure of the practical varistor better than the established simple network. Using the current through each grain and the voltage applied to the grain boundary obtained from that simulation, the Joule heating energy is calculated and the phenomenon that the puncture occurs can be analyzed quantitatively by simulating the electric and thermal characteristics according to the externally applied pulsed voltage.