Dynamic corona characteristics of water droplets on charged conductor surface

The formation of the Taylor cone of a water droplet on the surface of the conductor in a line-ground electrode system is captured using a high-speed camera, while the corona current is synchronously measured using a current measurement system. Repeated Taylor cone deformation is observed, yielding regular groupings of corona current pulses. The underlying mechanism of this deformation is studied and the correlation between corona discharge characteristics and cone deformation is investigated. Depending on the applied voltage and rate of water supply, the Taylor cone may be stable or unstable and has a significant influence on the characteristics of the corona currents. If the rate of water supply is large enough, the Taylor cone tends to be unstable and generates corona-current pulses of numerous induced current pulses with low amplitudes. In consequence, this difference suggests that large rainfall results in simultaneously lower radio interference and higher corona loss.