Event details

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Event details

Presentation Title: Analysis of dielectric data: Challenges and Benefits

Abstract: The information contained in the dielectric response of materials can be used to investigate the micro-structure, charge motion and the ageing of dielectric materials. However there are several issues which may impede the correct interpretation of the data. For example, the measured dielectric spectra are often a superposition of several distinct processes, the electrode contact can change significantly the measured response and last but not least the choice of dielectric function to model the relaxation processes is often based on personal preferences and prior experience. Therefore, for the correct analysis and interpretation of the data, it is necessary to decompose the response into individual processes, split the bulk processes from the electrode contact and select a suitable dielectric response function.

In this talk, Dr Chalashkanov will explore the techniques available for analysis of dielectric data and will focus on the application of equivalent circuit models.  The use of equivalent circuit models offers an effective method to investigate the measured dielectric response data using discrete electrical components representing relaxation and conduction processes. The method of constructing the equivalent circuits and the rationale for using specific components in the circuits will be explained in detail. Some issues related to the application of the equivalent circuit method will be illustrated through examples.

Dr Nikola M. Chalashkanov was born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1981. He graduated from the Technical University of Sofia in 2003 with a Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and gained the Master’s degree there in industrial engineering in 2005. He joined the University of Leicester, UK in 2007 as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and received a Ph.D. degree for his work on charge transport and electrical breakdown in epoxy resins in 2012. In the period 2011-2019, he was a Teaching Fellow in the Electrical Power and Power Electronics Research Group in the Department of Engineering, University of Leicester. He joined the University of Lincoln as a Senior Lecturer in 2019.

Dr Chalashkanov is author and co-author of more than 40 peer reviewed papers. His research interests include partial discharge and electrical treeing phenomena, dielectric properties and charge transport in polymers, chaos theory, statistical analysis and data mining. He is a member of the Institute of Physics, a senior member of the IEEE and a fellow of the HEA.

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