Simulation of pre-breakdown phase of electrical discharge in reinforced concrete

The application of an electrical discharge technology for destructive recycling of the reinforced concrete is considered. Its main advantages, in comparison with the mechanical methods, are that the electrical discharge channel acting as a rock-breaking tool has an unlimited service life, and a lifetime of the electrode systems is much higher. The physical and mathematical model of the discharge development is described. The simulation results have shown that the discharge channel propagation velocity and the trajectory depend on the reinforcement locality and the voltage amplitude. The voltage affects the average speed of the discharge structure development which can reach the value of up to υ=5•10³ m/s. It is also shown that the reinforcing elements located between the electrodes attract the growing discharge structure. The lower the distance between the vertical axis of the high voltage electrode and the metal reinforcement position, the more probability of the discharge channel orientation towards this element.