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2026-10-06 IEEE Xplore - Peek-Frank

Abstract pages read in Chrome (full texts are paywalled; some pre-1923 AIEE papers are free elsewhere, see archive-org note). IEEE is the successor of the AIEE, Peek's professional society.

  1. F. W. Peek, "The Law of Corona and the Dielectric Strength of Air - IV: The Mechanism of Corona Formation and Loss", Trans. AIEE XLVI, pp.1009-1024, 1927, DOI 10.1109/T-AIEE.1927.5061442 [web: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5061442]. Abstract (Peek's own words, condensed): mechanisms studied "with the cathode-ray oscillograph", measuring power of about 0.1 W "with an accuracy of 1 per cent"; "the loss follows the quadratic law above the visual critical voltage"; on polished wires "there is no loss until the visual critical voltage is reached", then loss "starts quite suddenly"; on cables loss below the visual critical voltage at rough spots "can be represented by the probability law"; "the really important factor in design is the irregularity factor ... for weathered conductors"; "No line should be operated with a corona loss under fair weather conditions"; as voltage rises above the visual critical value the instantaneous critical voltage falls until corona starts at the zero of the wave "when the applied voltage is twice the visual critical voltage". Bearing: Peek's own later work on claims 2 and 3. It is a 1927 re-measurement of the quadratic loss law (claim 3) with a new instrument, and its title promises a mechanism (claim 2). The project's book (1920) left the form of the rupturing energy unspecified; this paper is the place to see whether Peek later specified it. Highest-priority read.

  2. Peek 1924, "Lightning and Other Transients on Transmission Lines", Trans. AIEE pp.1205-1221, DOI 10.1109/T-AIEE.1924.5061070, PDF [web: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/4763772/5060960/05061070.pdf] (snippet only). Bears on claim 5.

  3. Gildas Hartmann, "Theoretical Evaluation of Peek's Law", IEEE Trans. Industry Applications IA-20(6), pp.1647-1651, Nov 1984, DOI 10.1109/TIA.1984.4504655 [web: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4504655]. Abstract: "A theoretical evaluation for Peek's law which yields the corona onset gradient is made in air for positive wire/cylinder and positive point/plane geometries" using "Meek's criterion" (a streamer criterion), taking into account "the variation of apparent ionization coefficient ... of air with humidity, pressure, and temperature" and the tip radius or wire diameter; results compared "with a variety of experimental results". Google shows about 250 citations. Bearing: later theory by others that derives the onset gradient Peek fitted empirically (claim 1) from ionization physics, i.e. related work on claim 2's open question (what sets the "energy distance"). Its inclusion of humidity in the ionization coefficient bears on Peek's statement that humidity has no effect. Read the full paper.

Wikipedia's bibliography of Peek's papers (see 2026-10-06-wikipedia.md) gives further DOIs on IEEE Xplore: 1912 Part II, 1913 Part III, 1914 sphere gap, 1914 altitude, 1915 transient voltages, 1926 lightning rods and cages.