Simulation of UHF PD Wave Propagation in Plug-in Cable Terminations

The ultra-wide band partial discharge detection is successfully applied to assess on-line the insulation condition of plug-in cable connectors. To enhance the performance of this diagnostic method a series of numerical simulations on the detailed 3D model of the cable termination was conducted. 3D modelling of the UHF wave propagation was based on the finite integration technique. The impacts of sensor's geometry and positioning on the UHF PD signal coupling were studied. The energy of the UHF PD pulse induced in sensor was used as a criterion for comparison. The eigenmode simulation was performed to match the working range of the sensors with the strongest resonance frequencies originating in the cable termination. The numerical results for capacitive and inductive sensors of different geometries were successfully verified by a series of laboratory measurements on a test setup using a built-in artificial PD defect or a UHF pulse generator.