Failure mechanism of the interturn insulation of low voltage electric machines fed by pulse-controlled inverters

Partial discharges (PDs) occur in the air-filled gaps of enameled wires that are touching. They erode the insulation and consequently lead to an interturn breakdown. This paper describes the failure mechanism of low voltage interturn insulation as a consequence of PDs and shows why and how it is influenced by the insulation design, temperature, and the applied voltage. Understanding the failure mechanism leads to better founded maximal permissible stresses and a proper design of the interturn insulation to avoid premature drive failures.