A physical model, describing the nature of partial discharge pulse sequences

A description is given of a straightforward physical model, which is based on only a few physically meaningful parameters and that allows to describe the PD behaviour resulting from specific insulation defects. It is demonstrated that computer simulations of PD pulse sequences on the basis of this model correspond closely to experimental results. The comparison of simulated sequences and experimental results suggests that the discharge activity is not mainly a stochastic process but consists of periods, with different prevailing processes, each showing a nearly deterministic behaviour.