Theoretical and experimental derivation of partial discharge height distribution models

The time evolution of partial discharges (PD) in an artificial cavity in epoxy insulation is studied using a physical-simulative approach, supported by experimental results. The purpose is the inference of the validity of the Weibull function to describe the charge-height distribution, as well as the investigation of the behavior of the shape-parameter value. It is shown that the simulative procedure provides a good description of the PD patterns and that the two-parameter Weibull function is able to fit satisfactorily data in most cases. The shape parameter ranges in a quite narrow interval, thus being able to characterize the phenomenon of PD in insulation cavities.