Simulation of Partial Discharge Electromagnetic Wave Propagation in a Switchgear Compartment

Partial discharge (PD) is one of the main failure contributors in medium voltage (MV) and high voltage (HV) equipment. Left unattended it can lead to service outages of electrical power system. In the case of air insulated MV switchgear equipment there is still need to identify the most effective placement of sensors for PD detection. To assist in optimizing sensor placement, a three-dimensional (3-D) finite element method (FEM) switchgear compartment model with bus bars is developed to study the propagation of electromagnetic waves generated by PD. The distribution of propagated electric field generated within the bus bar compartment from PD at two different locations is studied in the time domain. The simulations provide an improved understanding of the radiated frequency (RF) propagation signals within the internal design, thus understanding better the complex propagation paths to enable future sensor optimization positions.