Minimizing partial discharge inception risk in DC cables during energization and voltage transients

This paper shows examples of application of the stepwise energization technique to cable models, with artificial defects able to trigger surface partial discharges, PD. Compared with the conventional energization consisting of rapidly increasing voltage, the stepwise approach can reduce the risk of PD inception and related extrinsic aging, even for steady state voltage larger than AC PD inception voltage, PDIV
AC
, compared to the generally used single-step energization. It is speculated that such procedure can reduce risk and degradation rate due to PD in voltage polarity inversion for medium voltage, MV, and high voltage, HV, cables.