Comparison of partial discharge measurement and simulation results for spherical cavities within solid dielectric materials as a function of frequency using Finite Element Analysis method

Partial discharge (PD) is a discharge phenomenon that does not bridge the whole electrodes within a dielectric insulation under high field stress. The measurement of PD activity is used in the insulation diagnosis of high voltage components. A better understanding of PD may be gained from modeling of the discharge process. This paper is an extension from previous works by the same authors which have considered the modeling of PD activity in a spherical cavity within a dielectric material by using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method to study the influence of applied frequency. However, in this paper, simulation results are compared with measurement results as a function of frequency. From this, the parameters that influence PD frequency dependent behavior have been identified through comparison between experimental measurement and simulation results.