A "relay-race" wave propagation of partial discharges in a chain of gas inclusions in condensed dielectrics

The level of the partial discharges (PDs) activity in solid or liquid dielectrics indicates to a reliability of electrotechnical equipment. A stochastic model of partial discharges inside gas inclusions (voids or bubbles) in solid or liquid dielectrics was developed. The equations for electric field potential and electric charge transfer are solved together for dielectric with gas voids. Computer simulations show the possibility of a "relay-race" propagation mechanism of a wave of partial discharges in a linear chain of gas inclusions. This mechanism can be realized if the distances between voids are relatively small and the dependence of probability function is relatively sharp. In other cases, the partial discharges in the chain of gas voids is completely stochastic.