Determination of Partial Discharge Inception Voltage and Location of Partial Discharges by Means of Paschen’s Theory and FEM

Determining the partial discharge (PD) inception voltage (PDIV) is a key point when designing electrical coils or busbars. In this paper, a method making it possible to calculate the PDIV as well as to locate PDs in windings of any shape is presented. It is based on a 2-D finite-element computation using both dual-i.e., scalar and vector potential-electrostatic formulations and a comparison of the obtained operating points with Paschen's curve.