Characterization of dielectric liquids by measurement of the partial discharge inception voltage

Abstract

In order to better understand the behavior of industrial liquids under high fields, a method has been developed for studying prebreakdown phenomena via measurements of partial discharges. The method (referred to as the step method) is an improvement on a method developed by a CIGRE Task Force TF 15-02-02 which involves measuring the partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV) in a very inhomogeneous field (needle to sphere gap). Preliminary tests showed that the CIGRE method does not characterize the size of the liquid. This defect is overcome with the proposed step method. Results on the effects of conditioning and aging obtained with the proposed technique are presented.<>