Space Charge Characteristics of Oil-paper under AC/DC Composite Voltage

Oil-paper insulation bears AC/DC composite voltage in converter transformers. However, the AC/DC space charge behavior is still not clear, which will result in electric field distortion, material aging and even insulation failure. In this work, the space charge distribution of oil-paper under the AC/DC composite voltage with the AC/DC ratio of 1:1, 1:3, 1:5, and 1:7, is studied by pulse electroacoustic (PEA) method, respectively. It was found that as DC component increases, the accumulated charge near the electrode decreases, while the interior charge increases. It suggests that DC stress mainly influences the amount and the depth of space charge accumulation. AC component has a relatively significant impact on the injection and extraction behavior of space charge near the electrode. Furthermore, AC/DC composite voltage enhances the migration of space charge compared with that under DC voltage. This research contributes to the further understanding of the space charge characteristics of oil-paper under AC/DC composite voltage, which will benefit the safe and stable operation of converter transformers.