Partial discharge impulse behaviour in different insulating media

Partial discharge detection is an effective method for monitoring and evaluation of dielectric condition of high voltage equipment and so an important part for technical diagnostic as the base for condition based maintenance. A variety of different techniques is available to detect the partial discharge activity. The measurements are carried out with electrical, acoustical, optical and chemical techniques. Beside the detection of the individual partial discharge impulse and its impulse behaviour with the conventional electrical methods, the exact localization of the partial discharges is very important for an efficient maintenance. Therefore unconventional methods, for example the acoustical or the optical detection, are in use. In a research project an optical partial discharge measurement system was developed. In this paper a comparison between the optical and the conventional electrical measurement system is carried out for different insulation media at a peak-plate arrangement