Stochastic models of partial discharge activity in solid and liquid dielectrics

A new model that can reproduce main stochastic features of partial discharge (PD) activity at AC and DC voltages was proposed. The type of PD activity because of microdischarges in small cavities present in dielectric materials was considered. Three different criteria were used to simulate an initiation of partial discharge inside voids. The simplest criterion of threshold type was used also to describe a decay of plasma in voids and subsequent decrease in conductivity to zero. After AC voltage was applied to solid dielectric, the narrow peaks of current in external circuit were observed in our simulations. Every peak corresponds to a moment of PD in a void. The behaviour of cavities in dielectric liquid under DC voltage was also simulated. In this case, PD activity is possible even under DC voltage because of both elongation of microbubbles present in a liquid and diffusion of charge carriers from the surface of a bubble into a liquid.