Partial discharge modelling in a spherical cavity within a dielectric insulation material as a function of frequency

The measurement of partial discharge (PD) is used in the performance assessment of an insulation system in high voltage components. Through modeling the discharge process a better understanding of the phenomena may be attained. This paper is an extension from previous works by the same authors which have considered the modeling of PD activity from a spherical cavity by using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method. However, this paper describes the development of an improved model for a spherical cavity within a homogeneous dielectric material. The model developed has been used to study the influence of applied frequency on PD activity. The model has also been used to simulate the PD measurement results. Therefore, parameters in the model that are affecting PD frequency dependent behavior can be identified through comparison between experimental measurement and simulation results.