Electrical Discharges

Electrical Discharges
release and transmission of electricity in an applied electric
field through a medium - solid,liquid and gaseous

?Partial Discharge (PD)?

 Partial Discharge (PD)
Learning outcome for this chapter

PD Definition

Types of PD

PD Detection and Measurement

 What is Partial Discharge?
Localized electrical discharge that only partially bridges the
insulation between conductors and which may or may not occur
adjacent to a conductor. Generally such discharges appear as small
electrical discharges with duration of less than 1µs (IEC 60270)
PARTIAL DISCHARGES
Examples of PD
 Causes of PD

• Voids within solid insulation

• Irregularities such as sharp points on the
surface of insulating material
• Gas bubbles in liquid insulation
• Floating particles in gas insulation
• Discharges around an electrode in gas which is
known as corona discharge
• Poor connection or floating metal work
• Ionic contamination (moisture)
 PARTIAL DISCHARGES

Types of
Internal PDs Surface
Discharge Discharge

External
Discharge
Types of PD
Internal discharges

External discharges
TYPES OF PARTIAL DISCHARGES
SURFACE DISCHARGES
INTERNAL DISCHARGES
EXTERNAL DISCHARGES
 PARTIAL DISCHARGES

Effect of
partial
discharge….

Cause gradual
deterioration of the
insulating materials,
sometimes over a period
of several years, leading
perhaps to eventual
failure.
 PARTIAL DISCHARGES
Deterioration in
Does not the quality of
cause insulating
complete materials
breakdown on
the dielectric

Characteristics

The distance Unit :

between two Coulomb
electrodes is
only partially
bridged
 INTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES
Solid insulation contains Voids are filled with medium
voids or cavities within of lower dielectric
the medium or at the and lower permittivity
boundaries

Electric stress in the Even under normal voltage

void will be higher fields in void may exceed
than dielectric breakdown value
 INTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES

d
dc

d 𝜀c< 𝜀
dc dc << d
INTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES
INTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES

dc

d - dc

d
INTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES

V
1  d 
1 +  −1
r  dc 

Vc = Ecb d c
INTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES

 1 d 
Vi = E cb d c 1+  −1  
 r  dc 
 INTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES
Energy dissipated in the cavity in one discharge

1 CcCb
C c
V 2c
2 (C a C b)

But,
Cb
Vc Va
C b
Cc

Therefore, the energy dissipated

1 C2b
V 2a
2C c

Apparent loss in charge, Q CeqVa

C2b
Va
Cc
EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES : CORONA
• Corona’ is a form of partial
discharge that occurs in gaseous
media around conductors
which are remote from solid or
liquid insulation.

• However, ‘Corona’ should not be

used as a general term for all forms
of PD

Produced when the voltage gradient

exceeds the air ionization value

Depends on density, air humidity,

surrounding conditions, and surface of
the conductor
 EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES : CORONA

PDs develop in highly concentrated

electric fields

Accompanied by effects
such as visible light,
audible noise, electric
current, energy loss,
radio interference,
mechanical vibrations
and chemical reactions

Chemical reactions accompany

corona in air produces ozone and
nitrogen oxides
 EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES :
CORONA
Audible noise
(Hissing)

Results in CHARACTERISTICS
chemical
effects

Loss of
electric power

Partially discharges in air

around the sharp-point Glow-like shape
electrode
 EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES :
CORONA

CLASSIFICATION

AC Corona – The voltage DC Corona – The voltage supplied

supplied is AC voltage is DC voltage

Transmission Line Corona – at high

voltage transmission
EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES :
CORONA
EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES :
DC CORONA (POSITIVE)
EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES :
DC CORONA (POSITIVE)
EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES : DC
CORONA (NEGATIVE)
EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES :
DC CORONA (NEGATIVE)
 EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES :
AC CORONA

The periodic change in

direction of the applied field
under AC,
and its influences on the
residual space charge left
over from the discharge
during preceding half cycles
EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES : AC
CORONA
EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES :
AC CORONA
EXTERNAL PARTIAL DISCHARGES :
TRANSMISSION LINE CORONA
Thank You