Partial Discharges in a Cavity at Variable Applied Frequency Part 1: Measurements

In this paper partial discharges (PD) in disc-shaped cavities in polycarbonate are measured at variable frequency (0.01 - 100 Hz) of the applied voltage. The advantage of PD measurements at variable frequency is that more information about the insulation system may be extracted than from traditional PD measurements at a single frequency (usually 50/60 Hz). The PD activity in the cavity is seen to depend on the applied frequency. Moreover, the PD frequency dependence changes with the applied voltage amplitude, the cavity diameter, and the cavity location (insulated or electrode bounded). It is suggested that the PD frequency dependence is governed by the statistical time lag of PD and the surface charge decay in the cavity. This is the first of two papers addressing the frequency dependence of PD in a cavity. In the second paper a physical model of PD in a cavity at variable applied frequency is presented.