ON THE DAMAGE OF INSULATING MATERIALS BELOW INCEPTION VOLTAGE

Michael G. Danikas

   Although much work has already been done on the issue of partial discharges and their damaging consequences at and above inception level, the possibility of insulating material deterioration below the aforementioned level has not been investigated thoroughly yet. This paper indicates that there is evidence of partial discharge activity even below the inception voltage. This activity seems to be of intermittent pulsive nature. The present paper also points out possible directions for future research in this field.

Keywords: partial discharge, inception voltage, insulation lifetime

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