Modeling of partial discharge activity in spherical cavities within a dielectric material

In this paper, a model for a spherical cavity within a homogeneous dielectric material was developed using finite element analysis (FEA) software. The model was used to study the influence of different cavity conditions on local electric field distribution and consequent PD activity. The study involved variation of cavity diameter and cavity location within the dielectric material. In addition, experimental measurements were undertaken using epoxy samples containing single spherical cavities of different diameters.