Electrical characterization of a new enamel insulation

Investigations of dielectric properties of a newly developed enamel wire insulation created by adding chromium (III) oxide (Cr₂O₃) filler to polyamide-imide enamel base are presented. Results of measurements of electrical conductivity and complex permittivity at various temperatures as well as surface potential decay are discussed and compared with corresponding properties of standard enamel insulation. Contributions of different polarization relaxation processes in both enamels are examined based on the obtained master curves of dielectric response. In addition, the properties of chromium oxide filler are characterized separately and utilized further for analyzing its impact on the performance of enamel wire insulation by means of computer simulations. The experimental and simulated results demonstrate that the introduction of chromium oxide yields changes in the electrical properties that allow for mitigating the voltage stress in a wound insulation system. Furthermore, a correlation between the obtained results and the earlier described improved resistance to partial discharge activity of the chromium oxide filled enamel is discussed.