Development processes of surface trucking and partial discharge of pressboards immersed in mineral oil: Effect of tip curvatures

Abstract

The pressboard surface is the electric weak link of the oil-paper insulation in transformers, and long-term partial discharge (PD) erosion is the dominant cause of degradation in pressboard. To explore the development processes of surface tracking under the effect of tip curvature, the typical needle-plate model was selected to initiate an electric field with a high tangential component on pressboard surface under needle tip curvature of 4~42 µm. With the help of a high-speed camera and a PD detecting system, the development processes of surface tracking and PD were recorded under a sustained AC voltage. A profound difference between surface tracking under different curvatures was discussed. Pressboard surfaces after tests were observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the damage degree of cellulose fibers was dependent on the tip curvature.