Modelling the Electric Field Distribution in Polyethylene Nano-Composite to Investigate Electrical Treeing Initiation Using Finite Element Method †

Abstract

Electrical treeing is a type of dielectric breakdown in solid insulation when exposed to high voltage. It usually occurs due to non-uniform electric field, or by the presence of foreign particle (impurities) where partial discharge begins. Nanofillers improves dielectric strength by increasing the resistance to treeing. In this paper, the electric field distribution is simulated for polyethylene dielectric with needle-plane gap using finite element method in COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software. Using electric field distribution graphs, the electric stress at different points is computed. Filler addition makes the electric field uniform, and less intense which significantly improve electrical properties of polyethylene.