A Study on the Effectiveness of Partial Discharge Models for Various Electrical Machines' Insulation Materials

A vital component of electrical machines (EMs), which plays the most significant role in their reliable and proper operation, is their insulation system. Synchronous generators (SGs) are the most commonly used EMs in energy production and industry. Epoxy resin and mica are the predominant insulation materials for the SGs' windings because their characteristics and properties are suitable for extending the lifetime of the insulation. Partial discharges (PDs) are both a symptom of insulation degradation, as they cause serious problems for insulation, and a means to identify possible insulation faults with offline and/or online PD tests and measurements. A comparison of three different equivalent circuit models of PDs occurring in different insulation materials (epoxy resin, mica, and a combination of these two) is presented in this paper. Different applied voltages and/or various geometries of voids are the factors investigated through simulations. The number of PDs, PD activity, and flashover voltages are examined in order to evaluate which of the aforementioned materials has the best reaction against PD activity.