Partial discharge: Understanding how it occurs, detecting its presence and corrective action

Publication date: 
November 2011
Author: 
Chuck Yung, Senior Technical Support Specialist

Concerns about partial discharge (PD) used to be limited to repairers and users of machines rated over 7 kV. PD is a common consideration for machines rated 11 kV and higher. This article will describe PD, explain how to detect it, and offer repair solutions.

Discussion includes:

  • What is partial discharge?
  • Air as an insulator
  • Can we fix it?
  • Detecting partial discharge
  • Monitoring partial discharge activity
  • Partial discharge in random windings