Partial Discharge Measurement at Pulse Voltage: Design of a Measurement Circuit and its Components

Abstract

Renewable Energies and electric vehicles rely on semiconductor switches. The switching pulses generated by such are found to accelerate the ageing process of dielectrics and possibly triggering partial discharges. Partial discharge measurement has developed to an established tool for quality assurance and failure identification at alternating voltages and is being continuously researched. The aim of this paper is to present a measurement circuit suitable to perform direct partial discharge measurements at pulse voltage excitation and accessing the partial discharge quantities known from conventional PD measurements following IEC 60270.