Effects of Thermally Induced Bubbles on the Discharge Characteristics of Oil-Impregnated Pressboard

Under temperature and moisture combined, bubbles will be formed in oil-impregnated paper/pressboard (OIP/OIPB). Although many studies have been done to understand the thermo-induced bubble phenomenon in OIPB, the formation mechanism is not, let alone its effect on discharge characteristics and insulation performance of OIPB. In this article, the phenomena and mechanisms of thermally induced bubbles, their effects and mechanisms on the partial discharge (PD), and breakdown characteristics of OIPB are investigated. The results show that the bubble inception temperature (BIT) decreases significantly with the increase of the moisture of OIPB. There is a growth process of bubbles from small to large, and the heating temperature and moisture content of OIPB affect the gas component inside the bubble. Thermal bubbles significantly reduce the PD inception voltage (PDIV) and breakdown voltage (BV), and the PD evolution and dissolved gas components in the oil show significant differences in the presence/absence of bubbles. Interestingly, PDIV and BV start to decrease in a temperature interval before BIT, and we infer that many microbubbles and gaseous channels exist inside OIPB before observable bubbles are formed on the surface. Considering the fibrous porous structure of OIPB and combining it with the bubble nucleation theory, we propose a new model for interpreting bubble formation and insulation degradation. The model suggests that bubbles (vapors) form first in microcavities and holes inside the OIPB and then spill over to the surface to form observable bubbles. The microcavities and pores in the OIPB are filled with gas (vapor) as the main cause of PD inception and insulation degradation. This study contributes to understanding the mechanisms of bubble formation in oil–paper insulation as well as provides a reference for risk assessment during overload operation and diagnosis of bubble-induced related faults of transformers.