Simulation of Partial Discharge with Two-dimensional Plasma Fluid Model Considering Practical Particle Reactions

A major challenge to the stable operation of power systems is the deterioration damage of insulation materials. Among them, partial discharge is one of the main factors causing insulation degradation. Therefore, an in-depth understanding and study of partial discharge is of indispensable value for maintaining the reliability and safety of the power system. Numerical simulations of partial discharges can provide a more accurate and detailed explanation of the discharge details in the air gap. As a result, this work constructs a two-dimensional solid insulation air gap partial discharge model based on the plasma fluid theory and adds the practical particle reactions to the model. By studying the partial discharge behavior of the air gap under power frequency voltage (50 Hz), the simulation results reveal that for plasma chemical system, unlike streamer discharge, partial discharge must contain excitation reactions, otherwise the discharge results will seriously deviate from the actual situation. Besides, due to the influence of the distorted electric field, electrons will migrate regularly in the radial direction as the discharge time goes by. Since the production of some ions is very dependent on electron concentration, they will have a similar spatial and temporal distribution. This simulation model can more accurately reveal the laws of partial discharge, help deepen the understanding of the discharge mechanism, and provide an effective tool for studying the impact of external parameters on partial discharge.