Partial discharge detection, Experimental-Simulation Comparison and actual limits

The present paper reports a comparison between experimental and simulated partial discharge detection. The transition toward greener transportation solution, such as hybrid or all electric aircraft, imply the use of higher voltage to mitigate the mass. Experimental measurement of partial discharge is possible but does not always provide results on the location of the discharge or on the different possibilities to avoid them. The aim of this paper is to examine results provided by a software (AIRLIFT), using as input electrostatic simulation, to a) predict the Partial Discharge Ignition Voltage (PDIV), b) localize the Partial Discharge (PD), c) be able to directly modify the design in order to increase the PDIV and d) compare the simulated results to experimental ones. To do so, twisted pairs samples were studied experimentally and numerically, under different environmental constraints to simulate aeronautical environment, in order to obtain and compare the PDIV. This paper will briefly present the theory and the equipment used, the different results obtained and a comparison between them. Current limitations of the simulations will also be discussed.