Aerospace and Defense Review

Offsetting Partial Discharge with Electrical Insulation

Aside from degrading the material, PD becomes an extrinsic aging factor when the PD inception voltage (PDIV) is reached inside existing defects.

Electrical insulation materials face significant problems due to the expanding applications for high-voltage equipment and propulsion in the aerospace and space industries. Switching to new high-voltage electrified systems with previously unheard-of voltage, power, and efficiency levels must be safe and dependable. The necessity for more power transmission equipment and cabling and increased safety regulations that may result in heavier systems hamper efforts to improve the safety and performance of megawatt systems. Novel lightweight materials and system fixes that would lead to the reduced conductor and insulator weights are needed to address this problem.

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The high voltage (300 V) operation provides substantial difficulty, even though smaller and lighter system components may be made with new concepts, designs, and technologies. The harsh operational conditions faced by airplanes, spacecraft, and the intended locations for human exploration make this task much more difficult.

Managing high voltage: A phenomenon of consequence is partial discharge (PD), which often happens when two conductors are not connected. It develops within insulating materials as a result of vacancies, fractures, pollution, aging, flaws (which may be present either naturally or as a result of manufacturing procedures), and maintenance. 

 

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