Partial Discharge in High Voltage PCBs

Currently, there are no established standards available to guide designers in preventing partial discharge (PD) when designing printed circuit boards (PCBs). Although there is extensive literature on the characterization and mitigation of PD for components such as wires, transformers, capacitors, and power modules, PCBs remain largely unaddressed. This study investigates the susceptibility of high voltage (HV) PCBs to PD using IPC-2221 clearance distances as a reference. Five different test subject PCBs are evaluated through a combination of simulation and experimental procedures to assess PD risk. The findings of this study indicate that following the guidance of IPC-2221 for clearance does mitigate the risk of PD at voltage levels up to 1 kV. However, the applicability of this guidance to higher voltage levels remains unclear. This work highlights the need for enhanced design criteria to mitigate the risk of PD in the design of printed circuit boards.