Analysis of partial discharge characteristics in transformer oil insulation media using needle-plane and plane-plane electrode systems

Insulation failure is a common issue in electric power transmission. Insulation is necessary to separate two or more live conductors to prevent electrical arcing or sparking between them. Partial discharge (PD) is a phenomenon that can also occur in high-voltage equipment under pre-breakdown conditions. This PD activity can take place in liquid insulation, such as transformer oil, leading to a decrease in the quality and reliability of the transformer. This study aims to detect PD under various conditions and investigate its characteristics. Although various studies have been conducted on PD in liquid insulation, most of them focus on PD characterization under specific conditions without considering variations in electrode configurations that may influence the PD phenomenon. Therefore, this research is necessary to fill this gap by analyzing PD characteristics using a needle-plane and plane-plane electrode system. This study introduces the use of castor oil as an alternative liquid insulating material. In this study, PD testing will be conducted in a laboratory environment, and it is expected to produce reliable data regarding the capability of liquid insulation to withstand PD. The results obtained indicate that the PD phenomenon occurs more quickly in the needle-plane electrode configuration compared to the plane-plane configuration. PD in the needle-plane electrode occurs at an average voltage of 10.96 kV, while PD in the plane-plane electrode occurs at an average voltage of 12.5 kV.