Research on the electrical aging characteristics of oil-impregnated pressboard under partial discharges

The insulating performance of oil-impregnated pressboard decreases due to partial discharges (PDs). Although methods of pressboard life assessment and its dependency on PD have been extensively investigated, little is known about the microscopic process and the physical mechanism of PD-induced pressboard failure. This study investigated the electrical aging characteristics of pressboard from the perspective of physico-chemical analysis. Pressboard samples were treated with the chosen numbers of PDs to induce electrical aging and the chemical composition of the PD-treated pressboard was analyzed. The results revealed the generation of carbonyl groups and the consumption of hydroxyl groups on the surface of the pressboard after PD treatment. These groups were generated by the cracking of the C2-C3 and C1-O bonds in the pyran ring, and the oxidation of hydroxyl group in cellulose molecules, respectively. Subsequently, the effect of PDs on the surface topography of the pressboard was examined. The results showed that the surface roughness of the pressboard changed with a "U-shaped" trend under the influence of PDs, first decreasing and then increasing immediately after. In addition, "micro pits" were found on the surface of the pressboard. Breakdown of the pressboard happened when a micro pit grew to a critical depth.