Observation of partial discharge in hexane under high magnification

Abstract

Partial discharges were observed in hexanes by means of shadow photography under the application of DC voltages. A nonuniform field geometry was used, and the growth of cavities associated with partial discharges at a point cathode was photographed at 200* magnification. A multiframe photograph of the cavity and a simultaneous record of the partial-discharge current provide a detailed record of the temporal and spatial development of the discharge. Examination of these data suggests that electrostatic forces are of primary importance in driving the growth of the cavity near its inception.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>