Transmission equipment is mainly used for the XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) insulation cable for ultra high voltage power to minimize power loss. The experiment examined the partial discharge characteristics according to the insertion of the bar electrode and needle electrode into the XLPE specimen and the air voids. XLPE insulation cable manufactured by T. company and tungsten electrode material by K. company were used for specimens, by adhering conductive tape on the semi-conductive material of the lower electrode of XLPE specimen with the dimension of 16×40×30 [mm] was used as negative electrode. In order to investigate the PD with φ-q-n of XLPE specimen according to the electrode shape and the size of air voids. we examined the PD by varying the voltage after applying voltage of 3~20 kV on the electrode. Therefore, it was confirmed from the result of PD characteristics of specimen that the larger the air void than the gap between electrode (+) and electrode(-), the larger effect on the discharge when the bar electrode and needle electrode inserted into XLPE, and the closer the distance between the insulation and the needle electrode, the faster insulation breakdown.

The needle electrode is inserted into the cross-linked polyethylene(XLPE) which is the ultrahigh voltage cable for electric power. By changing the tilt of the needle electrode, we investigated how the void and the thickness of the insulating layer influence the partial discharge(PD) characteristics and the insulating breakdown. In order to investigate the PD characteristics, The XLPE cable was used to the specimens and the tungsten electrode was used with the needle electrode. And the inner semi-conductive layer material of XLPE cable was used with the negative electrode by bonding with the use of conduction tape. The size of the specimens was manufactured to be 16×40×30 [㎣]. We confirmed the effect on changing the PD characteristics according to the changing voltage and the tilt of the electrode after applying the voltage on the electrode from 1[kV] to 40[kV] at room temperature. In the PD characteristics, it was confirmed that the PD current of air void specimens with tilt was unstable more than that of no void specimens with tilt. It was also confirmed that the breakdown voltage was decreased because the effect of air void is more active than the change of the needle electrode tilt in the specimen with air void inside the insulation.