Measurement and Simulation of Partial Discharges in Solid Fuels

This work is devoted to a study of the characteristics of partial discharges (PDs) in solid fuels. The appearance of partial discharges in solid fuels occurs at very low voltages, which are not typical for most dielectrics. The activity of these partial discharges leads to breakdown of the rock. The characteristics of partial discharges in oil shales of the Huadan deposit (China) given in the paper indicate the voltage value at which partial discharges occur and breakdown occurs, and also show the nature of the dependence of the characteristics on voltage. An attempt was made to explain the low value of the PD initiation voltage in solid fuels, as well as to substantiate the possibility of using the PD characteristics to predict the onset of breakdown of the interelectrode distance for use in the technology of in-situ heating and pyrolysis of solid fuels.