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The Pulsed Electroacoustic (PEA) method is now widely accepted as one of the most simple and effective techniques for the measurement of the dynamic space charge distribution in solid dielectrics. Recently, the PEA method has been applied also to laminar test objects composed of two or more layers of different dielectrics (multi-dielectrics). However, when a multi-dielectric is tested by means of the PEA method, the different acoustic and electric properties of the materials affect the detected space charge signal. In this paper, the principle of the PEA technique is reviewed in case the test object is a multi-dielectric. The generation, transmission and reflection of electrically-induced acoustic waves are described. Based on the proposed approach, results of PEA measurements performed on various kinds of multi-dielectrics arc presented and discussed. Index Terms--Space charge, interface phenomena, pulsed electroacoustic method, PEA, dielectric materials, acoustic impedance, acoustic signal detection.

Topics related to space charge phenomenology, particularly the origin of space charge and its interaction with the host insulating polymer, have been widely discussed in recent years. Due to the development of reliable techniques for direct observation of space charge it is now possible to obtain, besides obvious indications on space charge and electric field magnitude and location, quantities that provide additional information on space charge accumulation and depletion rate, apparent mobility and trap depth distribution. Therefore, commonly debated topics such as the nature of charge carriers, the conduction mechanism, the charge dynamics at interfaces and the relation with nanostructure can be re-examined on the basis of space charge observation and this is, indeed, the purpose of this paper. Index Terms--Space charge, space charge limited conduction, charge carrier processes, polarization, nanotechnology, insulation, dielectric materials.

This paper presents a discussion of the concept of threshold for trapped space charge accumulation in solid dielectrics submitted to a dc field. The starting point is the fact that it is often possible to define a critical field separating an ohmic type of conduction from a non-linear regime in the current-voltage characteristic of solid dielectrics. In the space charge limited conduction theory, this critical field corresponds to the onset of space charge accumulation. However, other conduction processes, such as hopping conduction for example, can also explain non-linearity in the current-voltage characteristic, which does not involve space charge. It is proposed to check for the existence of a critical field for space charge accumulation using complementary techniques, i.e., space charge detection and electroluminescence techniques. Polyethylene, polyester and polycarbonate were investigated as being representative of three different families of polymers. It is shown that similar values of thresholds are found for a given material using the three above-mentioned techniques, lending support to the physical explanation of a threshold for trapped space charge accumulation. Index Terms--Space charge accumulation, threshold, PEA, LIPP, PWP, electroluminescence, space charge limited conduction.

HVDC cables start playing a more and more important role in interconnecting national grids. This paper deals with the calculation of electric fields in HVDC cables. The calculation of fields in an HVDC cable is far more complex than the equivalent case in HV ac cables. This is due to the fact that the conductivity of the cable insulation is temperature and field dependent and due to the fact that the electric fields under dc voltage may be time-dependent. The field distribution in an HVDC cable may be of a capacitive, intermediate (and time-dependent) or resistive nature. The kind of field depends on the stage the cable finds itself in: for instance, whether the voltage has just been applied, whether a polarity reversal has occurred or whether the field distribution has become stable. For each stage, the method of calculating, together with the computed results on a real HVDC cable are discussed. Usually, the effect of heating of the insulation by the leakage current may be disregarded. However, in certain cases, i.e. the cable temperature and applied voltage are high enough, the field distribution is influenced by these insulation losses. They even may lead to an instability that causes breakdown of the cable. A cable in service may be subjected to impulses superimposed on the dc voltage. The most severe case is that of an impulse superimposed on a dc voltage of opposite polarity. The calculation of the field distribution in this situation also is carried out.

Prof. Frederik Hendrik Kreuger's life-long work on partial discharges began as a young researcher in the high-voltage laboratories of Sweden's ASEA. Kreuger, who obtained a degree in electrical engineering at the Technische Hogeschool in Delft, Netherlands, furthered his studies at British Thomson Houston and N.V. Nederlandse Kabelfabrieken's laboratories. He adapted his PhD thesis into a book, 'Discharge Detection in HV Equipment,' and, in 1985 returned to the Delft University as a power engineering professor.