Corona Assessment and Mitigation in Transformer Design

By Robin Benas, Engineering Manager

ICE Components, Inc.
Corona, by definition, is an electrical discharge appearing on and around the surface of a charged
conductor, caused by ionization of the surrounding gas. Also referred to as partial discharge.
Partial discharge: Localized dielectric breakdown of a solid or fluid insulation system under high voltage
stress. It often starts within voids in solid insulation such as epoxy, varnish and electrical insulation
materials.
Now that you know the definition, are you ready to take on a high voltage transformer design? Maybe
not? Corona is one of the most difficult aspects of transformer design. It is easy to ignore due to the
time lag needed for symptoms to show. It is also easy to overstate the risk. Believe me, after reading a
few corona articles you will be looking behind every door for corona! Our goal is to explore the concept
of corona in greater detail and offer a greater understanding of corona that will help engineers better
understand the risk and implement possible mitigation strategies. In this article, we:
Identify risk factors for corona
Offer simple means for detecting corona
Explore the effects of corona
Present strategies for preventing corona
Risk Factors for Corona
The engineer should be mindful of the voltage level where corona inception is likely to
develop. Regardless of frequency, the corona inception voltage could be as low as 300V. Consider that
even line voltage switching power supplies could be subjected to voltage levels up to 400V or even
higher at the power factor correction stage(s). 480V, three-phase power conditioning systems could
subject components to greater than 1KV!
So what influences the corona inception level? Why is it 300V in some designs while much higher in
others? Following is a list of attributes internal to the winding that can lower your corona inception
level:
Spacing between windings
Ratio of wire radius to turn-turn spacing
Wire insulation characteristics
Winding geometry and shape
Insulation between winding layers
Lead out routing and wire sleeving
External considerations include:
Bobbins/coil form designs
Terminal shape (square vs. round)
Spacing between terminals
Spacing between terminals and adjacent metal parts (cores and mounting hardware)
Simple Detection of Corona
How does one detect the presence of corona discharge? Under low-light conditions, it is possible to see
a telltale glow around those conductors giving off corona. Weak emissions around 400nm are faintly
visible to the human eye as a violet glow. Other indications include audible noise in the form of hissing
and/or a sour ozone odor. Quantifiable measurements of corona discharge can be acquired by the use
of specialized test equipment.
Effects of Corona
Electrical insulation materials that are exposed to corona will degrade over time. The effects are
cumulative and permanent. Depending on the voltage stresses, construction of the insulation system
and materials used, the effects can show up within a few seconds to several years later. The following
are the most common effects:
degradation of the insulation reducing the dielectric rating
carbon paths leading to arcing between conductors
erosion of conductor surfaces by ion bombardment
ozone gas generation which can result in nitric acid (HNO3) formation and, when in the
presence of atmospheric nitrogen and water molecules, result in surface etching and pitting, the
creation of salt deposits on components, audible noise (hissing and humming)
EMI failures resulting from voltage spikes; conducted and emitted.
It is interesting to note that the life span associated with a component that is subject to corona will
shorten in proportion to the frequency. In other words, for a given voltage, the higher the frequency,
the faster the insulation degrades and the shorter the life of the component. To put that into
perspective, a transformer coil that is designed to operate at 60Hz and is subjected to a slight level of
corona discharge, may last 50 years before total system failure. If you take that same transformer and
subject it to the same voltage, but at a frequency of 100KHz, the transformer will fail within 10 days.
Prevention of Corona
When reading the risk factors above you quickly realize that the corona inception level is influenced by
almost all aspects of design. Addressing one area, but not others, can very often lead to a failed design.
Below we briefly address some of the more common design strategies, available corona resistant
materials and workmanships impact on corona.
Design: Several studies have been conducted to determine a practical guideline that should help
prevent corona inception without resorting to special bobbin designs or the use of exotic
materials. How does one wind a simple transformer with common magnet wire and still prevent corona
inception? As it turns out, as long as the designer maintains a ratio of wire size (wire radius) to turn-to-
turn spacing (D/r) of less than 5.85, then corona will not develop. Consider a common SMPS
transformer that operates off-line. The primary voltage could easily exceed 400V. Chances are the
materials are common and no special precautions have been taken to prevent corona. Why doesnt it
fail? If you look closely at the design, you will see a tightly-wound coil of fine wire. The turn-turn
spacing is probably about twice the wire diameter, or a ratio (D/r) of about 2.25 which is less that the
5.85 critical ratio. (#26AWG example) This relationship is just one of the examples of the tricks of the
trade available to the magnetic designer.
Vacuum potting and/or impregnation: Potting materials should be low-enough viscosity to insure good
penetration within the coils. Values from 80 CPS to around 1000 CPS are common for varnishes while
epoxy tends to range up to 10,000 CPS. Small coils wound with fine wire would benefit from materials
on the low side of the scale. Materials should have a long pot life to insure that the material does not
start to cure (thicken) during the vacuum potting process. Although silicone materials exhibit good
corona resistance, care must be taken as the material tends to be of high viscosity which makes it
difficult to remove the air during the vacuum potting process.
The goal of vacuum potting is to remove all traces of air from the potting materials. Corona originates
within the voids (air pockets). The only reliable way to insure that no air is trapped is to draw a vacuum
on the material prior to filling the subject part, and then drawing another vacuum to remove any air
trapped during the pouring process. It is imperative that the vacuum level be a minimum of 1 torr (29.5
inches Hg) during the de-airing process. A higher air pressure will not be sufficient to boil the material
and draw out all of the air, especially when using the higher-viscosity epoxies and silicones.
Materials: Use of the proper material must also be considered. When choosing material, remember
that the weak link will determine the integrity of your design so care must be taken when choosing
materials. Some standard insulation materials have inherently good corona resistance: Silicone, PE,
PTFE are all examples. In addition, there are special materials designed specifically for corona
applications. Wire, both magnet and triple insulated, insulation tape, potting material, etc, are all
available in Corona Resistant versions. Corona resistant CR PTFE and Kapton CR are examples.
Workmanship: Workmanship is often the most difficult corona source to identify. Care must be taken
to insure consistent and uniform windings, along with the absence of foreign materials (dust, lint,
soldering flux, hand lotion, etc.) Also, solder connections should be smooth and without solder
points. Sharp edges or corners will create areas of high voltage stress which may lead to corona
discharge.
Summary
Passive components (transformers, inductors, and SMPS components) are going through an evolution
where switching frequencies are increasing and package sizes are decreasing allowing less and less
space for insulation. The best advice we can offer is to communicate with the experts in magnetic
component engineering in order to take advantage of their expertise and to ensure the long term
integrity of your designs. Also, it wouldnt hurt to have your final design tested for corona in order to
uncover any potential failures that may turn up in the future.