Nowadays, with the widespread use of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) cables in power systems, the measurements of space charges in full-size cables are becoming more relevant. One of the most common methods used for space charge measurements is the Pulsed Electro-Acoustic (PEA) method. This paper analyzes two factors that influence the electromagnetic interference on the piezoelectric signal. These factors are the connection of the injected pulsed voltage at the PEA test cell and the grounding of the PEA test cell. The influence was analyzed by means of experimental tests to compare different configurations and the electromagnetic distortion created in each one of them. It was observed that the physical location of the pulsed voltage at the electrode has a very important impact on the magnitude of the electromagnetic distortion. Moreover, it is shown that the physical connection of the grounding and the existence of a parasitic capacitance at the PEA test cell are also an important source of distortion.
Keywords: electromagnetic compatibility (EMC); high voltage cables; piezoelectric sensor; pulse electro-acoustic method (PEA); space charges.