Partial discharges are electrical sparks, which occur in gas voids within the insulation when the voltage is high enough. The discharges are partial since there is some insulation remaining to prevent a complete breakdown. Partial discharge can erode the insulation and therefore contribute to insulation ageing.
This can be tested by electromagnetic probe, which is a detector that is sensitive to the radio frequency signals produced by the partial discharges within the winding. With this probe test it is possible to locate specific sites of deterioration within the winding when the winding is energized.