Measurement of Partial Discharges with Synchronous Multi -

Channel Systems

Conference on Electrical Power Equipment Diagnostics
Bali, Indonesia

Thomas Prevost
2013-10-31 Page: 2
Why PD Measurements ?
Non-destructive test method to:

detect critical defects
localize defects
assess the risk
PD in HV Insulation Systems
PD in HV Insulation Systems
Equivalent Circuit Diagram
U
z
U
1
(t)
U
t
(t)
U'
1
(t)
-U
z
t
U
L
-U
L
F
C U q .
1
=
I
1
(t)
t
B
A
C
P

C
S

C
F

R
1

S
I
1
(t)
U
t

U
1

I
s
(t)
I
2
(t)
I
3
(t)
B
A

0 C
P
/2 C
P
/2
2C
S

2C
S

C
F

= dt t i q ). (
1
2013-10-31
Measuring Partial Discharge
Applied Voltage
Voltage across void
Voltage breakdown
across void
Page: 7 2013-10-31
Transformer
under test
Coupling
capacitor
Conventional Coupling of the Measuring Device
Testing
transformer
I
PD

PD
Fault (discharge)
Phase Resolved Partial Discharge (PRPD) Corona
PRPD Inner PD
PRPD Surface Discharge
PD Patterns
Source: J . Fuhr, Procedure for Identification and
Localization of PD, IEEE Transactions 2005
PD Patterns
Source: J . Fuhr, Procedure for Identification and Localization of PD, IEEE Transactions 2005
An example:
The source: 400kV = 4*10
5
V

PD signal: 100pC = 1*10
-10
C (C=As)

Under the influence of very high voltages and
fields we are looking for very small signals.



OK so far where's the problem?
Page 13
Dealing with interferences
Avoiding noise:
Supply line filter, blocking impedance and PD-free setup
Optical isolation between measuring point and measuring
system
Freely selectable measurement frequency for optimum SNR

Suppressing noise:
Software windowing (static and dynamic)
Antenna gating (external gating)
UHF Gating
Synchronous measurement at multiple phases (3PARD)
Synchronous measurement of multiple frequencies (3FREQ )




Page 14
Methods to avoid interferences
Optical isolation between measuring
point and measuring system
Page 15
Ground loop =
Antenna for
interferences
High Voltage area
PD Instrument (traditional)
Measurement cable
(electrical connection)
Optical Fiber Cable
Ground loop minimization
Synchronous Multi-Channel PD Measurement System
MPD600
PAGE 17
PAGE 18
Synchronous Multi-Channel
Measurement
Methods to suppress interferences
Windowing methods
Static windowing

Dynamic noise gating (DyNG)
Antenna gating (external gating)
Methods to suppress interferences
Page 22
Working principle of external gating
CD CD CD
PD pulse
detected
PD pulse
detected
PD pulse
detected
External
gating channel
PD pulse
detected
CD CD CD
PD pulse
detected
PD pulse
detected
PD pulse
detected
No PD pulse
detected
External
gating channel
The tank serves as a
virtually perfect Faraday cage
Antenna/Unit-Gating: MINUS Operation

-
Page 24
Measurement channel
Gating channel
De-noised measurement
UHF Gating
Methods to suppress interferences
Page 25
Principle of UHF-Gating
CD CD CD
No PD pulse
detected
PD pulse
detected
PD pulse
detected
PD pulse
detected
UHF
sensor
The tank functions as a virtually perfect Faraday cage
CD CD CD
UHF
sensor
PD pulse
detected
PD pulse
detected
PD pulse
detected
PD pulse
detected
Page 26
A sensor inside the tank?
> October 13


Factory
testlab
On-site
UHF-Sensor
Page 27
Meas. Tap
Combined UHF and IEC Meas.
IEC PD Measurement
UHF PD Measurement
Corrected IEC PD Measurement
&
Methods to suppress interferences
Synchronous measurement at multiple
locations to create 3PARD
Practical examples
Example: Induced voltage test
Battery
Battery
Battery
LV
HV
N
All stations measure SYNCHRONOUSLY (no multiplexer principle)

H1 H2 H3
Inner partial discharge
L1
L2
L3
L1
L2
L3
Inner PD source
L1>L2>L3
3PARD
timeframe
1 s
Inner PD source at L1
3PARD = Three Phase Amplitude Relation Diagram
Sources of external interference
L2
L3
3PARD
L1
L1
L2
L3
External interference
L1 L2 L3
timeframe
1 s
xternal
interference
3PARD = Three Phase Amplitude Relation Diagram
Principle of 3PARD / 3CFRD

3PARD / 3CFRD
Noise
Inner PD
Separated PRPD diagram:
Noise signals
Separated PRPD diagram:
Inner PD source
A single PD triple (signal ) is represented by one point in the diagram.
Each aggregation of such points (cluster) represents a single PD source.
The individual clusters can then be analyzed separately from one another
in real time as a classic PRPD diagram without superimposition of other signals.
Methods to suppress interferences
Synchronous multiple frequency
measurement to create 3CFRD
PD source 1 PD source 2 PD source 3
FFT pulse 2
FFT pulse 3
FFT pulse 1
FFT of pulses above
Filter 2
Filter 3 Filter 1
PD source 3
PD source 1
PD source 2
Filter 3 Filter 1 Filter 2
Every cluster can be
analyzed separately
How does it work?
PAGE 38
Measurement at Three Different Frequencies
with 3CFRD
Faulty joint
Needle
Surface
discharge
22kV_Corona_Surface_Joint
Signals of 3 Different PD Sources
PAGE 39
3CFRD and Back-Transformed Signals of the
3 PD Sources
PAGE 40
Stream
A practical example
Testing a 24 kV CT in the substation
The 3CFRD figure (3FREQ)
Page 42
3CFRD
(3 Center Frequency Relation Diagram)
...shows another source besides the background noise
The 3FREQ discovers the " hidden" PD

Before and after 3FREQ noise reduction
Background noise appr. 8pC
PD level appr. 6pC
Many thanks for your time!

Questions?