Partial discharge online monitoring system

Maximizing the system performance

Service Power Technologies
Service Power Technologies
Are you aware of the condition of your
assets?
For gas-insulated switchgear, as they are primarily used by
industrial companies, the Service Power Technologies division
of ABB Germany has developed an online partial discharge
monitoring system (PDM) to continually monitor substations
for partial discharge activities and to generate trend analyses
in order to be able to assess vital process parameters and
thus the current condition of the installation.

The system will inform you early on if there is a need for inter-
vention. This way, you will be in a position to implement an
enhanced level of reliability and profit from a longer service life
of the equipment and, at the same time, contribute to a highly
reliable and uninterrupted power supply.
1 Calibration tool | 2 On-site monitoring system
1 2
The proper functioning of substations and their components is a vital factor in
electrical power supply networks and their unimpaired reliability is of paramount
importance.
The Partial-Discharge Monitoring System
is able to provide continuous monitoring
of substations for partial-discharge
activities, and to create the appropriate
trend analyses.
Service Power Technologies
Giving customers best of ABB`s expertise

Monitoring system architecture
Why Online Monitoring?
A partial discharge (PD) is a clearly localized partial dielec-
tric breakdown in a limited section of an energized electrical
insulation system. In gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), PD faults
can occur anywhere as a result of a cavity, cracks, particles,
or embedded particles.

This condition can lead to unscheduled outages and thus to
substantial economic damage. In the worst case, such faults
could lead to costly grid failures.

Drawing from our expert knowledge in the field of PD measu-
rement and our longstanding experience as a manufacturer of
gas-insulated substations, we designed an online monitoring
system that is able to combine the following technical proper-
ties:
Ultra High Frequency (UHF) measuring method
Interference signal / noise suppression
Phase-resolved partial discharge representation
UHF sensors can be attached to any barrier insulator in a
gas-insulated switchgear. Retrofitting the online (PDM)
system is possible without having to shut down the facility.

Our PDM solutions have proven to be successful in subs-
tations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, both in
indoor and outdoor installations.

With the help of integrated analytical software, continuous
trends are recorded, and alarms can be forwarded to the
control room or load dispatch center using a TCP/IP or
IEC61850 protocol.
A sensitivity level of <5-pC in conformity with the CIGRE
specications
Trend analysis
Data transfer in conformity with IEC 61850
Fax
e-mail
SMS
Service Power Technologies
Overview of ABBs online monitoring
systems
Fully automatic monitoring system:
A UHF sensor is installed for each barrier insulator.
All sensors are being monitored
Starting from a given level, the system will detect any partial
discharge, e.g. from 5pC on.
Based on the averaged values, a trend curve is calculated
online and compared to the alarm levels specified.
Automatically generated alarms can be transmitted to floa-
ting contacts or via an IEC61850 link.

Semi-automatic monitoring system:
A UHF sensor is installed for each barrier insulator.
A number of selected sensors are monitored.
The rest of the sensors are in stand-by condition.
Starting from a given level, the system will detect any partial
discharge, e.g. from 5pC on.
If a fault is detected, the stand-by sensors can be included
in the fault detection concept.
Based on the averaged values, a trend curve is calculated
online and compared to the alarm levels specified.
Automatically generated alarms can be transmitted to
floating contacts or via an IEC61850 link.

Mobile monitoring system:
A UHF sensor is installed for each barrier insulator.
Regular measurements are carried out on selected sensors
using the mobile measuring system and a laptop computer
with the necessary software.
Manual recording of a possible partial discharge and locali-
zation of the point of fault.
1 Location of sensors | 2 PD-pattern identification
1 2
ABB can provide the best suited solution for your substation from full-scale
monitoring systems for comprehensive and continual recording of the data to
portable measuring systems for periodic checks
Service Power Technologies
Lifecycle extension for all assets
The presented PD online monitoring system has primarily
been designed for PD monitoring in gas-insulated switch-
gear. However, with a few adjustments, it can be used for
other critical operational equipment as well.

Since the IEC provisions urgently recommend on-site PD
testing on GIS up to 170 kV, the importance of monitoring the
dielectric condition of a running GIS cannot be emphasized
enough. In summary, our online PDM system with UHF sen-
sors can provide the following.

Customer benefits
Subsequent installation while the substation stays on line
Determining the substations fingerprint
Detecting PD faults in a very early stage
Providing information on a faults growth rate, severity,
location and type
Cutting unnecessary maintenance activities
Reducing the number of forced outages, and increasing
personnel safety
Enabling early scheduling of repair work and downtimes.
Facilitating the overall asset management

Enabling early scheduling of repair work
and downtimes.
Contact us
Note:
We reserve the right to make technical changes or
modify the contents of this document without prior
notice. With regard to purchase orders, the agreed
particulars shall prevail.
ABB AG does not accept any responsibility
whatsoever for potential errors or possible lack of
information in this document.
We reserve all rights in this document and in the
subject matter and illustrations contained therein.
Any reproduction, disclosure to third parties or
utilization of its contents - in whole or in parts - is
forbidden without prior written consent of ABB AG.
Copyright

2012 ABB
All rights reserved
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ABB AG
Service Power Technologies
P.O. Box 10 03 51
68128 Mannheim, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 621 381-30 00
Fax: +49 (0) 621 381-26 45
E-Mail: powertech@de.abb.com

www.abb.com