Energy Industrial Automation Quality Control

Advantages of double shielded PD testing lab

Partial discharges (PD), as defined by IEC60270, are localized dielectric discharges in a solid or liquid
electrical dielectric insulation system under high-voltage field stress. It can be caused by discontinuities or
imperfections in the insulation system. PD testing thus gives an indication of deterioration of the insulation
and is an indicator of incipient faults.

In order to identify the actual partial discharge occurrence in the testing object, the high accuracy
measurement environment is needed with very low external interference. The external interference consist
mainly electric, magnetic disturbances in the wide spectrum of frequencies. To suppress these disturbances
shielding is mandatory. In PD laboratory single and double shielding are utilized based on technical
requirement.

Faraday cage
Faraday cage, can be used to eliminate electromagnetic field interference, in order to make the suitable PD
noise background when carry out partial discharge test in accordance with IEC 60270. If the faraday cage is
big enough, the earth resistance can reach 0.5ohm or lower value. Good faraday cage can supply excellent
background partial discharge environment for the high voltage testing inside, e.g. less than 1pC or 2pC.

The copper shielded cage has low attenuation in low frequency magnetic noises and the GI/MS shielded lab
has low attenuation in high frequencies electric noises. Based on experimental results single shielded lab is
suitable for more than 5pC

The performance of double shielded PD lab is excellent in characteristics with noise attenuation from 50 kHz
to 7 GHz bandwidth electric and magnetic noises. The IEC 60270 recommends the bandwidth of PD
measurement is values for f1, f2 and f are 30 kHz f1 100 kHz; f2 > 500 kHz; 100 kHz < f < 400 kHz.

Below table shows the attenuation results of double shielded and single shielded enclosures. The
experimental results shows double shielded lab has better performance characteristics

Sl. Frequency (kHz) Signal strength average inside the lab Attenuation
No. dB
Outside Lab mV Inside Lab - mV
1. 657 Single Shielding 1000 40 27.95
Double Shielding 1000 1.4 57.07
2. 1008 Single Shielding 1000 30 30.46
Double Shielding 1000 1.35 57.39

Most of the laboratory experiments shielding double shielding gives best result in PD measurements. Further
the double shielded lab utilized to study the fault analysis also.

Green Pulses Power Solutions Private Limited

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