PARTIAL DISCHARGE STUDIES IN SOLID

SHEET INSULATIONS
Project Report
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF

Master of Technology
IN

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

By

ALSHIFA ISRAIL

UNDER THE ABLE GUIDANCE OF

MR. M.U. ZUBERI

MR. A. MASOOD

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

ZAKIR HUSSAIN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
A.M.U., ALIGARH.
ZakirHussain College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Electrical Engineering
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
 Certificate

This is certified that project entitled “Partial Discharge Studies in

Solid Sheet Insulations” submitted by Alshifa Israil as partial

fulfillment for the award of M.Tech. degree is a record of her work

under our supervision. The project report has been checked,

corrected and is fit- for submission.

Mr. M.U. Zuberi Mr. A. Masood

(Supervisor) (Co-Supervisor)
INTRODUCTION
Definition of Partial discharge, as its name would suggest, is an electrical discharge
that occurs across a portion of the insulation between two conducting electrodes
without completely bridging the gap. Partial discharges can occur in voids in solid
insulation (paper, sheet, polymer etc.), gas bubbles in liquid insulation or around an
electrode in a gas (corona). Corona discharges is usually exposed by a relatively
steady glow or brush discharge in air, partial discharges within an insulation system
may or may not exhibit visible discharges, and discharge events tend to be more
isolated in nature than corona discharges which are rather continuous.
Under normal working condition in high voltage equipment partial discharges may
get initiated where the insulation condition has deteriorated with age and/or has been
aged prematurely by thermal over-stressing creating a flaw in it. Improper
installation, poor design and/or workmanship (this is seen particularly in cable joints
and terminations which are made up on site) can lead to partial discharges while
installation of new equipment.
PD can lead to DD (disruptive discharge). It result from breakdown of gas in a
cavity, breakdown along an interface, breakdown of gas in an electrical tree channel
or breakdown between an energized electrode and a floating conductor, etc. After
initiation, the PD can propagate and develop into electrical trees until the insulation
is so weakened that it fails completely finally.
PD can be prevented or rather minimized through careful design and selection of
material. In critical high voltage equipment, the virtue of the insulation is confirmed
using PD detection equipment during the manufacturing stage, on site before and
after installation as well as periodically throughout the equipment’s useful life.
Detection and prevention of PD are essential to ensure reliable, long-term operation
of high voltage equipment used by electric power utilities and industries.
IEC: 60270 standards on partial discharge measurements define Partial discharge as
“a localized electrical discharge that only partial bridges the insulation between
conductors and which may or may not occur adjacent to a conductor”.
International Standards and Informative Guides
 IEC 60270: 2000/BS EN 60270:2001 “High-Voltage Test Techniques —
Partial Discharge Measurements”
  IEC 61934:2006 “Electrical insulating materials and systems - Electrical
measurement of PD under short rise time and repetitive voltage impulses”
 IEC 60664-4:2007 “Insulation coordination for equipment within low-voltage
systems — Part 4: Consideration of high-frequency voltage stress”
 IEC 60034-27:2007 “Rotating electrical machines — Off-line partial
discharge measurements on the stator winding insulation of rotating electrical
machines”
 IEEE Std. 436TM1991 (R2007) “IEEE Guide for Making Corona (Partial
Discharge) Measurements on Electronics Transformers”
 IEEE 1434—2000 “IEEE Trial-Use Guide to the Measurement of Partial
Discharges in Rotating Machinery”
 IEEE 400-2001 “IEEE Guide for Field Testing and Evaluation of the
Insulation of Shielded Power
The localization of the discharge may be the consequence of an electric field
enhancement restricted to region that is relatively small compared with the
dimensions of the space or gap between the conductors. The field enhancement can
be associated with abrupt changes in the nature of the insulating medium that may be
caused by voids in solid dielectric or gas filled spaces at dielectric or gas filled spaces
at dielectric-conductor or dielectric-dielectric interface.
The observed PD phenomenon is inherently self-quenching. This may be attributed
to the fact that the electric field strength beyond a certain point is too low to support
continued growth of the discharge or because of the accumulation of the surface or
space charge produced during the discharge activity acts to reduce the local field
strength to a level insufficient to sustain the discharge. The PD pulses typically have
width in the range of 3 to 300ns. The PD activity occurs in regions which are at least
partially in the gas phase.
Insulating materials are mostly organically based materials, which if subjected
continuously to PD over long periods of time will eventually deteriorate and undergo
final breakdown. These deterioration process is both chemical and physical in nature,
and the actual failure mechanism may assume either an electrical, mechanical,
thermal character or a combination of the above. PD causes physical erosion due to
changed particle impact on the cavity walls of organic insulating material; this is
accompanied by chemical deterioration as the hydrocarbon molecules undergo bond
scission (breakdown).
Due to reaction occurring between and chemically activated surfaces of the cavity’s
walls various gases are formed. The gas pressure within the altered atmosphere of the
cavity changes and that together with the changes of wall surface conductivity alters
the discharge behavior within the cavity. In cavities which are aged, the PD pulse can
broaden to have a rise time of up to several tens of ns and a pulse width up to some
hundreds of ns. For such a broad pulse, a bandwidth in the range of 10 MHz is
sufficient.
1.1 FAILURE OF INSULATION IN DIFFERENT POWER APPARATUS
1.1.1 Mechanism of Deterioration
 The damage may be caused by several phenomenon such as below:
 Ion and electron bombardment, causing heating of anode and cathode, erosion
of these surfaces and chemical process at the surface
 Formation of chemical products in an ionized gas such as nitric acid and
ozone
 Ultraviolet rays or soft rays.
There are three stages of deterioration in certain kind of insulation:
i. It commences as uniform surface erosion, due to thermal stresses, soft X-
rays or ultra violet radiation.
ii. In second stage, the discharge becomes concentrated near the periphery of
the cavity likely due to field concentration in the dielectric near the
periphery of the void or due to the presence of dielectric plane parallel to
the field (as it lowers breakdown voltage) causing discharge near the
cavity than in center. A number of deep pits are formed and sometimes
carbonization of pits also occurs in the void periphery.
iii. In the third stage, the stress at the top of the pit approaches the intrinsic
electric strength of the dielectric over a distance of some microns because
of the field concentration around these sharp pits. The dielectric breaks
down over this distance, field cone moves to the new tip and narrow
channel propagates quickly through the dielectric initiating complete
breaks down. This deterioration in dielectric increases with the number of
discharges and is consequently proportional to the frequency of the
 applied voltage, and is dependent on the amplitude of this voltage. It also
depends upon the intensity of the discharge and nature of the dielectric
material or medium.
1.1.2 Effect of Partial Discharge on Power Apparatus
To highlight the practical importance of discharge detection, the failure of insulation
in different power apparatus due to partial discharge is as follow:
1.1.2.1 Transformers
Sufficient drying of solid insulation material, aging of oil during operation
insufficient degassing of the oil, and presence of dirt or other foreign material in the
oil are the reasons responsible for occurrence of discharge in oil cooled transformers.
It is found that in cast-resin transformers the occurrence of this deterioration in
dielectric increases with the number of discharges and is consequently proportional
to the frequency of the applied voltage, and is dependent on the amplitude of this
voltage. It also depends upon the intensity of the discharge and nature of the
dielectric.
1.1.2.2 Capacitors
Capacitors acts as lumped circuit elements, thus PD tests on capacitors constitute a
procedure with the provision that their capacitance is not too large. But, this is not the
situation with the vast majority of HV power and energy storage capacitors which
possess high capacitance. It has been demonstrated that ultrasound technology are
capable of detecting discharges in capacitors having capacitances as high as 4OjiF
and localizing the PD.
It is also that capacitance increases when the cavity is conducting, which means that
a current must flow down the conductor to charge the additional capacitance and to
maintain the conductor on a constant voltage. A voltage pulse is generated when this
current flows in the conductor through the impedance of the cable, which propagates
through the conductor.
1.1.2.3 Rotating Machines
It is usually at the bends and the sharp edges of the stator winding corona discharge
is observed. On stator winding, which are made of a suitable insulating material such
as mica or synthetic resin, bonded mica form natural cavities when in service due to
delamination. Within these cavities, white dendrite deposits are formed on mica due
to occurrence of PD. It has been observed that there is puncture and tracking between
natural cavities. Rotating Machinery also possess similar insulation and thus
identifies similar failure causes for motor insulation systems. These include thermal,
electrical, environmental and mechanical stresses when a particular threshold value
exceeds.

1.1.2.4 Cables
There are fair chances of inclusions in the dielectric of plastic insulated cables, which
will cause internal discharges in the inclusion and may cause failure of insulation. In
case of extruded plastics, the main causes of discharges are voids formed at
conductor surface due to shrinking of insulation. There are surface discharges at the
end of cables as the field is non uniform at the end due to presence of air instead of
insulation. Such condition can be avoided by dipping the cable ends in a good
insulating oil.
All shielded power cables and CCs have substantial high frequency attenuation that
increases the pulse width and decreases the pulse amplitude as a function of distance
propagated, which also limits the optimum signal detection bandwidth. The
numerical electromagnetic analysis is being studied for the propagation of PD.
1.1.2.5 Switchgears
For some short duration an important test for gas-insulated switchgear is performed
at three or four times nominal operating voltage. This test may lead to partial
discharges in the insulation or cause tracking and treeing at the surface of the
insulation or can cause some damage to its insulation.
1.2 INTERACTION BETWEEN PARTIAL DISCHARGE AND INSULATION
Deterioration of the dielectric is induced by PD. It is roughly due to two processes;
chemical degradation and physical attack by bombardment of particles (nitrogen
ions). The interaction between PD in a cavity and surrounding dielectric is complex
and many effects have been identified and studied. The aging of the dielectric is
affected by PD.
The generally accepted aging process of insulation is as follow:
 The surface of the cavity experiences increase in the conductivity due to the
reaction processes of humidity and the dissociation products of air as caused
by the PD.
  In the following stage the surface roughness increases due to the charge
carrier bombardment and deposition of PD by-products.
 Formation of localized solid byproducts are formed by further PD activity,
i.e. crystals which have been positively identified as hydrated oxalic acid.
 Further intensification and localization of the PD process is led by the field
enhancement at crystal tips and often pit formation is observed as a
consequence tree growth is initiated.
 Ultimately, the treeing and tracking growth may lead to breakdown.
 If fillers are present in the dielectric, the insulation between filler particles are
usually most severely deteriorated.
1.3 EFFECTS OF PARTIAL DISCHARGE IN INSULATION SYSTEMS
PD do not causes the full insulation breakdown immediately but localized ionization
within electrical insulation that is caused by a high electrical field. PD is often
initiated within gas voids enclosed in solid insulation, or in bubbles within a liquid
insulating material, such as voids in an epoxy insulator, or gas bubbles dissolved
within transformer oil thus including all the three medium i.e. solid, liquid and gas.
Dielectric constant of the gas in the cavity is much less than the surrounding material,
it experiences a significantly higher electric field than the surrounding As the stress
becomes high enough to cause electrical breakdown in the gas, a partial discharge
occurs. PD can also occur along the surface of solid insulating materials if the surface
tangential electric field is high enough to cause a breakdown along the insulator
surface. This phenomenon commonly manifests itself on overhead line insulators
mainly on contaminated insulators during days of high humidity in atmosphere. Air
acts as the insulation medium for overhead insulators. The air discharges radiate the
majority of their energy at frequencies below 200 MHz, whereas discharges in oil or
SF6 (stronger dielectrics) have a broader spectrum extending up to I GHz.
PD within high voltage cables and equipment can be very alarming and ultimately
leading to complete breakdown. The cumulative effect of partial discharges within
solid dielectrics is the formation of numerous, branching partially conducting
discharge channels, a process called treeing. Irreversible mechanical and chemical
deterioration of the insulating material takes place with repetitive discharge events.
The electrical conductivity of the dielectric material surrounding the voids also tends
to increase with the chemical transformation of the dielectric. This increases the
electrical stress in the unaffected gap region, accelerating the breakdown process. A
number of inorganic dielectrics, including glass, porcelain, and mica, are
significantly more resistant to PD damage than polymer dielectrics and organic based
insulators.
Energy, generally in the form of heat, but sometimes as sound and light as well is
dissipated by PD like the hissing and dim glowing from the overhead line insulators
(corona). Thermal degradation of the insulation can take place with the heat energy
dissipation, although the level is generally small. Monitoring the PD activities that
occur through the equipment’s life can determine the integrity of the insulation for
HV equipment. This adds to the reliability and longevity of equipment, close
monitoring of in high-voltage equipment will enable us to determine its useful life
and perform early preventive maintenance.
LITERATURES REVIEWS
The effects of PD within high voltage can be very serious, ultimately leading to
complete failure. The cumulative effect of partial discharge within solid dielectrics is
the formation of numerous, branching partial conducting discharge channels.
Repetitive discharge events cause irreversible mechanical and chemical deterioration
of the insulating material. As PD activity progresses, the repetitive discharges
eventually cause permanent chemical changes within the affected dielectric. Over
time partially conducting trees are formed. This places greater stress on the
remaining insulation, leading to further growth of the damaged region, resistive
heating along the tree, and further charring. This eventually culminates in the
complete dielectric failure of the cable and, typically, an electrical explosion.
Partial discharge testing is particularly important where HV plant has a high
capability. This may be due to its age, historical failures or the consequences of its
failure. So, in order to overcome the mentioned problems Partial discharge tests have
to be carried out.
It is envisage studying the followings:
1. Partial discharge studies in various solid sheet insulation when subjected to ac
voltages.
2. Correlation of Partial Discharge to physical parameters of solid insulators.
For fulfilling the above objectives, the following work plan has been envisage:
 Preparation of electrodes made of brass
 Preparation of samples of dielectrics for studying the Partial Discharge.
 Preparation of test cell for conducting the experiments
 Experimental study of PD in the solid insulation under ac voltage.
 Statistical analysis in interpretation of results in order to assess the conformity
of the results obtained in laboratory with other reported literature.
CLASSIFICATION AND PARAMETERS OF PARTIAL DISCHARGE
3.1 CLASSIFICATIONOFPARTIAL DISCHARGE
As PD measurement is a health diagnostic tool for insulator in a broader sense. To
assess the degree of severity on the insulation health it is further classified into three
major groups on the basis of their origin which are as under:
i. Internal discharge (void/cavity discharge)
ii. Surface discharge
iii. Corona
3.1.1 Internal Discharge (Void/cavity Discharge)
a)Void discharges, i.e., discharges from gas-filled voids, various delamination,
cracks, etc. within solid insulation as shown in figure (3.1). Further classification
could be made to distinguish between the voids that are on one side bounded by the
metallic electrode and the cavities that are completely surrounded by the insulating
material which is healthy.

Figure 3.1 Internal discharge model

Cavity/Voids may be created in insulation during the time of manufacture,
transportation, or during their useful life when exposed to vibrations or withering. It
may be having its origin in cast insulation like epoxy spacers in sulfur hexafluoride
(SF6) bus bars, from dried out origins in oil-impregnated paper cables, from gas
bubbles in plastic insulation, etc.
Sometimes Delamination occur in laminated insulation like the stator-bar insulation
of large electrical machines that often is composed of mica based tapes with binding
enamel like epoxy. Tracking can take place in cracks which occur in mechanically
stressed insulation of machines that are vibrating for e.g., loose stator bars.
b) Treeing discharges are the current pulses within an electrical tree. Origin of an
electrical tree may start from a protrusion on the electrode or form imperfections like
contaminating particles embedded in the solid insulation from surrounding medium.
Partial discharge converts into destructive discharge in the following way:

Discharge in between the electrodes

↓
Local spot temperature increases
↓
Vaporization of material occurs
↓
Enlargement of discharge site
↓
Increases non uniformity of the field
↓
Further stress of the field increases
↓
Treeing and tracking occurs
↓
The void size goes on enlarged due to repeated discharge
↓
Finally the electrodes are bridge by the discharge and convert in destructive
discharge

3.1.2 Surface Discharge

Surface discharges on an electrical insulation takes place where the tangential field is
high, e.g., the porcelain or polymeric housing of HV apparatus. Since these
discharges occur from the edges of the electrode parallel to the surface of the
dielectric these are also called “gliding discharges” or “edge discharges”. Surface
discharge model is shown in figure (3.2).

Figure 3.2 Surface discharge model

The Surface discharges are less dangerous than internal ones because they are less
concentrated and less damaging to insulation.
3.1.3 Corona
Corona are discharges which occur in gases (or liquids) caused by a locally enhanced
field from sharp points as shown in corona model figure (3.3). In case of corona the
insulation damage is not the concern as in other above mentioned cases. The matter
of concern is the higher frequency disturbances arising out of these PDs, and quite
often the energy dissipated (corona losses) together with its chemical after-effects.
Basically, Corona is often harmless, but by-products like ozone and nitric acids may
chemically deteriorate material nearby. Corona or PDs occurring around electrodes
of small radius of curvature and those on the surface of solid insulating materials are
known as “external discharges”.

Figure 3.3 Corona discharge model

3.2 PARAMETERS OF PARTIAL DISCHARGE

Following parameters are considered for measurement of partial discharge:
i. Inception voltage
ii. Extinction voltage
iii. Apparent charge
iv. Minimum detectable discharge
v. Discharge recurrence frequency
vi. Permissible discharge magnitude
Inception Voltage
Inception voltage ‘Vi’ is the voltage at which partial discharges exceeding a specified
intensity are observed under specified conditions, when the voltage applied to the
sample is gradually increased from a lower value at which no such discharges were
observed. Inception stress is the corresponding stress in the insulating material.
Extinction Voltage
Extinction voltage ‘Ve’ is the voltage at which partial discharge exceeding a specified
intensity ceases to exist, under specified conditions, when the voltage is gradually
decreased from a value exceeding inception voltage. Extinction stress is the
corresponding stress in the insulation material.
Apparent Charge
Usually the actual charge change that occurs due to a PD event is not directly
measurable but apparent charge is measured. The apparent charge (q) of a PD event
is not the actual amount of charge changing at the PD site. Instead, it is the change in
charge that, if injected between the terminals of the device under test, would change
the voltage across the terminals by an amount equivalent to the PD event. This can be
modeled by the equation:
q=Cb∆(Ve)
The apparent charge is not equal to the actual amount of changing charge at the PD
site, but is more realistic than ∆Va. ‘Apparent charge’ is usually expressed in Pico
coulombs.
Minimum Detectable Discharge
It is the magnitude of simplest discharge which can be detected with a certain
detection circuit.
Discharge Recurrence Frequency
It is the number of discharge occurring per unit time. A statistical delay of ignition
often occurs at high frequencies.
Permissible Discharge Magnitude
The maximum voltage for which discharge is harmless for the dielectric. Breakdown
of the insulation is not caused by existence of this amount of discharge for infinite
time.
PD MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES
Partial discharge (PD) measurement have become one of the most important tool for
diagnosing the health of insulation and insulation condition monitoring. PD analysis
can also provide vital information on different aspects of insulation ageing and are
useful for equipment integrity and thereby can help in preventive maintenance before
the costly insulation gets completely damaged.
A new setup (MPD 540) has been used for both laboratory and on-site measurement
of partial discharge in power system equipment which has many advantages over the
conventional PD detectors used to serve this purpose.
In this chapter along with the conventional discharge detector with its connection
diagram, the new technique for partial discharge measurement which we can say
digital method of PD measurement is explained with its suitable circuitry. MPD 540
is the digital device equipment which has a number of devices and a software
associated with this for analyzing and recording on PC.
4.1 CONVENTIONAL DISCHARGE DETECTORS
Various methods of PD detection and location have been described based on light,
electronic/ acoustic emissions during the past several decades. Among these the most
widely used may be the electrical method., The measurement circuit has changed
little in its element and connection since the first oscilloscope based PD detector was
used about a half century ago.
4.1.1 Circuit Connection
A conventional practical circuit shown in figure (4.1) normally includes following
elements for PD measurement:

Figure 4.1Basic Diagram for Electrical Discharge Detection

 A high voltage source which is free from discharges.
 A sample “a” under test which is affected by discharges.
  An impedance Z1 across which voltage impulses are caused by the discharge
impulses in the sample.
 A coupling capacitance K which facilitates the passage of the high frequency
current impulses, and must be of the same order of magnitude as the sample.
 An amplifier A.
 An observation unit 0, which may be a crest voltmeter, a pulse sampling
device or an oscilloscope.
4.1.2 Procedure
In conventional discharge detectors For Partial Discharge (PD) measurement the
sample is placed between the uniform electrodes of the above mentioned test cell in
conventional discharge detectors. Experimentation is carried out in the atmosphere
when air is to be taken as the ambient medium otherwise whole of the setup is
enclosed within a closed vessel which is filled with that ambient medium [e.g. Air,
Nitrogen (N2), Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6), Transformer oil etc.]
In next step it is confirmed that the circuit as a whole was discharge free up to the
highest test voltage, i.e. no discharge occurred other than those in the void of the
sample. This was done by connecting a sample without any cavity in it, increasing
the test voltage gradually up tothe highest voltage of interest and at the same time
observing that no pulses other than the noise pulses appear on the screen of the
oscilloscope. Then For the measurement of the inception discharge we include the
test samples and voltage is gradually raised until continuous discharge pulses are
observed on the screen of the oscilloscope. This voltage is termed as the inception
voltage, “Vi” for the sample. To obtain the extinction voltage, “Ve” the voltage is
gradually decreased until the discharge pulses disappears from the oscilloscope
screen. The applied voltage was then reduced to zero. Test voltage was supplied from
a 150 kV, 30 kVA test transformer. Three sets of observations were made on each
type of sample of a particular thickness with a particular void. The voltages were
measured by means of a voltmeter connected across the secondary of the transformer.
After this analysis is done and health of the insulation is predicted.
4.2 DIGITAL METHOD OF PD MEASUREMENT (BY MPD 540)
MPD 540 introduction has resulted in the design and production of many digital
systems which can be used on site and in laboratories. To identify and analyze the
various PD pattern is the main objective of this kind of computer based digital
system. These techniques promise to be superior to the currently used conventional
PD detector techniques. Other additional benefits may be gained if monitoring can be
performed as a continuous online measurement with PD data analysis done
automatically. Need for personnel expertise and costs are reduced and the reliability
of condition assessment is enhanced. This new technique gives promising report of
the health of insulation. For interpreting the satisfactory results this technique is used
in conjunction with existing techniques.
The MPD540 Partial Discharge Analysis System is a high-end, high-precision,
modular acquisition and analysis toolkit for detecting, recording, and analyzing
partial discharge events in many applications. The MPD 540 system consists of an
acquisition unit, a fiber optical USB controller (USB5O2), a coupling unit CPL542
and its innovative software to make PD measurements in full accordance with
international standards as well as relevant standards i.e. IEC 60044, IEC 60076, IEC
60270, and IEC 60885 of power system.
MPD54O Acquisition unit acquires the data from its PD input at high speed for
detection of PD events. Its resolution is so high that it can detect PD events that are
as short as 2 ns, and occur within as little as 200 ns of one another. A single
acquisition unit is capable of continuously detecting and quantifying up to 1.45
million PD events per second. It is shown in figure 4.2.

Figure 4.2 MPD54O Acquisition Units

A wide range of PD sensors including inductive and capacitive sensors can be
connected to MPD 540. The units support AC and DC coupling and are capable of
driving external preamplifiers and frequency converters. MPD540 acquisition units
consume very little power. During operation, less than 4 W are needed and in stand-
by mode, units consumption is less than 10 mW. Acquisition units may be powered
by an operating voltage between 8 V and 14 V globally compatible mains adapter or
delivered either by an optional rechargeable battery-pack. The new detector is small
in size, light in weight and easy to access. Its versatility and robustness makes the
MPD 540 the ideal system for both laboratory and on-site measurement of PD in
power system equipment. The system can be easily expanded to include up to 960
channels, to perform truly parallel and synchronous multi-channel PD measurements.
Thus the measuring system provides true-plug and play functionality. Each channel
may be situated up to 2km/1.2 miles from the adjacent unit. Due to very low power
consumption an uninterrupted battery operation time of more than 8 hours can be
guaranteed. The unique high speed fiber-optic network technology between the
individual acquisition unit and the PC controller gives complete isolation.
4.2.1 System Setup
MPD 540 Partial Discharge Analysis System has acquisition unit and fiber optical
USB controller (USB5O2) in connection with coupling capacitor and PC as shown in
figure 4.3.

Figure 4.3 MPD54O advanced partial discharge measuring .system with coupling
capacitor.

Using fiber optical cabling the MPD54O Acquisition unit is connected to the fiber
optics USB controller (USB502) where TX (transmitter) is always connected to RX
(receiver) and vice versa. Red LED indicates that the acquisition unit is ready for
operation when the power supply (or battery) is connected. Two short BNC cables
are used to connect the external coupling unit (CPL542). PD and V outputs of the
coupling unit (CPL542) are connected to the PD and V inputs of the acquisition unit
MPD54O. After this high voltage coupling capacitor (Ck) is connected to the
coupling unit (CPL542).
To have the air as an ambient medium test cell fitted with the sample is placed in the
atmosphere. The connections of the test cell high voltage and low voltage electrode
are shown in the figure. The PC is connected to the MPD540Acquisition unit
according to the figure shown below. We make sure that the calibrator shown in
figure 4.4 has to be disconnected before the high voltage supply is turned on.

Figure 4.4 Connecting the MPD54O PD measuring system

All the cables in the signal path are to be taken as short as possible. The MPD540
acquisition unit is small and should be placed as close as possible to the coupling
capacitor and test object. Fiber optical cables used with the MPD540 may be up to 2
km in length. Fiber optical cables connect the test set-up to the notebook PC and
provide complete safety and electrical insulation to protect the personnel and
equipment.
4.2.2 Software Setup:
Main menu item “Mode” in the top menu bar is selected by the use of mouse or
keyboard. Then we select “Basic” for the system’s operating mode. Now the
frequency of 350 kHz is entered in the fcenter (center frequency) box. A bandwidth of
300 kHz is selected. This center frequency and bandwidth configuration sets up the
measurement system for an IEC60270- compliant measurement. In the “Settings”
tab, “Mode” is select for “Unipolar Logarithmic”.
QMax (maximum charge displayed) is set to InC and QMin (minimum charge
registered and displayed) is set to lpC. Now “Calibration” tab is selected and
calibration is done as under for charge and voltage respectively.
4.3 Charge Calibration
Calibrator is connected to the test object. Now a charge of 5OpC is selected, then the
calibrator charge (e.g. 50pC) is enter into the “Calibrate to” field in the PD section.
With a click on the “Compute” button in the PD section. The display value for QIEC
should now correspond to the calibrator charge. The calibrator is now disconnected.
4.4 Voltage Calibration
With proper grounding and precautions secure the high voltage test set-up observing
safety procedures. The high-voltage supply is turned on and the voltage is set to a
known level (e.g. 4kv). The voltage level (e.g. 4kV) is entered into the “Calibrate
to” field in the Voltage section. With a click on the “Compute” button in the voltage
section calibration is done. It is done for few more values. The display value for
voltage should now correspond to the actual voltage. Now return to the main
“Settings” page by clicking on the “Settings” tab. Now the setup is ready for
observations and data recording.
4.5 DataRecording
To record a histogram, click on the “Go” button. A histogram will be accumulated
over a specified time period. The progress bar at the bottom will indicate the progress
of this operation. Once a histogram has been accumulated, the image may be saved to
disk by right-clicking on the scope display. A context-menu will pop up and offer to
save the image to disk as a PNG file. All of the data gathered during a measurement
may be recorded for later analysis by clicking on the “Record” button (marked by a
large red dot). The software will display the hard disk space consumed during this
operation and the remaining space on disk. Various analysis related to number of
PDs, inception voltage (Vi) and extinction voltage (Ve).
REFRENCES:
1. C. Kane, B. Lease, A. Golubev, and I. Blokhintsev, “Practical Applications of
Periodic Monitoring of Electrical Equipment for Partial Discharges,” NETA
Conference, March, 1998.
2. D. Konig, and R. Y. Narayana, “Partial Discharges in Power Apparatus,”
Berlin: Vde-VerlagGinbh, 1993. 316p.
3. Draft of the IEEE P1434 Standard, “Guide to Measurement of Partial
Discharges in Rotating Machinery,” 1996, 1997
4. F.H. Kreuger, “Partial Discharge Detection in High-Voltage Equipment,”
Butterworths, 1989.
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