04.12.

2019 Visualization of HV Defects

Wednesday, December 4, 2019      Subscribe

Your Email
 ARTICLES BY CATEGORY  GALLERY CONTACT US ADVERTISE +  
PLEASE SIGN ME UP

ARTICLE ARCHIVE   Utility Practice & Experience  

Visualizing Defects in HV Components

 November 30, 2019  components, Corona, UV  9 min read

   

Ultraviolet (UV) discharges and thermal hotspot activity are indicators of

defects on high voltage components. Given this, being able to e ciently
visualize their source has long been a goal of power engineers. Thermal
imaging using infrared (IR) detectors has been used for years and enables
location of high temperature problem areas or ‘hotspots’. But past methods of
corona detection, including audible noise, were not able to pinpoint the source
or location of discharge. The advent of modern corona imaging systems
changed that since knowing that there is corona discharge present and nding
its location and cause are di erent challenges. Often, the sources of hotspots
and UV discharges are also di erent and this requires di erent technologies to
visualize them. At the same time, it is easier to assess the severity of a problem
if it can be seen and compared against visual results of the same defect.

Principles of UV Discharge Generation &

Detection
https://www.inmr.com/visualization-of-hv-defects/?utm_source=INMR+WEEKLY+TECHNICAL+REVIEW&utm_campaign=3a725a00b8-EMAIL_C… 1/7
04.12.2019 Visualization of HV Defects

Understanding the technology to visualize corona requires knowledge of the

Subscribe
physical process of UV discharge generation as well as of the electro-optic
principles for detection. UV discharges are generated by high electric eld that
surrounds HV equipment and ionizes nitrogen molecules in air. During the
ionization and de-ionization process, photons are emitted to the surrounding
air at a wavelength characteristic of the spectroscopic properties of nitrogen.
Your Email
The nitrogen molecules emit photons mainly in the ultraviolet region, with
dominant peaks at 298 nm, 347 nm and 358 nm. Emissions at those short
PLEASE SIGN ME UP
wavelengths are barely visible since receptors in the eye are sensitive only
from 400 to 700 nm. Hence, shorter or longer wavelengths go undetected.
Most commercial grade lenses in binoculars and camera lenses are poorly
transparent for ultraviolet radiation and suppress any UV discharges that
might be seen with such equipment.

Acoustic detection of electrical discharges was the earliest technology to link

lightning ashes and the associated sound of thunder. With the dawn of the
electrical age, it became apparent that high voltage sparks in air produce
acoustic emissions equivalent to lightning during a storm but on far reduced
scale. As increasingly higher voltages came to be used, corona at highly
stressed regions on electrical equipment and conductors could be seen by eye,
in the dark, and their associated acoustic emissions heard. In the early days,
the human ear served as a valuable discharge detector and locator of
surprising sensitivity. Engineers are familiar with this phenomenon since the
sound of corona can often be heard at HV substations and from transmission
lines, particularly on wet or foggy days.

The primary method of problem detection of UV discharges used to be visual,

assisted only by an optical device such as binoculars. Unfortunately, this had to
be done at night to eliminate the overwhelming e ect of the sun. Even then,
only signi cant discharges on high voltage systems would be visible.
Introduction of the rst corona cameras began in the early 1990s, initially only
for night-time, low light and indoor use. These allowed corona discharges to be
seen in the UVa (320 to 400 nm) and UVb (280 to 320 nm) wavebands at its
point of inception. Such systems provided a real-time image of the
phenomenon. Progress was later made in this technology through more
complex lens systems that yield greater light collection and sensitivity. These
are still in use where manpower availability dictates against daylight surveys or
where the survey is indoors, away from overpowering natural sunlight.

User need soon progressed to requiring cameras that could be used during
daylight hours for greater e ciency and safety as well as improved
background imaging via the visible channel. Development of the daylight solar-
blind camera, although constrained by low levels of UVc corona emissions
below 280 nm at which solar energy ceases, allowed inspection during the day
as well as relative quanti cation of the number of UV photon events taking
place. The next generation of daylight UV detection cameras o ered a
removable solar blind lter on the UV channel and near-IR lter on the visible
channel. This allowed the same system to be used with greater sensitivity in
indoor situations or under low light conditions.

https://www.inmr.com/visualization-of-hv-defects/?utm_source=INMR+WEEKLY+TECHNICAL+REVIEW&utm_campaign=3a725a00b8-EMAIL_C… 2/7
04.12.2019 Visualization of HV Defects

Subscribe

Your Email

PLEASE SIGN ME UP

Due to the need to split the image entering the camera to allow the solar-blind
lter to block solar radiation, these daylight systems are digital. The UV image
is a series of pixels superimposed on the visible daylight image. This has the
advantage that it allows ample processing and gives the user options in
displaying the UV image to best advantage. These include image coloration to
enable the UV to contrast with the background, frame integration to remove
background noise, photon counting for UV quanti cation and high de nition
zoom to see the discharge location more clearly. Generally, the lower voltage
limit for daylight detection of HV faults has been around 11 kV, depending on
distance from the object and problem severity. This is reduced to around 3 kV
when the solar-blind lter is removed.

Thermal Hotspot Visualization

Infrared detection technology has been used much longer than UV
visualization and is an accepted method to detect faults that could lead to
failures on HV systems. A number of sophisticated and expensive systems are
available. But IR tells only part of the story since it does not pick up surface
discharges where heat is not generated but that relate to voltage di erences,
thereby indicating potential for ashover and outage. The opposite applies to
UV detection, which does not pick up hidden or current related faults from
which UV photons cannot escape but which may produce hotspots detectable

https://www.inmr.com/visualization-of-hv-defects/?utm_source=INMR+WEEKLY+TECHNICAL+REVIEW&utm_campaign=3a725a00b8-EMAIL_C… 3/7
04.12.2019 Visualization of HV Defects

by the IR imaging system. Both phenomena provide valuable information on

Subscribe
the integrity of a power line and its associated hardware. As such, both
visualization technologies are required to provide a complete picture. If this
can be done using a single instrument, with the addition of a visible spectrum
image as well, the inspection process become more e cient. It also ensures
that the picture shows both phenomena under the same ambient conditions
Your Email
and settings, thereby eliminating variables when comparing ndings from
separate instruments taken at di erent times.
PLEASE SIGN ME UP

Di erent defects are sometimes

Defects visible in same and di erent visible in only one particular
locations on insulator by overlaying UV spectrum due to the nature of
and IR images. the problem.
CLICK TO ENLARGE CLICK TO ENLARGE

Visualization Applications
There are several ways to deploy visualization technologies, depending on
application. For small areas such as substations, surveys on foot using portable
systems are most suitable. For transmission and distribution line surveys, the
detection/visualization system is best mounted onto a vehicle or in a helicopter
for long lines or di cult terrain. Each system has advantages and drawbacks
and careful selection is required for most e cient use of equipment and
manpower. Use of helicopters has further options in that the visualization
systems can be handheld, mounted within the helicopter or, better, in a gimbal
under the helicopter and controlled from within. For all these options, it is
preferable to have some automatic location system and essential to have a
proper recording system so that faults detected during a survey can be
analyzed and reported on. A recent re nement for low cost aerial inspections
of relatively short distance is the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Currently
these are radio controlled by a ground-based operator but autonomous ight
systems will soon be able to y pre-programmed patterns along sections of
line. A further use of visualization technology is in 24/7 surveys of xed
locations such as vulnerable areas within a substation. This can be done either
with a xed eld of view camera or, more likely, one mounted on a pan and tilt
mechanism that allows the operator to survey a larger area. This system can be
used with image or pattern recognition software to alert operators to changes
between successive sweeps that may indicate early onset of a problem.

Visualization is only part of the solution since interpreting the results is also
needed. The rst prerequisite is to have results in pictorial form. That means
visualization systems must be capable of recording both still images and video
clips. Low-light cameras generally only output recordable video streams.
Daylight systems allow on-board image storage as well as video output, thus

https://www.inmr.com/visualization-of-hv-defects/?utm_source=INMR+WEEKLY+TECHNICAL+REVIEW&utm_campaign=3a725a00b8-EMAIL_C… 4/7
04.12.2019 Visualization of HV Defects

allowing more e ective use of survey time. The following points are important
Subscribe
when reviewing results from a UV or IR survey:

• Not all UV discharges or hotspots are a danger to equipment, even if they are
an indication of some developing abnormality;
• Any UV discharge or hotspot indicates some loss of power, at the least;
• Individual UV and IR detection camera readings are not always conclusive and Your Email
should ideally be used together, for comparison;
• Many HV equipment, environmental and instrument variables can a ect UV PLEASE SIGN ME UP

photon or IR temperature readings;

• Any source/cause of UV discharges or hotspots must be understood before
deciding on the best course of action.
Although daylight corona and infrared cameras have the respective functions
of counting and displaying the number of photons or the temperature of a
hotspot, this is not necessarily an absolute measurement of severity of
discharge or hotspot. Nor can any speci c conclusion be made from a single
reading without also considering variables such as distance, weather, camera
settings and HV equipment design parameters. Rather, these cameras should
be used as data collection systems: to compare two equivalent pieces of HV
equipment and highlight signi cant di erences in UV discharge activity or
hotspot temperature with the same camera settings; or to build up a picture,
over time, of changes in behavior and UV discharge activity or hotspot
temperature readings from speci c equipment.

Hotspot on conductor clamp

Damage to conductor during installation
visible on one phase using IR
Defect visible with corona camera on red
camera, indicating possible
phase.
defect.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
CLICK TO ENLARGE

To determine what remedial actions should be taken, based on results from UV

or IR surveys of equipment, it is necessary rst to:

• Develop list of critical equipment to be monitored;

• Establish design criteria/safety factors for this equipment and thus potential
failure modes;
• Develop a matrix for UV discharge/hotspot causes versus e ects with
appropriate actions for various situations;
• Build a set of criteria for visualization camera settings for taking consistent
equipment monitoring readings;
• Build a database of UV discharge and/or IR hotspot values on critical
equipment with the above criteria, including physical environment factors;
• Continually update the matrix and criteria as more data become available
(e.g. photon/temperature readings versus actual physical inspection of

https://www.inmr.com/visualization-of-hv-defects/?utm_source=INMR+WEEKLY+TECHNICAL+REVIEW&utm_campaign=3a725a00b8-EMAIL_C… 5/7
04.12.2019 Visualization of HV Defects

equipment).
Subscribe
The nal step is to create reports that can be used to highlight issues to
management or to maintenance departments for action to be taken to rectify
any problem areas. Software packages are available and most utilities have
their own internal format for such reports. It is simple to create documents
that summarize key aspects and include images taken by camera or grabbed
Your Email
from a video.

The next steps in the evolution of the visualization technology include PLEASE SIGN ME UP

incorporation of new sensor technologies from research programs in other

elds. These will lead to more sensitive (earlier detection of even minor faults
on low voltage systems), more compact and lighter systems with more
features, powerful image processing capabilities and more user adaptable
features. One challenge ahead in the aerial inspection eld will be autonomous
UAV systems as a way to reduce survey costs. Another will be ful llment of
user demands for instant analysis of results of a visualization process into a
severity report and set of recommendations for remedial action. Over and
above ongoing development of visualization techniques will be development of
new technologies for non-destructive testing of equipment on which faults are
found and visualized.

   

← Switching & Lightning Protection of Overhead Lines Using

Externally Gapped Line Arresters

Experience with Non-Ceramic Insulators on Transmission Lines in

Australia (Part 2 of 2) →

About Us Content Advertising in

INMR
INMR is an independent expert technical content View Past Issues
website for power engineers, testing laboratories, INMR.com is visited
utilities, and equipment manufacturers. We INMR POWER by over 50,000 power
specialize in insulators, surge arresters, bushings, ENGINEERS engineers each year.
cable accessories and more. HANDBOOK List your company in
With over 200,000 page views online per year, the INMR BUYER’S
power engineers trust INMR to be their Wallpaper Archive GUIDE and
independent source of information. LABORATORY GUIDE
Purchase Photos
Our INMR WORLD CONGRESS events enable this to increase your
community to exchange ideas and experiences exposure! Contact us
with an international audience and with key for advertising
industry representatives. options at
info@inmr.com

Download Media Kit

Contact Us

https://www.inmr.com/visualization-of-hv-defects/?utm_source=INMR+WEEKLY+TECHNICAL+REVIEW&utm_campaign=3a725a00b8-EMAIL_C… 6/7
04.12.2019 Visualization of HV Defects

Copyright © 1993 - 2019

Zimmar Holdings Ltd./INMR.      Subscribe

Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without

previous written permission of Zimmar Holdings Ltd./INMR

Your Email

PLEASE SIGN ME UP

https://www.inmr.com/visualization-of-hv-defects/?utm_source=INMR+WEEKLY+TECHNICAL+REVIEW&utm_campaign=3a725a00b8-EMAIL_C… 7/7