Partial discharge is a common sign of insulation breakdown in power cables and cable accessories. It can result in costly repairs and even prolonged outages. Partial discharge can be caused due to the result of some weak spots in the cable insulation (such as cracks, voids, particles etc). Partial discharge may be caused by damage to cables at the time of installation. So, condition monitoring of cables is important and for that cable partial discharge monitoring system is needed.
What is partial discharge?
Partial discharge is a localized electrical discharge. It doesn’t bridge the insulation between conductors not fully but partially and can/can not happen adjacent to the conductor. Partial discharges are usually the consequences of some electrical stress concentrations. One form of partial discharge which happens in the gaseous media throughout the conductor is – “Corona”. Partial discharges are sometimes accompanied by emission of light, sound, heat and chemical changes. Partial discharge is measured in the units of charge called pico-Coulombs.
Why does the cable need a partial discharge monitoring system?
The condition monitoring of HV equipment is compulsory to avoid failures and lessen maintenance and operating costs. So, partial discharge measurement is considered a vital monitoring technique for assessing the insulation condition of HV equipment such as power cables, motors, generators etc. Partial discharge monitoring is a non-destructive system. If we compare other electrical products, power cable systems are the most susceptible to PD failures. It is highly recommended by electrical engineers to have a cable partial discharge monitoring system.
Detection of partial discharges in the power cable system
Partial discharges in the power cable systems are usually caused by several defects like contaminants, voids, shield protrusions, improper stress control in accessories, etc.
What are the advantages of cable partial discharge monitoring systems?
Let us have look at some advantages of a cable partial discharge monitoring system:
a) With the usage of a proper cable partial monitoring system, users can easily detect their equipment failure.
b) Continuous monitoring of PD permits you to replace or repair the affected electrical asset in advance to ensure safety.
c) Cable partial discharge monitoring systems can enhance reliability to their users.
d) Using online PD monitoring systems can also allow the asset managers to continuously monitor equipment’s criticality under normal load without interruption of operation.
The latest PD monitoring system for cables can reduce electrical noise without hampering the signal band. They can efficiently determine the correct location of partial discharges and can easily differentiate each PD producing source. Even the criticality of defects can be assessed. Many new procedures for partial discharges fr cables have come. They allow online monitoring of HV electrical assets such as underground & insulated cables, gas-insulated substations etc.
So, a partial discharge monitoring system for constant assessment of the insulation condition of the power cables. You can detect the main cause of the failure of electrical equipment with a cable partial discharge monitoring system. Online partial discharge monitoring system detects as well as locates the partial discharge related defects in your high voltage cables. Reach out to a reputed supplier of cable partial discharge monitoring systems.
