Partial Discharge Analysis To Identify Deteriorating Equipment

By Author: Adair Sawyer
Total Articles: 424
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Motors generators cables switchgear transformer are all pieces of equipment that have high voltage electrical currents running through them. Due to these dangerous levels of high voltage electricity, motors generators cables switchgear transformer equipment is always well insulated to prevent any of that electricity from leaking into the surrounding environment. This is not only necessary for the proper working of such equipment, but also an essential safety precaution to prevent workplace accidents from taking place. Another essential precaution is partial discharge monitoring equipment, which serves to detect early signs of deterioration in the insulation of high voltage equipment. In addition, partial discharge analysis of the readings obtained from such monitoring equipment also allows for more advanced diagnostics, allowing operators to tell if more subtle deterioration is taking place inside certain pieces of equipment.

At its most basic, however, partial discharge analysis is simply the identification and location of areas in the insulation coverings of high voltage equipment that have deteriorated and where gaps ...
... or cracks have appeared. Due to the high voltage nature of the equipment, electricity will then move across such gaps or cracks through the air, creating the electrical phenomenon known as partial discharge. This is why it is essential for operations to have partial discharge analysis and monitoring systems installed on all their high voltage equipment, because otherwise there would be no secure way to tell if such minute gaps or cracks have appeared on a particular piece of equipment.

Motors generators cables switchgear transformer – these are all pieces of equipment with extremely high value, and to have them damaged due to insulation failure would be extremely expensive to your operation. Also, most of them are involved in one way or another with the electricity supply and an insulation failure would most probably cause that supply to be cut off, which would wreak havoc with production processes or the workflow of your operation, whatever it might be.

With partial discharge analysis and monitoring systems, however, you will be able to keep a careful watch on your motors generators cables switchgear transformer and other high voltage equipment to ensure that they are all functioning within acceptable limits. For operations that have yet to use any form of monitoring equipment and would prefer to test such equipment for themselves by installing it on a few of their high voltage machines, the best way to do so would be to install the partial discharge analysis and monitoring equipment on the oldest equipment, as these are usually at the highest risk of failure.

In addition, partial discharge analysis is able to perform additional tasks such as monitor the current signature produced by induction machines. Certain current signatures produced by induction machines are indicative of broken rotors within the machines – something which is difficult to tell without shutting the machines off and spending hours getting a look inside of them. Partial discharge analysis of motors generators cables switchgear transformer and other high voltage equipment could potentially save your operations hundreds of thousands of dollars in averted damage, making it one of the most invaluable technologies that you will ever invest the capital of your operation in.

With partial discharge analysis and monitoring systems from Dynamic Ratings, your motors generators cables switchgear transformer and other high voltage equipment will be safe not only from insulation failures but you will also be warned of other possible causes of catastrophic breakdown before those breakdowns happen, potentially saving your operation hundreds upon thousands of dollars!