10kV Overhead Lines Acoustic Imager Partial Discharge Diagnosis

Partial discharge is the discharge that occurs locally in the insulation of power equipment under the action of a sufficiently strong electric field. Each partial discharge will have some impact on the insulating medium, causing the insulation strength to decrease, resulting in insulation damage to high-voltage power equipment, and even posing a safety hazard to personnel.

Acoustic imagers can superimpose the acoustic signals generated by partial discharge on the surface of the measured object to form a visual positioning effect, helping operation and maintenance personnel to quickly, accurately and intuitively detect partial discharge defects.

Acoustic cameras use microphone array beamforming technology to acquire, measure and visually display the sound source data, overlaid on a real time high definition video image. By integrating the sound source data with the video image, the changing sound source is dynamically displayed on the screen in the form of a “sound map”.

When used in power systems, they can help to safely and quickly identify partial discharge where dielectric breakdown is occurring.

This rugged, versatile tool can help you quickly and easily identify a variety of undesirable industrial conditions, like electric faults, gas leaks. With pinpoint accuracy the Mini CAM allows you to instantly see audible and ultrasonic noises that are hard to detect, With 128 Digital Microphones, it will help you clearly see what you've been missing.

By adding an optional thermal camera part, the MiniCAM can change functions between acoustic imaging and thermal imaging, making diagnosis more comprehensive and efficient.

1. Basic Information

Figure 1 Overhead line tower No.5

Figure 2 Defect details

Figure 3 Acoustic imaging

2. Result Analysis

Acoustic imaging of the insulator at a distance of about 10 meters revealed a discharge with an amplitude of 31.4 dB. Therefore, it is judged that the top binding wire is damaged, resulting in surface discharge.