NL Camera
Partial discharge
analysis
Noiseless Acoustics Oy
Sitratie 7
00420 Helsinki
P. +358 (0)10 583 3240
info@[Link]
[Link]
FI26650896
Table of contents
Introduction 4
What is a partial discharge? 4
Using the NL Camera to find partial discharges 4
Partial discharge patterns 5
Partial discharge types 6
Discharge on surface or inside component 6
Discharge between components 8
Discharge into air 10
Other sound sources 12
Vibration 12
Gas leaks 12
Electronics 12
References 13
Introduction
Using the NL Camera to find
partial discharges
The NL Camera is equipped with intelligent partial For general usage instructions of the NL Camera
discharge analysis features as an option. These and the NL Cloud, please refer to the NL Camera
features will help the user to detect, recognize, Quickstart Guide. Refer to the Usage techniques
and analyze partial discharges, which often chapter regarding hints about how to differentiate
indicate problems and impending failures in between actual sound sources and reflections and
electricity generation, transmission, and how to find weaker sound sources in the presence
distribution equipment. Some of the partial of stronger sound sources. The Usage techniques
discharge analysis features are available in the chapter also talks about the frequency range and
NL Camera itself, while some of the features are usage distance of the NL Camera.
available only in the NL Cloud.
The NL Camera shows different types of
sound sources on the display, not only partial
discharges (see the chapter Other sound
sources below for some examples). The NL
What is a partial discharge? Camera will, however, detect when the sound
source in focus (shown with a crosshair on top) is
a possible partial discharge and show a so called
A partial discharge (PD) is, as the name implies, partial discharge pattern (PD pattern) calculated
a partial failure of an insulator. This means that from that sound signal. You can press the partial
electrical charges will move across the insulator discharge pattern view to toggle between a small
either sporadically or, more often, regularly. If view and a large view of the pattern.
the failure progresses, it may lead to complete
insulator breakdown. The presence of partial
discharges can therefore be used to predict
catastrophic system failures and preemptively
fix these problems through planned maintenance
actions.
Partial discharges may occur across any type of
insulator: solid, air, gas, vacuum, or liquid. There
are several different types of partial discharges,
depending on the type of insulator as well as other
factors. These different partial discharge types
are described in more detail below.
4
Partial discharge patterns
Different types of PD appear as pulses or clusters thereof during different parts of the 50 or 60 Hz
period. Electrical measurements of PD can measure the charge transferred during these pulses and
show it relative to the phase of the voltage. This is called a phase-resolved PD pattern and usually shows
the amplitude of these pulses as well as their location relative to the phase of the voltage, using data
gathered over a longer period of time.
There are several
different features of a
PD pattern that can be
used to infer the type
of partial discharge in
question. For example,
the pattern will
often have two distinct
clusters, e.g., one near
the positive voltage
peak and one near
the negative voltage
peak. These clusters
may vary in size and
shape. The two
clusters may either be Phase-resolved partial discharge pattern.
symmetrical in size
and shape, or there can be a large asymmetry between them. In some cases there may be only one
cluster instead of two. These different features of PD patterns are discussed in more detail below in the
sections covering different types of partial discharges.
Both the NL Camera and the NL Cloud will automatically detect a signal with a strong 50 or 60 Hz
periodicity and construct a similar PD pattern. However, while electrical PD measurements are often
aware of the phase of the voltage, the NL Camera does not have this information available when taking a
snapshot. For this reason, the PD patterns constructed from the sound signal will not be phase-resolved.
Partial discharge pattern without reference to the phase of the voltage.
If detected, the PD pattern will be shown in the user interface of the NL Camera and the NL Cloud.
Note, that even though a PD pattern is shown, the sound source is not necessarily a partial discharge.
For example, some types of low-voltage electronic devices may normally also produce similar periodic
patterns.
5
Partial discharge types
There are several different types of partial discharges with different characteristics. For practical usage,
these are classified into three categories in the NL Cloud: discharge on surface or inside component,
discharge between components, and discharge into air. Below, these three categories are described in
more detail, together with examples of typical PD patterns.
Terminology
The terminology used in this field is not consistent and may cause confusion and misunderstandings. It is
not uncommon to use the word corona when talking about any type of (external) partial discharge. When
some people talk about partial discharges they mean only internal partial discharges, as opposed to corona
and other external partial discharges.
In this document, the word partial discharge is used for any type of partial discharge, external or internal:
corona, floating discharge, surface discharge, or internal discharge. The word corona is reserved for actual
corona discharges, i.e., partial discharges into air.
Discharge on surface or inside component
The most critical types of partial discharges are those taking place on the surface of or inside insulating
materials. If left untreated, these will often progress and eventually lead to insulator breakdown. Sur-
face discharges and internal discharges both have very similar PD patterns and are therefore classified
in the same category in the NL Cloud. Since internal discharges might take place deep inside the compo-
nents, these will often not generate any sound that the NL Camera can pick up. If the internal discharges
are relatively close to the surface, they might still emit sound that the NL Camera can localize. Partial
discharges classified under this category are, however, most often surface discharges.
The pattern of these partial discharges is often quite symmetrical between the two half cycles of the vol-
tage, compared with discharges into air. In some cases, the amplitude may differ considerably between
the two half cycles.
Surface discharge
Partial discharges across an insulator surface may begin to take place due to contamina-
tion or damage to or defects in the insulator surface. So called dry-band arcing may also
take place when different regions of the insulator are wet while others are dry. Surface
discharges rapidly deteriorate especially organic insulator materials and may easily lead to
flashover across the whole insulator [1]. Any sign of surface discharges should therefore be
thoroughly inspected and the need for action assessed. The presence of surface dischar-
ges depends highly on environmental conditions such as humidity and temperature [2], and
this should be taken into account when planning inspections. The term tracking may also
be used when talking about surface discharges.
Typical locations: • All different types of insulators and bushings
Problems and risks: • May lead to insulator breakdown and outages
Inspection schedule: • Regular inspections, for example once every year
• Shorter intervals once partial discharges have been found
Suggested actions: • Risk assessment of any detected partial discharges
– Has the partial discharge progressed over time?
– What are the risks associated with an insulator breakdown?
• Cleaning or replacement of critical components
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Partial discharge pattern
Discharges on the surface or inside components have PD patterns characterized by two clusters
of somewhat symmetric shape and size. Surface discharges may, however, have a moderate size
difference between the two clusters. The clusters often have a triangular or “hill-like” shape.
Example of the PD pattern of a surface discharge.
Example of the PD pattern of a surface discharge.
Example of the PD pattern of an internal discharge.
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Discharge between components
Partial discharges classified under this category are so called floating discharges. Floating discharges
have a highly symmetrical PD pattern, with an equal number of discrete discharges during each half
cycle of the voltage.
Floating discharge
A floating discharge takes place between a conductor and a metal object
at floating potential. Discharges take place when the potential difference
between the two objects grows large enough to induce sparking. Floating
discharges may be a result of bad contact between different components,
for example due to oxidized or contaminated contact surfaces [1]. In some
cases, floating discharges are harmless, but they may also be a sign of fau-
lts in design or installation, as well as damaged components. Depending on
the location of floating discharges, they may lead to more severe problems
over time. When found, this type of discharge should always be inspected
more closely.
Typical locations:
• Clamps of busbar support insulators
• Ungrounded or poorly grounded components
Problems and risks:
• May indicate damaged components or faulty design or installation
Inspection schedule:
• Inspection when commissioning new substations, power lines,
and equipment
• Regular inspections, for example once every two years
Suggested actions:
• Risk assessment of any detected partial discharges
– Is the partial discharge due to bad contact between components?
– Is this a problem in this specific case?
– Does the partial discharge indicate design or installation faults or
damaged components?
• Repair or replacement of faulty designs and installations as well as
damaged components
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Partial discharge pattern
Discharges between components, i.e., floating discharges, have a distinct PD pattern. The pattern
consists of two clusters of separate pulses. The number of pulses per cluster may vary from
one pulse upwards, and it is not uncommon that the number of pulses varies while observing the
floating discharge. The two clusters have the same number of pulses and are also otherwise sym-
metric in size and shape. During each pulse, electrical charge will transfer either from a conductor
to an object at floating potential, or from the object at floating potential back to the conductor.
Example of the PD pattern of a floating discharge.
Example of the PD pattern of a floating discharge.
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Discharge into air
Partial discharges classified under this category are so called corona discharges. Corona typically
produces highly asymmetrical PD patterns. Weak corona has discharges only during the negative half
cycle of the voltage. Stronger corona may cause discharges also during the positive half cycle. These
discharges have larger amplitude than during the negative half cycle, but the cluster is often not as wide.
Corona discharge
Corona is a partial discharge into air from a sharp point at high potential. Corona discharges take place
when the strength of the electric field is large enough to ionize the air. Typically, corona is observed du-
ring the negative half cycle of the voltage (so called negative corona). If the electric field strength is high
enough, corona can be observed also during the positive half
cycle (so called positive corona). Positive corona contains
less discharges per half-cycle than negative corona but the
amplitude is larger [3]. In some cases, corona may also be
observed at overstressed points at ground potential [4]. In
most cases, corona is harmless. Corona does, however,
cause power loss, electromagnetic interference, and audible
noise, which might be a problem in some cases. The most
severe problem associated with corona is often that it pro-
duces corrosive chemical compounds that damage nearby
materials such as insulator surfaces [1].
Typical locations:
• Sharp points, edges, and corners of conductors
• Arcing horns
• Broken strands on power lines
Problems and risks:
• Power loss
• Electromagnetic interference
• Audible noise
• Deteriorates nearby insulating materials
Inspection schedule:
• Inspection when commissioning new substations, power lines, and equipment
• Regular inspections, for example once every two years
Suggested actions:
• Risk assessment of any detected partial discharges
– Is electromagnetic interference or audible noise a problem?
– Should broken strands be repaired?
– Are there insulators nearby that might be damaged by the corona?
• Add missing corona rings near insulators
• Repair broken strands
10
Partial discharge pattern
The PD pattern of partial discharge into air (corona) is highly asymmetrical. In the case of negative coro-
na, there is a single cluster of pulses centered around the negative voltage peak. If the partial discharge
is stronger, positive corona can also be observed, in addition to the negative corona. Positive corona
can be seen as a cluster of pulses centered around the positive voltage peak. This cluster is significantly
larger in amplitude compared to negative corona, and the cluster is typically not as wide.
Example of the PD pattern of negative corona discharge.
Example of the PD pattern of negative and positive corona discharge. Positive corona is seen on
the left and negative corona on the right side.
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Other sound sources
Since the NL Camera localizes partial discharges based on the sound they emit, it will also show sound
sources other than partial discharges. These are often easy to distinguish from partial discharges since
they do not produce a PD pattern. Some typical examples of other sound sources that can be found
using the NL Camera are listed below.
Vibration
The hum from transformers and reactors, among other things, can cause different components to vibra-
te. This type of vibration will not produce a PD pattern and can thus easily be distinguished from partial
discharges.
Gas leaks
Gas leaks and compressed air leaks produce a hissing sound with a lot of energy at high frequencies.
These types of leaks are localized by the NL Camera, but will not produce a PD pattern. Note, that the
NL Camera is not a tool intended for finding tiny gas leaks, such as SF6 leaks.
Electronics
Some low-voltage electronic components will produce sound that has a 50 or 60 Hz periodicity. This
type of sound will produce a pattern similar to a PD pattern, but are easily distinguished from high-vol-
tage or medium-voltage partial discharges based on their location.
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References
1. Kimmo Nepola: Feasibility of radio frequency interference measurements
in condition monitoring of high voltage substations. Master's thesis,
Aalto University, 2013.
2. Kristoffer Bäckström: Statistical analysis of partial discharges. Master's thesis,
Uppsala University, 2010.
3. Li-Jung Chen, Ta-Peng Tsao, and Yu-Hsun Lin: New diagnosis approach to epoxy
resin transformer partial discharge using acoustic technology. IEEE Transactions
on Power Delivery, vol. 20, no. 4, 2005.
4. David A. Nattrass: Partial discharge measurement and interpretation.
IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine, vol. 4, no. 3, 1988.
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