EA Technology has a developed a new system that continuously monitors partial discharge activity in all types of live MV/HV cables up to 4 km in length.
Called the PD Cable Monitor, it uses Radio Frequency Current Transformer (RFCT) sensors that plug into the company’s existing UltraTEV Monitor and displays PD activity in picocoulombs (pC) . It also functions as an alarm system, automatically alerting operators if PD activity reaches critical levels in any cable being monitored.
The PD Cable Monitor adds a sixth measurement capability to the UltraTEV Monitor, which already features five sensor technologies for measuring PD activity in switchgear, together with the environmental conditions which influence it: ultrasonic, Transient Earth Voltages (TEV), relative humidity, atmospheric pressure and temperature.
EA Technology director Neil Davies said: “The ability to test live cables continuously, without the need to de-energise them, has until now been the missing link in PD monitoring of substations. This is a big step forward in the quest for greater reliability and more effective condition-based asset management.”
The PD Cable Monitor is being offered for purchase as an add-on module for the UltraTEV Monitor, or can be deployed as part of a field service by EA Technology technicians. It can be installed permanently or for short periods.
The standard package provides users with a real time graphical display of PD activity on the UltraTEV Monitor’s web-enabled hub, using a variety of parameters, including severity, magnitude and pulse count. Results can also be viewed online and the hub automatically transmits critical activity alerts via text message and/or email.
As an option, EA Technology offers to record cable PD activity as waveforms over time. These waveforms can then be analysed by the company’s experts to provide detailed maps of the location and seriousness of PD-related faults, with recommended actions. This service is available online, anywhere in the world.
