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Why Partial Discharge Testing Is Essential For Routine Testing of New Equipment

The document discusses why partial discharge testing is essential for routine testing of new electrical equipment. Partial discharge testing verifies the insulation integrity of equipment and detects any voids or impurities that could lead to failures over time if left undetected.

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20 views3 pages

Why Partial Discharge Testing Is Essential For Routine Testing of New Equipment

The document discusses why partial discharge testing is essential for routine testing of new electrical equipment. Partial discharge testing verifies the insulation integrity of equipment and detects any voids or impurities that could lead to failures over time if left undetected.

Uploaded by

luhusapa-1
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PRESS

RELEASE
FOR INTERNAL REVIEW
May 13, 2019

Marketing contact:
Martin Van Der Linde
Global Marketing Manager Why Partial Discharge Testing is
Tel : +61 7 3907 8777
Mob. +61 438 690 116
Fax : +61 7 3399 6777
Essential for Routine Testing of
[email protected]
www.nojapower.com.au
New Electrical Equipment
Partial Discharge Testing – Essential for Solid Dielectric Switchgear

13 May 2019 – Maximising distribution equipment performance and asset


service life is of paramount importance to the asset management team within a
distribution utility. With most utility projects based on capital budgeting, the
assumption that an installed piece of equipment will fulfil its full lifetime service
is critical to the profitability of a network asset. To verify equipment suitability
for a service lifetime, there is a single test metric which should be verified at
receipt of electrical distribution capital equipment: Partial Discharge.

In any piece of distribution equipment, the integrity of insulation and


construction of the product is instrumental in the lifetime reliability of the
product. Well designed equipment which has been correctly assembled should
typically exhibit very low partial discharge, typically below 10 picocoulombs at
power frequency voltage.

Partial discharge is the result of localised insulation failure occurring within a


piece of equipment, typically at the point of maximum voltage stress at the
positive and negative points in the electricity supply sine wave. These partial
discharges occur when electric field stresses exceed the local dielectric
breakdown constant and are momentary releases of energy in the form of
heat, light and sound. Most commonly, these partial discharges occur around
impurities or air voids which can accidentally be included in the manufacture of
switchgear and equipment, and these points of lower dielectric strength lead to
the initiation of partial discharge.

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PRESS RELEASE

Whilst they typically initiate at only the points of highest electric stress in the
power frequency sine wave, over time the partial discharge energy causes
physical degradation of the insulation system. As the discharges continue, the
partial discharge inception voltages progress closer and closer to the zero
voltage crossing point. When this occurs, the partial discharge becomes a
sustaining arc, typically leading to full electrical insulation failure and explosion.

Partial Discharge detected using an ICM Compact PD measurement


instrument. Note the inception occurring close to the zero crossing, indicating
the test subject in this case is close to total insulation failure.

For distribution switchgear, transformers, or any other network asset, the


likelihood of the majority of catastrophic failures of equipment can be averted
by verification of partial discharge levels within safe limits. Solid dielectric
insulation is a tremendously reliable and high-performance material for making
electric switchgear, but all this value can be undone if a manufacturer fails to
test and check for partial discharge on their products.

NOJA Power Switchgear consider it essential that every single Recloser and
Voltage Transformer produced is routine tested for partial discharge, with no
products exceeding 10pC of discharge being released from the factory. This
routine test provides the manufacturer with the confidence that the NOJA
Power OSM Recloser will provide its 30 years’ service life safely.

“Partial discharge, particularly in solid dielectric insulation systems, will


potentially cause insulation system breakdown over time in service and it is
therefore critical to apply partial discharge routine tests to every unit during the
manufacturing process,” reports NOJA Power Group Managing Director Neil
O’Sullivan. “We ensure products are shipped with less than 10 picocoulombs

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(pC) of partial discharge, which can effectively be considered partial discharge


free.”

To learn more about NOJA Power’s range of medium voltage switchgear,


Recloser Controllers and underground network protection circuit breakers, visit
www.nojapower.com.au or contact your local NOJA Power Distributor.

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