PD • Power Diagnostix Systems GmbH

ICMflex

The ICMflex high voltage instrument family offers inherent operator safety and
greatly simplifies distribution class cable testing and other field tasks involving
partial discharge and tand testing. With the unique concept of the ICMflex instru-
ments, the entire acquisition hardware is placed on high voltage potential right
at the position where the signals are. Thus, no signal cables are needed, as the
instrument is fully self-contained and battery operated. The instruments are fully
remote controlled via high speed Bluetooth or fiber optic communication.
Unique Concept
The ICMflex instrument family is avail- source can be used including resonant
able with different options and for dif- test sets and VLF high voltage sources.
ferent voltage levels. Additionally, the
self-contained ICMflex acquisition unit Testing distribution-class cables in a
can be placed on top of any third-party field environment becomes an easy and
coupling or reference capacitor. The op- inherently safe task. The ICMflex unit
tion TD offers tand and power factor (PF) is simply placed between high voltage
measurements. The option PD provides source and the cable to be tested – no
partial discharge measurements accord- further leads required. The ICMflex unit
ing to the IEC 60270, whereas the option can be equipped with a high voltage fil-
LOC includes partial discharge location ter to accommodate noisy high voltage
for power cables. sources. Thus, with one unit requiring
only high voltage and ground connec-
tion all essential measurements on laid
Wireless signal transmission power cable are performed in one step:
via Bluetooth communication tand, partial discharge, and partial dis-
charge location.
Finally, the option TF covers a high
Off-line testing of generator and motor
voltage T-filter to sufficiently de-noise a
stator coils is simplified in the same way.
high voltage supply for sensitive partial
Using any high voltage source, the criti-
discharge measurements. The detach-
cal AC measurements on the stator coil
able Li-MH battery provides >8 hours of
are done simultaneously: tand, PF, and
continuous operation, while a second
partial discharge.
battery is charged. Any high voltage AC
 PD •

ICMflex & HV filter

ICMflex software

Option TD via Bluetooth. Placing the quadrupole

On-site cable testing The tan delta analyzer uses an unbal- and acquisition unit on high voltage
anced bridge formed by internal shunt potential greatly improves the sensi-
capacitors, the reference capacitor tivity and avoids any noise pickup on
and the device under test. Here, the signal cables.
ICMflex software shows tand, PF, ca-
pacitance, voltage, and frequency. Option LOC
The partial discharge location op-
Option PD tion uses high speed (100 Msample)
With the option PD the ICMflex soft- sampling of the PD pulses traveling
ware offers a meter display according the cable. Along with the analog band-
to IEC60270 and an oscilloscopic width of 20 MHz this enables precise
display of the partial discharge activ- location and mapping of the discharge
ity as well as a colored j-q-n pattern activity along the cable.
(above) based on the data received

TD measurement on Using wireless Bluetooth or fiber optic technology the ICMflex tand and partial
motor bars
discharge analyzer family increases operator's safety and greatly simplifies
off-line testing and analysis of distribution class cables and rotating machine
stator windings.
ã Power Diagnostix 2014

Power Diagnostix Systems GmbH Email: [email protected]

Vaalser Strasse 250 Web site: www.pdix.com
52074 Aachen Tel: + 49 241 74927
Germany Fax: + 49 241 79521
PD • Power Diagnostix Systems GmbH

ICMflex GRC

In order to meet with the requirements of the existing IEEE 286-2000 and the new
upcoming IEC 60034-27-3 standard for dielectric dissipation factor testing (also
known as tand testing) on rotating machine stator windings and individual bars,
Power Diagnostix made a re-design of the existing ICMflex, so called ICMflex GRC
"Guard Ring Control".
Both standards mentioned above apply a field grading junction, consisting
to rotating machinery with a rated vol- of a semi-conductive material, e. g.
tage of 6 kV and higher and describe silicon carbide, at the slot-exit area
the test procedures and evaluation cri- in order to grade the surface poten-
teria for tand testing of individual stator tial were the stator bar leaves the
bars and complete assembled stator grounded core. Depending on the
windings. The testing as described ap- rated voltage, this high resistance
plies to the common insulation system material with non-linear resistive vol-
techniques in use, such as the resin rich tage characteristic needs to be over-
and global vacuum pressure impregna- lapped for a certain length with the
ted systems. However, the standards slot's linear resistive layer applied to
are not applicable for non-impregnated the ground wall. Based on such de-
stator bars, also called green coils. sign, the tand measurement, which
is intended for the ground wall insu-
lation only, may be affected by the
IEC 60034-27-3 ready resistive losses of the field grading
junction. For complete assembled
The main purpose of tand and tand tip- stator windings the contribution of
up testing is determining the overall the losses generated by the semi-
condition of the stator winding or bar´s conductive material in the overall
slot section also called ground wall in- tand level cannot be neglected, and,
sulation. The test results mainly show hence, the regular ICMflex can still
the performance in terms ionization be used. However, as the evaluati-
losses versus the applied voltage of the on criteria are specified for the slot
ground wall insulation under the slot's section of individual bars only, guar-
conductive outer layer, acting as the ding techniques shall be applied in
ground electrode to the stator core. order to minimize the influence of
Usually, the stator bars with a rated vol- the field grading junction's losses on
tage of 6 kV and higher are provided of the overall tand value.
PD •
enabling the simultaneously
updated partial discharge
and tand measurement re-
sults with the highest pre-
cision. This flexible unique
concept strongly reduces
the (re)winding and testing
times in rotating machine
manufacturing companies
and service groups and can
even be used in quality as-
surance labs for non-de-
structive evaluation of the
Stator bar testing with ICMflex GRC ground wall performance of
Several techniques have been stu- individual stator bars.
died during the past such as the foil
wrap methods and the slot-end gap The ICMflex GRC is optimized for the
method. Nowadays, with automati- capacitance range of stator bars and
zed bar manufacturing processes, it for smaller asynchronous indication
is practically not feasible to make an motors up to Roebel bars for larger
interruption at the slot end to apply synchronous turbo generators.
the semi-conductive material after
the tand test, since this will cause tre- Furthermore, the embedded voltage
mendous delays and, in worst case, divider for up to 30 kVRMS comes with
essential failures affecting the integri- a DAkkS (former DKD) calibration
ty of the insulation system. Besides certificate. The instrument is battery
this, both standards recommend per- operated (up to ten hours) and
forming the measurement on the end equipped with a fiber optic link for
product, i. e. the individual bar pro- communication with the computer
vided with the field grading junction, via USB. The ad-vanced software
and, hence, using both techniques as provides manual and automatic
mentioned above are not an option. record modes, even a step-by-step
The only technique left is the driven guidance structure with customized
guard method. report after completing the test
sequence. The data tables, phase
The new GRC (Guard Ring Control) resolved PD patterns, different
option provides such driven guard charts, and graphs can be exported
inputs on the ICMflex' digital tand into common text and spreadsheet
bridge. Beside this new feature, the processing packages such as MS
instrument still keeps its versatility by Excel.
Using wireless Bluetooth or fiber optic technology the ICMflex tand and partial
discharge analyzer family increases operator's safety and greatly simplifies
off-line testing and analysis of distribution class cables and rotating machine
stator windings.
ã Power Diagnostix 2014

Power Diagnostix Systems GmbH Email: [email protected]

Vaalser Strasse 250 Web site: www.pdix.com
52074 Aachen Tel: + 49 241 74927
Germany Fax: + 49 241 79521