ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9

Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg

DETECTION OF GHZ FREQUENCY COMPONENTS OF PARTIAL DISCHARGE IN VARIOUS MEDIA

S. Fernando*, A. Bojovschi, K. L. Wong and W. S. T. Rowe School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia *Email: sahan.fernando@rmit.edu.au Abstract: This paper concentrates on the characterization of high frequency radiation from Partial Discharge sources in dielectric materials. It is envisaged that identifying partial discharge radiation in this band could provide an advantageous detection solution, as interferers such as television and other common radio communication bands will not cloud the signal analysis. The experimental setup consists of a high voltage electrode in a point-to-plane excitation architecture. Three insulator materials are considered as the dielectric medium between the point and plane. A wideband double-ridged waveguide horn antenna located in close proximity to the partial discharge source is used as the partial discharge radiation sensor. The Power Spectral Density (PSD) is calculated and analyzed from 0 to 2.5 GHz. The influence of insulator geometry, dielectric properties, and imperfections (cavities/voids) on the resulting partial discharge radiation is under investigation. Results have shown that partial discharge generation in the material samples tested displays consistent PSD fluctuations in the frequency range between 300 MHz and 1.1 GHz. 1. INTRODUCTION 2. 2.1. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP PD excitation and detection

Partial discharge (PD) is a pertinent problem in high voltage industries, as it has the potential to cause major financial and property damage. Hence the early identification and location of a PD source is highly advantageous. Current commercial methods to detect partial discharge include: using helicopters and infrared cameras to sense PD activity, or using older-style current sensors which must be placed on every pole. Therefore it is important to build an accurate and cost effective online detection system which can detect and locate PD sources. Since PD activity is particularly random [1], an extensive study of its characteristics that may enable effective detection is required. Various PD sensing methods have previously been investigated [2], such as capacitive coupling techniques, acoustic emission measurement, and Radio Frequency Current Transducers (RFCT). All of the above methods are restricted in terms of the bandwidth spectrum they are able to detect. Acoustic emission measurement also has limited accuracy, while others require a direct (or close proximity) connection to the high voltage conductor which causes implementation difficulties. According to previous research [3-5], an antenna can be used to sense the electromagnetic radiation emanated from a PD source. This noncontact sensing method has great flexibility as a wideband antenna can be tailored to specific detection requirements. However, there has not been an extensive study to date on PD radiation over the entire Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band from 300 to 3000 MHz with common high voltage insulation materials. In this paper we analyse and discuss the UHF electromagnetic radiation resulting from PD activity in three different insulation materials. An investigation into variations in the radiated PD signal spectrum as a result of the physical characteristics of the insulation sample is also conducted.

As shown in Figure 1, the experimental setup is based around a point to plane discharge excitation. The point (with flat end surface) is connected to a high voltage power supply generating a 7 kV 50 Hz signal, while the plane connected to the ground. By using a flat edged point discharge through the air can be limited, and discharges internal to the respective sample are primarily generated. All experiments have been conducted in the High Voltage Laboratory at RMIT University, which is dedicated for partial discharge experiments. Flat edged Point Sample under test

Metallic Plate Figure 1: Point to plane discharge excitation A double ridged waveguide horn antenna with a very wide frequency response (up to 18 GHz) is employed as the electromagnetic radiation sensor. The antenna is placed in close proximity to the discharge source, as shown in Figure 2. The position of the antenna was varied to determine the affect on the radiated PD signal. Time domain data was collected by a Tektronix TDS5104 oscilloscope with a sampling rate of 5 GS/s. This was then converted via a Fast Fourier Transform to the frequency domain over the range of 0 to 2.5 GHz. The dielectric samples used in the experimental program are common high voltage insulation materials. The specific insulation materials investigated are polymer, epoxy and ceramic.
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ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9

Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg

In addition to the polymer samples, one epoxy sample (dielectric constant of 3.8) with a thickness of 11 mm and one ceramic sample (dielectric constant of 11.8) with a thickness of 9 mm. 3. PD RADIATION MEASUREMENT RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

Figure 2: Experimental configuration for detecting PD radiation 2.2. Experimental samples

A PD is generated due to the electron flow inside a cavity, caused by the electric field across it [5]. A PD pulse is a very random and very narrow signal with pulse width of a few nano seconds [6]. Figure 4 displays an example of typical PD pulse radiation detected by the experimental setup shown in Figure 2. The time domain response show the narrow and rapidly decaying characteristics of PD. The frequency spectrum shows a wide range of frequency components associated with the detected PD pulse signal. Due to its highly random activity, the existence of a detected PD signal will fluctuate with time.
Signal in Time Domain 0.01 0.005

Power/frequency (dB/Hz)

To determine the radiated spectrum of PD sources for different insulators, a number of material samples and geometries have been used. Figure 3 depicts the configuration of the polymer samples tested. The polymer material has a low frequency dielectric constant of approximately 3.0. Varying thicknesses of this material are created by adhering multiple layers (or plates) together. Artificial cavities were also created to determine the influence of large voids in the material on the intensity and characteristics of the generated PD radiation. The size of the cavity created in each of the samples was the same, approximately of the dimensions 5 mm x 5 mm x 2 mm.

Magnitude (V)

-0.005 -0.01

50

100

150

200

250 Points

300

350

400

450

500

Welch Power Spectral Density Estimate -100 -120 -140 -160 -180 -200 -220 0 0.5 1 1.5 Frequency (GHz) 2 2.5

Figure 4: A typical detected PD signal in both time domain and frequency domain. Time scale represents 200ps per point. Before commencing the experimental program the background noise in the laboratory was observed. The time and frequency domain representation of the noise floor for the experiments is shown as Figure 5. The time response of the noise floor in Figure 5 displays the classic random fluctuations of white Gaussian noise. The Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the noise signal varies with both frequency and time as expected. Note that several measurements of the noise floor are shown in the PSD plot. The PSD remains below -160 dB/Hz over the entire UHF band. Due to this, radiated PD frequency components that present a level of PSD less than -160 dB/Hz cannot be easily detected via this measurement method. Looking back at the PSD of the typical PD signal shown in Figure 4, it is difficult to ascertain any indication of frequency components beyond 1.75 GHz.
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Figure 3: Configuration of the various polymer samples used (a) Two plates with no cavity (b) Two plates with one artificial cavity (c) Three plates with no cavities (d) Three plates with two artificial cavities (f) Four plates with three artificial cavities

ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9

Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg

x 10

-4

Signal in Time Domain

-5

Figure 6 also shows that the samples with artificial cavities show higher PSD levels on average in the two frequency bands of interest from 300 to 800 MHz and 800 and 1100 MHz than the samples without cavities. The thinner samples (particularly two plates without and artificial cavity) show the lowest average PSD levels.
350 400 450 500

Magnitude (V)

-10

50

100

150

200

250 Points

300

Welch Power Spectral Density Estimate -100 Power/frequency (dB/Hz) -120 -140 -160 -180 -200 -220 0 0.5 1 1.5 Frequency (GHz) 2 2.5

Previous research suggests that the physical properties of discharge source are related to the flow of current. Therefore the various speeds of electrons within the dielectric, as well as the recombination process, may affect the frequency radiated [5]. By changing the physical properties of the sample we can observe a change in PSD of the signal. When the sample with visible cavities is compared with its version of non visible cavities, there is an observable difference in PSD of the sample with cavities. This can be explained by using the capacitance of the sample and electric field of the source. Figure 7 depicts the equivalent circuit of a generic dielectric sample with an internal cavity. The total capacitance of the dielectric with and artificial cavity in Figure 7 can be calculated using following formula:
' CbCb''Cc ' '' Ctotal = ' '' C +C +C +Ca +Ca b b c

Figure 5: Time and frequency domain representation for the background noise in the laboratory. Time scale represents 200ps per point

3.1.

Polymer sample measurements at Position 1. (1)

Each of the polymer samples shown in Figure 3 were loaded into the point to plane excitation structure, and measurements were taken with the antenna located at a distance of 75 cm away from the excitation source (Position 1 in Figure 2). Since PD is dependent on the voltage supply across the sample, it is important maintain a constant voltage for all measurements. A supply voltage of 7kV was used for all of the tests conducted and presented in this paper. As PD is a random signal, in order to get clear idea about the progression of PD activity and the resulting radiation, each sample was tested for a minimum of 20 minutes. Measurements of the detected PD radiation were recorded every minute. For the sake of brevity and clarity in the following PSD plots, data samples are only presented for intervals of 5 minutes. Figure 6 presents the PSD for the six polymer samples of Figure 3. When PD occurs the PSD at certain frequencies rises above the noise floor of -160 dB/Hz. Random amplitude fluctuation is seen across all frequencies for the results of each sample. However, a distinct shape to the PSD can be observed when the PD is detected. Elevated PSD levels in the frequency range from 300 to 800 MHz can clearly be seen for all samples tested, as well as a significant peak between 800 and 1100 MHz.

Capacitance in general is given by:

C=

A
d

(2)

where: A = area, d = thickness,

= dielectric constant.

Therefore according to above equation (2) a change in capacitance will occur with a change in dielectric constant, given that A and d remain constant. When there is no cavity we can assume that above cavity is filled with the same dielectric material as its surroundings, which has dielectric constant of r . For this case we can take the capacitance of the cavity as ' C c' and total capacitance as C total . In the case where the dielectric sample has a cavity, the cavity is filled with air and which has dielectric constant of o . In this situation the capacitance of the cavity is denoted as Cc and the total capacitance is Ctotal . Since r > o we can conclude that

Cc > C c' . Therefore from

equation (1) and using the theory of addition of capacitance in series, we can come to the conclusion that
' Ctotal > C total .

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Paper C-30

ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9

Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

Figure 6: Power spectral density of PD radiation for various polymer samples measured at antenna Position 1 (a) Two plates (b) Two plates with one artificial cavity (c) Three plates (d) Three plates with two artificial cavities (e) Four plates (f) Four plates with three artificial cavities

The charge inside the sample can be calculated by the following formula:

The charge within the sample is related to the magnitude of the electric field (E) radiated from the sample due to PD activity, via:

Qtotal = CtotalV

(3)

where: Qtotal = charge inside the sample, V = voltage across points A to B. In the experiments resulting in the PSD plots of Figure 6, the voltage across the sample was a constant value, hence when C total increases Qtotal also increases.
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E =

Qtotal 4 o r 2

(4)

Equation 4 shows that the increase in Qtotal will increase the magnitude of E . Hence the increase in electric field will contributes towards the increase in PSD of the frequency components of the detected PD signal.
Paper C-30

ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9

Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg

(a)

Figure 7: Equivalent circuit representation of the dielectric sample with a cavity

3.2. Polymer sample measurements at Position 2. The next sets of measurements were performed with the antenna located at twice the distance from the discharge source (1.5 m Position 2 in Figure 2). The measured PSD for the samples with artificial cavities are shown in Figure 8. The samples without cavities are not shown as they display similar changes to those with cavities when the antenna is moved to Position 2. Comparing Figure 8 to the corresponding plots in Figure 6, it is observed that the PD characteristics do not appear as regularly in the PSD when measured at Position 2. This can be explained using electromagnetic physics. The high frequency radiation arises from the transient electrical discharge [7]. Electrical discharge radiation can be described using the discharge current density. Discontinuities in the discharge current and its derivatives dominate the high frequency part of radiation spectrum. These discontinuities in discharge current play a major role in determining the intensity of the radiated fields. These discontinuities can arise in five different scenarios [7]: 1. Initialization of the discharge current 2. Termination of the discharge current 3. Direction of the discharge current 4. Propagation of the discharge current 5. Nonlinear shock formation Due to above phenomena occurring when PD activity has taken place, the emission of frequency components with different signal intensities results. As there is extra distance between the PD source and the antenna at Position 2 (r in Equation 4), the detected electric field is lower, and may be masked by the noise floor.
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(b)

(c)

Figure 8: Power spectral density of PD radiation for polymer samples measured at antenna Position 2. (a) Two plates with one artificial cavity (b) Three plates with two artificial cavities (c) Four plates with three artificial cavities

3.3. Further studies into PD signal radiation at different spatial orientations Due to the randomness of the PD signal it is important to study the PD signal activity at different spatial orientations of the antenna. Further results will be shown at the conference.

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ISBN 978-0-620-44584-9

Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering Copyright c 2009 SAIEE, Innes House, Johannesburg

3.4. PD activity in epoxy and ceramic insulators Having a better understanding PD activity in epoxy and ceramic material is vital for the power engineering industry since these materials are commonly used for high voltage insulators. Figure 9 and 10 show the PSD of the detected PD radiation for epoxy and ceramic samples respectively. The epoxy results in Figure 9 only display definite PD activity in four of the twenty measurements presented. Of these, the first three PD activities took place at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd minute, and the other took place at 9th minute. For the ceramic results in Figure 10 only very low levels of PD radiation show up in the PSD. A thorough investigation using a similar method to which has been used for polymer samples in this paper is still to be conducted for the epoxy and ceramic insulators. Further results of this investigation will also be presented at the conference.

4.

CONCLUSION

The electromagnetic radiation due to PD activity can be used for PD detection and prevention. Cavities inside the insulation material play a major role in the intensity of the detected power spectral density. The discontinuities of the discharge current define the farfield radiation and its properties. Interestingly, the PSD in the frequency bands of 300 to 800 MHz and 800 to 1100 MHz displayed similar shape when PD activity was identified, regardless of the insulator geometry or number of artificial cavities. This property may prove useful in creating a detection and identification method for PD. 5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank EMC Pacific, Australia for providing the epoxy samples which were used in this research. This research was supported under Australian Research Council's Discovery Projects funding scheme (project number DP0880770). 6. REFERENCES

Figure 9: PD activity for the epoxy sample with no cavity measured at antenna Position 1

Figure 10: PD activity for the ceramic sample with no cavity measured at antenna Position 1

[1] P. H. F. Morshuis, "Partial discharge mechanisms," Delft UniversityPress, 1993. [2] Y. Tian, P. L. Lewin, and A. E. Davies, "Comparison of on-line partial discharge detection methods for HV cable joints," IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, vol. 9, pp. 604-615, 2002. [3] K. L. Wong, "Application of very-high-frequency (VHF) method to ceramic insulators," IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, vol. 11, pp. 1057-1064, Dec 2004. [4] M. Kawada, "Fundamental Study on Location of a Partial Discharge Source with a VHF-UHF Radio Interferometer System," Electrical Engineering in Japan, vol. 144, pp. 629636, 2003. [5] I. E. Portugues and P. J. Moore, "Study of propagation effects of wideband radiated RF signals from PD activity," IEEE Power Engineering Society General Meeting, pp. 6, 2006. [6] P. H. F. Morshuis and F. H. Kreuger, "Transition from Streamer to Townsend Mechanisms in Dielectric Voids," Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics, vol. 23, pp. 1562-1568, Dec 1990. [7] A. Kadish and W. B. Maier, "ElectromagneticRadiation from Abrupt Current Changes in Electrical Discharges," Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 70, pp. 6700-6711, Dec 1991.

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