Monitor warns of switchgear failures

EA Technology has introduced a monitoring system that can prevent up to 85 per cent of failures in gas insulated switchgear (GIS) sets, which are often used in substations.

The PD Monitor GIS uses a network of ultra high frequency (UHF) sensors to continuously locate, measure and classify internal partial discharge (PD).

If PD activity reaches critical levels in any part of the switchgear, the monitor automatically transmits warnings to engineers by text message or email.

EA Technology has identified five areas where PD faults develop on GIS assets: contamination by free-moving metallic particles, voids in insulator cast resin, corona activity emanating from sharp points, conducting particles on insulator surface and contact-noise from support brackets.

All can escalate rapidly to flashover and failure.

The monitor uses UHF sensors that can easily be retro-fitted to the switchgear or via existing internal sensors.

The sensors are connected to the system's server by measurement nodes in a daisy chain configuration to simplify cabling.

More than 100 sensors can be connected simultaneously to the server.

The server has a web-based Windows interface.

Its software analyses the data and indicates the location, type and severity of PD activity in the form of reports and graphs.

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