Acousto-optical PD detection for transformers

• Published in: IEEE transactions on power delivery Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 1068 - 1073
• Main Authors: Xiaodong Wang, Baoqing Li, Roman, H.T., Russo, O.L., Chin, K., Farmer, K.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.07.2006; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Acoustic measurement; Acoustic measurements; Acoustic sensor; Acoustic sensors; Acoustic signal detection; Acoustic waves; Acoustics; Applied sciences; Condition monitoring; Disturbances. Regulation. Protection; Electric power generation; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; Electromagnetic measurements; Exact sciences and technology; Failure; Fiber optics; Operation. Load control. Reliability; Optical fiber sensors; Optical fibers; partial discharge; Partial discharge measurement; Partial discharges; Power electronics, power supplies; Power networks and lines; Power transformers; Sensors; transformer; Transformers; Transformers and inductors; Partial discharge; Acoustic measurement; Outage; Acoustic wave; Measurement sensor; Micromachining; Power system stability; transformer; Electromagnetic compatibility; Power electronics; Experimental study; Power transformer; Fiber optic sensors; Electromagnetic disturbance; Electromagnetic interference; High sensitivity; Fabry Pérot interferometer; Acoustic sensor; Microelectromechanical device; Monitoring; Interferometry
• ISSN: 0885-8977; 1937-4208
• DOI: 10.1109/TPWRD.2005.861242

Partial discharge (PD) is one of the factors that could lead to failure of power transformers, leading to power outage and expensive repairs. The acoustic wave induced by PD can be measured and used for monitoring, diagnosing, and locating potential failures in the transformers. Fiber optic sensors have been shown to be attractive devices for PD detection because of a number of inherent advantages including small size, high sensitivity, electrical nonconductivity, and immunity to electromagnetic interference. A fiber optic sensor based on a Fabry-Perot interferometry is constructed by a simple micromachining process compatible with microelectromechanical system technology. The sensors are used in a transformer to measure PD acoustic waves. The experimental results show the sensor not only has an inherent high signal to noise capability, but is able to accurately localize the PD sources inside the transformer.