Virtual-Instrument-Based Online Monitoring System for Hands-On Laboratory Experiment of Partial Discharges

• Published in: IEEE transactions on education Vol. 60; no. 1; pp. 29 - 37
• Main Author: Karmakar, Subrata
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.02.2017; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: College Students; Computer Simulation; Computer Software; Corona; Discharge; Discharges (electric); Distance Education; Electromagnetic interference; Energy; Equipment costs; Experiential Learning; Experimentation; Experiments; Foreign Countries; Grading; High voltages; Industry; Information and communication technologies (ICTs); Information technology; Insulation; Laboratories; Laboratory Experiments; Magnets; Measurement; Monitoring; On-line systems; online monitoring; Partial discharges; partial discharges (PDs); Pretests Posttests; Research facilities; Science education; Simulated Environment; Software; Student Attitudes; Surface discharges; Training; Utilities; virtual instrumentation; India
• ISSN: 0018-9359; 1557-9638
• DOI: 10.1109/TE.2016.2586754

Online monitoring of high-voltage (HV) equipment is a vital tool for early detection of insulation failure. Most insulation failures are caused by partial discharges (PDs) inside the HV equipment. Because of the very high cost of establishing HV equipment facility and the limitations of electromagnetic interference-screened laboratories, only a few educational and research institutes have facilities to carry out PD research studies. A remotely operated HV laboratory, i.e., the Virtual Instrumentation and Information and Communication Technologies (VI-ICT) facility, has been created to raise interest among students, researchers, and industrial users in the hands-on experimentation of PD activity inside HV power equipment. This paper describes the approaches to and mechanism for hands-on experimentation in PD detection and measurement and how this is conducted remotely using the facility. This remotely operated HVPD laboratory, as well as hosting the HV laboratory course, can provide training and testing for industry and utilities around the world.