CIRED 19th International Conference on Electricity Distribution Vienna, 21-24 May 2007

Paper 0782-

PARTIAL DISCHARGE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND FAULT ANALYSIS

OF 25.8KV SF6 GAS INSULATED SWITCHGEAR IN KOREA
Tae-Ho KWON Dong –Myung KIM Nam-Woo LEE Young-Min KIM
KEPCO – Korea KEPCO – Korea KEPCO – Korea KEPCO – Korea
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Rated
I/S G/S P/S P/E etc. total
ABSTRACT Voltage
KEPCO(Korea Electric Power Corporation) has 6.6kV 0 60 0 0 142 397
analyzed abnormality and breakdown phenomenon of MV 22.9kV 2,849 76,029 25,347 5,375 3,564 113,164
gas insulated switchgear(GIS) for 5 years, and recently
discovered decrease in troubles and improvement in Number 2,849 76,089 25,347 5,375 3,706 113,366
power quality. As a result, main breakdown causes were
% 2.5 67.1 22.4 4.7 3.3 100
from poor quality of epoxy insulator, miss-operation by
lubricant hardening, broken shaft, etc. * I/S : Interrupter Switch
KEPCO has applied partial discharge(PD) diagnosis * G/S : Overhead Gas Insulated Switchgear
technology for maintenance of distribution facility. In this * P/S : Pad Mounted Gas Insulated Switchgear
paper, we sorted aging type of 25.8[kV]-class GIS and * P/E : Protective Equipment(Recloser, Sectionalizer)
analyzed discharge characteristic of each aging type. We * etc : ASS, ALTS, FAS, A/S, O/S
presented suitable PD measurement system to GIS. - ASS : Automatic Section Switch
- ALTS : Auto Load Transfer Switch

INTRODUCTION
Faults Status of GIS
It has been widely accepted that GIS has proven to be r The list below shows the result of KEPRI’s survey on
eliable and to have high availability. However, a lot of de the causes of faults on 25.8kV SF6 gas insulated type
fects in GIS can reduce the voltage withstand level of the switches over the past 5 years.
system.
In MV GIS installation certain types of defects can occ ① mis-operation : grease hardening , corrosion of
ur, e.g.: switchgear, broken shaft
- internal defects in dielectrics ② insulating materials : contact badness of electrodes, tran
- protrusion on conductor or enclosure sient over voltage, tracking phenomena of the polymeric
- defects in cable terminations insulation material.
- bus insulation with moist or dirty surface
③ damage of bushing : defect in voltage screen
- defects correlated to the surface of dielectric
④ breakdown of elbow connector : surface damage,
The most practical method employed on the non-
loose contact of connector
intrusive detection of partial discharge activity in MV GI
S is through use of both electromagnetic and ultrasonic de ⑤ others : moisture absorption, trouble of control
tector[1]. circuits
In this paper, the ultra high frequency(UHF) technique
has been used to detect partial discharge activity within th Fig. 1 shows the perception of a survey on the causes o
e equipment. f GIS breakdown

OVERVIEW OF MV GIS IN KOREA

Present condition of MV GIS

Korea has up to 113,366 GIS. Switchgears that pole mounted e
quipments are about 80,000 and pad mounted equipments are ab
out 30,000. Typically SF6 gas insulated type switches are used in
approximately 89.5 percent of the total number of switchgears.

Fig. 1 Faults perception

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CIRED 19th International Conference on Electricity Distribution Vienna, 21-24 May 2007

Paper 0782-

UHF PD MEASUREMENT SYSTEM The sensor can be installed at GIS bushing while the G
IS operate. And it has a shield structure to minimize outsi
Fig. 2 shows a UHF PD measurement system of GIS. It de noise.
consists of three parts; an internal/external UHF PD
sensor which can detect electromagnetic wave by
occurring PD signal of inside defects, a DAU which can
process a sensor signal, and a Human Machine
Interface(HMI) that is capable of saving, analyzing and
controlling measured signals.

Fig. 4 External UHF PD sensor(proto-type)

Fig. 2 UHF PD measurement system
A sensitivity measurement of UHF PD sensor

UHF PD SENSOR -10dB means 90%

transfer of the
Internal UHF PD Sensor input power
The internal UHF PD sensor, which detects PD signal i Good efficiency
nside of GIS, was designed by using the principle of broa S11 parameter
0
dband frequency characteristic of Archimedean spiral ant
enna[2-3].
Amplitude (dB)

-10

-20

-30 simulation
Measured
-40
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Frequency (GHz)
Sensor operation range
(300MHz ∼1.3GHz)

Fig. 5 The comparison of results between test and sim

ulation

To get the performance of internal UHF sensor, we me

asured S11 parameters. A network analyzer was used to te
stify the internal UHF sensor in free space, work place, an
d GIS. Fig. 5 illustrates the comparison between simulatio
n results and tests, and it shows difference result. The reas
on of the difference result is out of accord with the condit
Fig. 3 Internal UHF sensor(proto-type) ion of test. The result shows that the sensor has excellent
value under 10dB in 300[MHz] ~ 1300[MHz] band.
External UHF PD Sensor To compare total band of frequency, internal sensor has
The external UHF PD sensor, which is set up outside o 5~10[dB] of characteristic transmission value that is high
f GIS and detects PD signal of inside GIS, was designed b er than the external sensor. However, sensibility of the ex
y using the principle of narrow band frequency characteri ternal sensor was highly performed at its resonance frequ
stic of log-periodic antenna. ency area, which is between 300[MHz] and 1,200[MHz].

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CIRED 19th International Conference on Electricity Distribution Vienna, 21-24 May 2007

Paper 0782-

Interconnection experiment with the network

Experiments were carried out in the Go Chang Power Tes
ting Center on weaknesses, which are protrusion, free mo
ving particles, and damage in installed insulation of two p
ad mounted switchgears.

Manufacture of artificially defective product

With the demonstration of field test, three different typ
es of variables were artificially manufactured, such as pro
trusion, free moving particle, and set up on the damaged i
nsulation ; “A” company’s switch was used as a damaged
insulation, and “B” company’s switch was used with prot
rusion and free moving particle in this experiment.

Protrusion
Protrusion was made by using 2[mm] copper wires,
cutting its edge sharp, and was put into the third circuit of
B Company’s switch as shown in Fig. 6. To simulate Fig. 7 Free moving particle
under severe conditions, the experiment was carried out
within a 15[mm] gap between ground stirrup and power
unit.

Free moving particle

To make shortage of the free moving particle, which w
as made as an electrode type, the free moving particle was
installed into the first circuit of “A” company’s switch, a
s shown in Fig. 7.
The space between upside and downside electrode was
controlled to 12.5[mm] in diameters while the ball type al
uminum to produce PD signal was 1[mm] in diameter.

Surface discharge of dielectrics

Fig. 8 illustrates the artificially damaged insulation inst
alled into the inside of “A” company’s switch to identify t
he shortage of insulation. To get surface of insulation agi
ng with the actual level of the network voltage, aluminum Fig. 8 Surface discharge of dielectrics
tape was put into the upside surface of insulation.
Measurement of each type of defects
Protrusion
While the several tens of PD signals were generally not
damaging the system, however if the transient voltage oc
curs to the system, they can cause mis-
operation or faults. The PD signal was found in both the i
nternal sensor and external sensor between the 900 ~ 120
0[MHz] bandwidth.

Free Moving Particle

The PD signal was found in nearly all frequency band
width with the PD signal at about 5[pc]. And it was found
in both the internal sensor and the external sensor with th
e main target area of 900~1200[MHz]. This type of the de
fect classifies serious damage on the system. It may not h
appened by the aging phenomena, but by mechanism.
Fig. 9 shows the signal of PD on free moving particle.

Fig. 6 Protrusion

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CIRED 19th International Conference on Electricity Distribution Vienna, 21-24 May 2007

Paper 0782-

Engineering.
[3] Warren L. Stutzman, Gary A. Thiele, 1998, Antenna t
heory and design, John wiley & sons.

(a) internal sensor

(b) external sensor

Fig. 9 The signal of PD on free moving particle

Surface discharge of dielectrics

The minute signal was detected in the internal sensor, h
owever, not in the external signal. It can be referred from
the result that the surface is the beginning level of aging,
and it may cause less PD signal than the expected level. T
here is still predictive assessment required by measuring t
he aging by periods to determine the impact of the events.

CONCLUSIONS
This paper developed a UHF PD measurement system t
hat can examine and measure the insulation conditions of
a operating MV switch.

◦ Invent the internal/external UHF sensor in MV GIS.

◦ Development Measurement the PD signal and the analy
sis algorithm
◦ result provide a means to examine the performance cha
racteristics which will be applied to the actual level of n
etwork voltage.

For accurate diagnosis, analysis on the characteristics of t

he field noise is needed.

REFERENCES

[1] B. F. Hampton, R. J. Meats, 1998, "Diagnostic measur

ements at UHF in gas insulated substations", IEE Proc
eedings, Vol. 135, Pt.C, No. 2, pp. 137-144.
[2] T. Hoshino, Y. Hoshina, K. Nojima, M. Hanai, 2003,
"Real-time PD identification in diagnosis of GIS using
symmetric and asymmetric UHF sensors",
International Symposium on High Voltage

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