1/18

PD Tech Power Engineering AG

MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics


Partial discharge Basics of Monitoring









2/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics

Table of contents
1.0 Partial discharge introduction ..................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Partial Discharge Detection from the Inventor of PRPDA...................................................... 3
1.2 PD Tech Power Engineering AG the partner for condition monitoring............................... 3
1.4 Partial Discharge and Insulation Failure............................................................................... 4
2.0 Partial discharge basics .............................................................................................................. 5
3.0 What is partial discharge?........................................................................................................... 6
3.1 Examples: slot section/generators and motors .................................................................... 6
3.2 How do we know there is a problem................................................................................... 8
3.3 Why monitoring is necessary ............................................................................................... 8
4.0 Typical Discharge Patterns of Rotating Machines........................................................................ 9
4.1 Discharges in Endwindings .................................................................................................. 9
4.2 Endwindings Problems ....................................................................................................... 10
4.3 Endwinding Continued...................................................................................................... 10
4.4 Delamination of Main Insulation........................................................................................ 11
4.5 Delamination & PD Traces ................................................................................................. 11
4.6 On-line partial discharge monitoring................................................................................. 12
5.0 The MICAMAXX
TM
plus machine monitoring through the web..................................................... 13
5.1 The MICAMAXX
TM
plus monitoring structure......................................................................... 15
5.2 Datahandling Database................................................................................................. 16
6.0 Sensor and Coupler Installation................................................................................................. 17








3/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
1.0 Partial discharge introduction

1.1 Partial Discharge Detection from the Inventor of PRPDA

After 14 years experience with phase resolved partial discharge detection (PRPDA), we introduce a full
line of new detectors and monitoring systems for field applications with an unmatched
price/performance ratio, partial discharge testing today is an indispensable tool for preventive
maintenance and increase of equipment availability by reducing unplanned outages

1.2 PD Tech Power Engineering AG the partner for condition monitoring

PD tech provides instruments, installation and engineering services, as well as development and design
integration know-how for most monitoring applications in the industrial and energy sectors. Significant
investments into personnel and tools over the last two years have moved us to the forefront of internet
integration.
Our partial discharge monitoring solutions now include:
Gas insulated switchgear UHF monitoring and ultrasonic inspection
Medium voltage switchgear monitoring and ultrasonic inspection
Transformers
Rotating machines (generators and motors) including full off-line inspection and tool kit supply.
Furthermore we design and provide mobile test equipment and specialised tools for insulation quality
assurance and inspection.


The MICAMAXX
TM
product family now includes partial discharge insulation condition monitoring for
motors and generators ranging from a cost efficient trending and alarming system to a full expandable
internet solution with analytic capabilities. The units are available as multi-purpose portable detectors
for periodic on-line and off-line inspections.











4/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
1.4 Partial Discharge and Insulation Failure

All high voltage machines will exhibit partial discharge, even from new. As a result, over 30% of
unplanned outages and subsequent production loss can be attributed to insulation failure.

The MICAMAXX
TM
product range is PD Techs state-of-the-art solution for monitoring partial discharge,
ensuring greater availability of plant.
All high voltage machines will experience partial discharges even from new!
Discharge levels increase over time until eventually failure occurs.
Can you afford the consequences?

Partial Discharge Testing - The only access to the stator insulation performance on-line
no interruption of service for testing
solutions for permanent monitoring - perodic testing expert support and tests

pd test is non-destructive
tests possible: on-line and off-line
determines insulation condition
identifies detrimental trends
an indispensable tool for maintenance planning underpins maintenance contracts

Partial discharges comes from different factors
TEAM stresses of the insulation
Thermal, temperature
Electrical, electric field
Ambient (environment)
Mechanical, vibrations

lead to:
electrical discharges (PD) which in consequence are an indicator for such stresses
these indicators are not the cause but the consequence of stresses (TEAM).
severe defects are always localised, a global aging does practically not exist

diagnosis and monitoring analyse causes & effects of defects or aging.
often defects occur in specific locations, there is no overall average ageing, e.g. using a hammer for
placing only one bar might harm that specific bar.

Defects Identified by Partial Discharge Measurements

Loose Wedges and Bar Vibration, Slot Discharges
Broken Conductors
Contamination (Salt, Cement, Oil) of Damage of End-Winding
Discharges between Phases as a Result of
Vibration or Design Problems especially new machinesnAgeing/Delamination of Main
Insulationincluded:
brush sparking, collector problems
pd in busbars

Partial Discharge is a local brakdown phenomenon which short circuits a part of an insulation and leads
to ageing and accompanies ageing! Partial discharge takes place in defects of the insulation.
formation ionised species
formation of corrosives ions, acids, nitrogen oxides, ozone
light, sound and electromagnetic waves are emitted
we use these effects for identification and localisation of partial discharges (=insulation defects):
antennae, chemical sensors, ultrasonic devices, cameras..










5/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
2.0 Partial discharge basics

Partial discharges occur wherever the electrical field is higher than the breakdown field of an insulating
medium:

Air: ca. 27 kV/cm (1bar)
SF
6
: ca. 360 kV/cm (4bar)
Polymers: 4000kV/cm

There are two necessary conditions for a partial discharge to occur in a cavity:
(1) presence of a starting electron to initiate an avalanche
(2) the electrical field must be higher than the ionisation inception field of the insulating medium
the availability of this initial electron influences significantly the partial discharge inception of each individual
discharge pulse





Partial discharges occur wherever the electrical field is higher than the breakdown field of an insulating
medium:
We speak about partial discharges because the discharges are created within the insulation.
To explain how partial discharge is
created, we take a Sample of one
period of the applied sine wave
voltage (50Hz). During the increasing
position, the electrons and ions from
the gas losed ions are separated
and went to the surface of the hole
(electrons to one side/ ions to the
other side) in the insulation of the
material. At one point there is an
higher charge on the surface as the
insulation gas can keep a
breakdown within this hole will
happen. That is not a full discharge,
it is a partial discharge within the
insulation material.

To visualize this effect, an aquisiton
of these discharges will made over a
certain time. We recommanded to
chose an ACQ time of 30 sec.
During aquistion all discharges are
sorted out to their time position
(position within a period of the sine
wave) and to the amplitude position
streagth of the discharge) if there
exists several discharges within these
windows there are added, that
finally a 3D matrix is created. This 3D
matrix is visualised typically in a 2D
pattern with color shows intensity of
the number of discharges.








6/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
3.0 What is partial discharge?

Partial discharge (PD) is an incomplete electrical discharge that occurs between insulation or insulation
and a conductor. Overtime the insulation system of the machine will deteriorate, a process accelerated
by thermal, electrical, ambient and mechanical stresses. By assessing the partial discharge levels of the
machine winding, the deterioration can be effectively monitored.

3.1 Examples: slot section/generators and motors








Picture 1 Picture 2

This two pictures shows a physical experience of an acelerated evolution of electrical discharges in the
epoxy resine trought one insulation paper how is using in the manufacturing of the generator bars. In
the top of the picture we have an high voltage electrode and in the bottom the ground electrode, the
second picture shows the evolution of the electrical treeing. Picture 2 is near of a brekown beetween
high voltage and ground electrode because the electrical trees has reached the ground electrode.
This is an accelerated experience of a generator breakdown, this process lasted one hour.


Wedges/
Wedge
thigness
testing
Insulation/
winding
copper








7/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics




Statistics shows that the most troubles in the generators are by the stator windings [Allianz 99]



Electrical treeing creep beetween the Mica tape bandage to reach the ground potential.








8/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
3.2 How do we know there is a problem

The occurrence of sparks, arcs and electrical discharges is a sure indication that insulation problems
exist.
It is also likely that one or more of the following defects will be exhibited:

Bar vibrations (loose wedges)
End winding contamination
Slot discharge
Broken conductors

3.3 Why monitoring is necessary

Insulation Condition Monitoring provides an early warning of critical problems in the stator insulation of
electrical machines, so that corrective measures can be undertaken before costly damage occurs.
Failures such as earth faults, phase-to-phase faults or shorted turns will eventually develop as a result of
the known defects. In this situation a new machine winding is likely and lead time for replacement coils
can be lengthy.

Failure due to discharge activity! It can be avoided!
If the problem is identified early enough, the situation can
be contained, by implementing a temporary repair to
enhance machine life, whilst necessary spares are
manufactured. In this situation, a MICAMAXX
TM
is a partial
discharge trending system comprising of an on-line
monitoring unit and PD transducers, which are fitted to the
machine as a permanent installation, to enable
continuous on-line monitoring of the insulation system

How does it work?

Partial discharge produces high frequency current pulses,
which are picked up by the PD transducers (fitted one
per phase) and which are connected via co-axial cable
to the MICAMAXX
TM
system.





Partial Discharge Footprints The Partial Discharge Pattern Pulse Distribution Function


Thermal Ageing Loose Copper Pollution

Once the initial analysis has been performed, the continuous on-line monitoring unit MICAMAXX
TM
plus

can be configured.








9/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics

4.0 Typical Discharge Patterns of Rotating Machines



typically a triangle form

4.1 Discharges in Endwindings



typically clonds

Pump Storage Plant
Load Variation, differential
thermomechanical mouvement
Insulation separated from conducteurs
Partial discharge








10/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
4.2 Endwindings Problems





4.3 Endwinding Continued
















11/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
4.4 Delamination of Main Insulation




4.5 Delamination & PD Traces













12/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
4.6 On-line partial discharge monitoring

Elimination of electromagnetic noise

- elimination of pulse noise by coincidence technique
- frequency domain techniques- application of spectrum analysis since 1988
- reduction of pulses attenuation by adaptive frequency band (MICAMAXX)
-

pattern without noise with noise (excitation of generator)

Why choose MICAMAXX?

Traditionally off-line monitoring techniques such as Di-Electric Loss Analysis (DLA) and Tan Delta Testing
have been used. Yet these methods as well as being considered yesterdays technologyare
expensive, and require a lengthy machine outage. MICAMAXX
TM
plus sets new standards for the
monitoring of electrical machines and is based on field-proven sensor technology. It can be an
indispensable element in planning, life span extension and preventative maintenance programs,
serving to reduce unscheduled and expensive failures and outages.

Installation

A system that has been designed specifically to allow a fast and as far as possible, a non-intrusive
installation. An outage, typically during a regular service standstill is all that is required.

Benefits

MICAMAXX
TM
plus is a system which is simple to install and provides a cost effective solution for on-line
PD monitoring, without compromising technical integrity.


The MICAMAXX
TM
plus monitoring system
calculates parameters directely from
the pattern. The left graph shows the
calculated parameters from laboratory
of insulation breakdown tests on
generator bars.
As shown the partial discharge level be
stable over a certain time and after
starts to increase exponentially until
breakdown. The experience of long
term trending on real generators has
shown the same results.
With the monitoring system
MICAMAXX
TM
plus we try to found the
critical level, and gives an
Warning/Alarm.
Sharp bend:
Critical level
Alarm
Warning








13/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
Do you need instant expert advice, do you need expandability?

5.0 The MICAMAXX
TM
plus machine monitoring through the web


The Micamaxx
TM
plus is a real-time, 4 channel partial discharge pattern recording systems for permanent
installation with remote diagnostic capabilities and embedded alarm algorithms which reduce user
interaction to the bare necessities. The system trends the deviation from an assessed condition. The unit
permanently informs the user about potential ageing problems.



Remote access allows experts to access the system to perform full analyses from their office. Internet
server, LAN and modem features allow our experts to provide support to customers world-wide.



Pattern and analogue view of partial discharges.









14/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics

Three Phase Pattern Results


GUI: Trending Parameter Calculations (IEC60270 et al.), apparent charge, current quadratic rate.








15/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
Start
Yes



5.1 The MICAMAXX
TM
plus monitoring structure



Start Measurement CH
Single Pattern Storage
Pattern Creation
All done ?
CH up (1-4)
Create mmp File
Create jpg for Web
Save to
Daily
Time
00 / 30min
No
Yes
No
No
No
Alarm/
Warning
Reached ?

Alarm/
Warning
Active

Make Alarm/Warning
Store
Calcs
Yes
Calc 1;2;3;...
How Many mmp Listing
Daily?
Copy Daily Pattern To
Pattern Storage
Check Last App.
Charge Values
Delete All Daily
Calcs

Pattern
Storage
Daily
Yes
No
Time
. 00:00?
Structure description:
This monitoring structure contains
two main cycles.
The Data Aquisition of the patterns
for each phase and the second
main cycle to analyse and
evaluate them. It so evaluated in a
form that the information is
represented briefly and clearly in
the trending software. Details
about the calculations see chapter
XX.

After system is started up, every 30
mins it starts a measurement,
generally it starts with channel 1.
After the pattern creation and the
storage of a single pattern it will
checked if an other channel is
activated. If yes, it starts a new
cycle, generally until channel 3.
After the last storage, it creates an
mmp File (compatible to portable
version) and create jpg pictures for
the WEB access.

From each pattern, calculations
are made and if alarm/warning is
activated, alarm is written to the
output.


At midnight (time 00:00) the
number of mmp files will be
counted, checks the apparent
charge values of them and copy
the mmp file to the long term
storage place.




All done ?
Yes
No
No








16/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
The MICAMAXX
TM
plus

is a true system solution and investment in the future of your machines. A series of
expansion modules and communication options will be available shortly.

Main Module Incorporates:
Partial discharge (stator) monitoring system
All Internet/LAN, storage, trending and alarm functions
Serves as an Internet node (CAN-Bus and modem optional)

Prepared for expansion modules (under development)
Rotor monitor: synchronous and asynchronous rotors
Condition module (temperature, current power etc.),
analog an CAN-Bus inputs (others on request)
Vibration and mechanical condition module
Ozone Acquisition
Brush Monitor

The user will be supported by our experts through communication possibilities and web data base
functions.

5.2 Datahandling Database





Partial Discharge Features
4 Channel PD Acquisition, Coupler-, Line- and External Synchronisation possibility
Results: 8 x 8 x 16Bit Colour PD Pattern
Variable Frequency Range for Noise Suppression
0.3 to 5.5 MHz, 0.5 to 5.8 MHz, 1 to 6.4 MHz, 1.5 to 7 MHz, 2.3 to 7.9 MHz
2.9 to 8.5 MHz, 3.5 to 9.1 MHz, 4 to 9.7 MHz (optional lower frequencies on
request and necessity)
Input Impedance: 2 k, Input Sensitivity (2pC, depends on machine impedance and
noise spectrum)
Coupler compatibility: PD Tech Range: CC7 to CC30 (1nF cap.), CT85, CT17 (RF current
transformers), ALSTOM (PAMOS, GOLD), Rogowski Sensors, SIEMENS, IRIS, ADWEL, surge
capacitor installations)









17/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics

6.0 Sensor and Coupler Installation

Compact, sensitive and reliable couplers, which are perfectly adapted to the machine types and a
world-wide installation service, are a speciality of PD Tech Power Engineering AG.
In order to ensure compatibility and cost-efficiency, the MICAMAXXTM detection systems are
compatible with third party sensors, this allows the use of already existing coupling systems as well.
(e.g. ALSTOM (PAMOS, GOLD), Rogowski Sensors, SIEMENS, IRIS, ADWEL, surge capacitor installations)


A complete range of 1 nF coupling
capacitors with I-match technology is
available from PD Tech Power
Engineering AG. The unique I-match
technology avoids eddy currents
caused to ground loops, incorporates
provides a stable voltage divider and I-
match impedance matching which
allows to look deep into the machine
winding at a high sensitivity which was
virtually only possible with higher
capacitance values.




Capacitve Coupplers CC15;CC20;CC30 Surge Condensator


Retrofitting or installation of surge capacitors with high frequency current transformers is the solution for
sensitive pd measurements on generators and motors. Furthermore, if surge capacitors are already
fitted it is useless to fit additional coupling capacitors as the surge capacitors drain their signal energy.

When installing coupling capacitors, why not install surge capacitors to protect the machine against
surges at the same time. PD Tech Power Engineering AG provides services to optimise insulation
coordination.

Confined space in industrial motors and
generators often complicated the installation of
coupling capacitors. The ultra compact CC7
coupling capacitor design fits into most
termination boxes.











CC7 capacitors installed on a large motor








18/18
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
MICAMAXX
TM
plus Partial Discharge Basics
Basic Insulation Technology Research Analytic Services Consulting


PD Tech Power Engineering is active in Swiss project in co-operation with the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology and ISOLA Ltd. To explore and understand the basic failure mechanisms in rotating
machine insulation.

Microscopic analyses of mica-glass fibre-epoxy and asphalted insulation for generators
(Courtesy Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)

Further Consulting and Engineering Services

Insulation Coordination, Overvoltage Analyses, Transient Simulation
Testing and Commissioning Experts
Development Support
Fault Analysis
Maintenance and Repair Management
Testing of Components
Rental of Test Equipment
Impulse and AC HV Testing on Site








Specifications subject to change without notice