See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/261396533

Simultaneous measurement of partial discharge using TEV, IEC60270 and

UHF techniques

Conference Paper  in  Electrical Insulation, 1988., Conference Record of the 1988 IEEE International Symposium on · June 2012
DOI: 10.1109/ELINSL.2012.6251506

CITATIONS READS

25 1,123

3 authors, including:

Alistair Reid Martin David Judd

Cardiff University University of Strathclyde
68 PUBLICATIONS   609 CITATIONS    208 PUBLICATIONS   3,900 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Risk assesment of EHV GIS by means of Online PD measurements View project

Scalable Non-invasive Radiometric Wireless Sensor Network for Partial Discharge Monitoring in the Future Smart Grid View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Alistair Reid on 04 March 2015.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Simultaneous Measurement of Partial Discharge
Using TEV, IEC60270 and UHF Techniques
Alistair J. Reid
School of Engineering and Built Environment
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow, UK
alistair.reid@gcu.ac.uk
Abstract—This paper explores a means of quantifying the
relationship between transient earth voltage (TEV), ultra-high-
frequency (UHF) and IEC60270 partial discharge (PD)
measurements on a pulse-by-pulse basis for well-defined,
laboratory-based discharge sources. Since each technique
responds differently to the same PD event, there is no theoretical
relationship between the measured quantities; TEV and UHF
techniques respond to the rate of change of charge movement,
while IEC60270 responds to its integral. Empirical measurement
is therefore necessary. Discharge pulses for each system were
captured simultaneously using a 3 GHz, 20 GS/s digital sampling
oscilloscope. PD amplitudes recorded by the respective systems
were analysed and their relationships evaluated. Although these
relationships are complex and bear characteristics particular to
the PD geometry, the order-of-magnitude variation in amplitude
between the sources allows approximate linear interpolation of
the relationships when pulses are plotted on a logarithmic scale.
The TEV/IEC correlation approximated to 1 μV/pC. The
TEV/UHF correlation approximated to 0.05 mV/mV (TEV/UHF).
Using TEV data measured at various points at an on-line
medium voltage substation, approximate corresponding pC levels
have been estimated based on the above relationships. The
implications for PD severity judgment are discussed.
Keywords-Partial discharges; Condition monitoring; UHF;
TEV; Switchgear.
I. INTRODUCTION
Partial discharge (PD) measurement is a well established
condition monitoring technique used to detect incipient failures
within electrical insulation systems. A number of detection
techniques have been applied over the years to measure the
many effects of PD. PD measurement according to IEC
standard 60270 [1] is a well established technique, in which PD
is quantified in terms of ‘apparent charge’. The authors have
previously carried out investigations examining the correlation
between IEC measurement and the increasingly used UHF
technique [2–4]. Recently, the transient earth voltage
phenomenon has been more widely exploited for condition
monitoring and asset management of MV switchgear [5–10].
Transient earth voltage sensors make use of the skin effect to
measure electromagnetic radiation due to internal partial
discharge. This is an attractive sensing option since
measurements are inherently safe and can be made without any
physical intrusion or modification to the switchgear.
Martin D. Judd and Graeme Duncan
Institute for Energy and Environment
University of Strathclyde
Glasgow, UK
m.judd@eee.strath.ac.uk
Quantifying the transient earth voltage output in terms of
partial discharge severity can be challenging since there is no
widely accepted standard. It is the purpose of this study to
investigate the relationship between apparent charge, UHF
energy and Transient Earth Voltage. The benefits of TEV
measurement derive from the ability to install sensors non-
intrusively on in-service equipment. Since PD magnitude is
conventionally well understood in terms of apparent charge, it
is desirable to quantify the IEC/TEV relationship for a better
understanding of PD severity in MV switchgear. For
completeness, UHF data was measured simultaneously along
with TEV and IEC.
II. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
Figs. 1 and 2 show the laboratory-based setup, in which an
enclosed metal chamber was used, together with PD test cells
with well-defined topologies and discharge characteristics. A
proprietary TEV sensor was used. A Lemke LDS-6 IEC60270
system was used to quantify apparent charge. The system was
calibrated when connected to each respective test object by
injecting current pulses of known charge, as specified in the
IEC60270 standard. The hardware-integrated output pulse
from the Lemke system, the peak of which is proportional to
the apparent charge, was connected directly to a 3 GHz Lecroy
7300 Oscilloscope (top trace, Fig. 3) along with the TEV and
UHF signals. A UHF monopole antenna was installed
internally (Fig. 2). The output voltage from the UHF sensor
was also connected directly to the oscilloscope. Although the
test chamber is shown with the front face removed in Fig. 2, it
was bolted in place for the duration of each test. The TEV
sensor was placed on top of the test chamber and its output
connected to the oscilloscope. Fig. 3 shows three traces
captured simultaneously. All three traces arise from the same
PD event. Since PD signal propagation to the UHF and TEV
sensors is essentially at the speed of light, both signals arrive
around the same time. The measured IEC60270 trace arrives
approximately 500 ns later due to circuit delay and other
propagation effects in the measurement system.
Four PD test cells were used, representing four common
PD source topologies:
1. A floating electrode in SF6
2. A point-plane configuration in SF6
3. A free metallic particle in SF6 Integrated IEC apparent

150
mV
4. A free metallic particle in oil (L10B) charge output

Although SF6 and oil are not common insulation media in UHF

300
mV
the equipment of interest in this study, these test cells were
used to provide a wide dynamic range in PD levels, allowing TEV

mV
6
greater confidence in the reported correlations.
2 μs
PD test Interlocked
chamber test cage Figure 3. Oscilloscope screenshot showing simultaneously captured
IEC60270, UHF and TEV traces from a single PD event.
Voltage
Due to the large variation in output voltage levels it was
supply necessary to apply attenuation or amplification to the
Lemke LDS-6
respective measurements for some test configurations. For
example, due to high amplitude discharges produced by the
Oscilloscope floating electrode, it was necessary to apply a 10 dB attenuator
to the UHF channel. Since TEV measurements have
comparatively low sensitivity, a 25 dB amplifier was needed
when measuring discharge from the point-plane and free
particle test cells.
All measurements were correlated in post-processing using
specially developed MATLAB code to produce the graphs
shown in the following section. The software reads the peak of
the measured waveform (approximately 6000 waveforms for
Figure 1. Experimental setup. From left to right: 3 GHz oscilloscope each test configuration) and correlates this into a 3-column
capturing TEV, IEC and UHF pulses simultaneously, Lemke LDS-6 ‘apparent array of data. At this point any attenuation or amplification was
charge’ measurement system (calibration device can be see on top of the unit),
Voltage supply. The test envlodure is located inside the interlocked HV test corrected through scaling to arrive at the actual output voltage
cage. for each sensor. The relationship between output voltage and
pC level for the IEC measurements was also calibrated for each
HV configuration and factored into the calculation.
TEV
supply The frequency response of the TEV sensor was measured
sensor
using a pulsed GTEM cell [11]. The sensor has a mean
effective height between 0.1 and 0.2 mm in the 200 MHz - 2
GHz range. This is considered low in terms of UHF sensitivity
UHF
(normally > 6 mm mean effective height). The TEV sensor is
monopole likely to have higher sensitivity at frequencies below the
calibration system’s lower limit of 200 MHz.

III. RESULTS

A. Laboratory Measurements
Figs. 4 and 5 show the TEV/IEC and TEV/UHF
PD test Coupling relationships respectively for all four test cells. TEV/IEC
cell capacitor results for the individual defects follow a non-linear trend,
characteristic to each PD source. However, when all data is
plotted on the same graph (Fig. 4) the approximate gradient of
Figure 2. Experimental setup. PD test cell is located within the aluminium the best-fit straight line is 1μV/pC. Since both UHF and TEV
test chamber and connected to voltage supply through an HV bushing at the techniques respond to the rate of change of charge, they exhibit
top. TEV sensor is located on top of the chamber and a UHF monopole sensor
is mounted internally. The front plate of the chamber was re-fitted during a more linear relationship, as shown in Fig. 5, with the best-fit
testing. straight line voltage ratio approximating to 0.05 mV/mV
(TEV/UHF). This correlation has been included for
completeness. Although the UHF measurement appears more
sensitive by a factor of almost 20, it must be noted that the
monopole sensor was mounted internally, while the TEV
sensor was mounted on the outside of the chamber. Clearly a
trade off exists between ease of installation and sensitivity for
the two sensor technologies.
 Floating electrode in SF6
Free particle
in SF6
Free particle
in oil
Point-plane in SF6
Figure 4. Correlation between apparent charge and TEV output voltage for
four partial discharge sources
Floating electrode in SF6
Free particle
in SF6
Free particle
in oil
Point-plane in SF6
Figure 5. Correlation between UHF output voltage and TEV output voltage
for four partial discharge sources.
B. On-Site Measurements
In November 2009, a site survey was conducted at a
medium voltage substation having a suspected defect after
previous PD monitoring was carried out approximately a year
beforehand. TEV measurements were taken to establish
whether PD was still present and to determine if the condition
had worsened. The measurement device used expresses
readings in dBmV. The definition of a dBmV is:
dBmV = 20 log10 (Vout / Vref)
where Vout is the TEV sensor output voltage in mV. By
definition, dBmV uses a reference voltage of Vref = 1 mV. A
plan of the substation along with sensor positions and TEV
dBmV levels at these positions is depicted in Fig. 6.
Figure 6. Results of on-site TEV measurement for PD location at varoius
points on a MV substation. The approximate location of the fault is evidenced
by high measured dBmV levels around the Bus Section.
Re-arranging Eqn. 1, the TEV output voltage can be
defined, in this case, as:
Vout [mV] = 10(dBmV/20) x 1 (2)
Using the previously measured approximate relationship
between TEV and IEC of 1μV/pC (or 1x10-3 mV/pC), and
defining this constant as A, an approximation for the apparent
charge levels in the substation may be computed as follows
(using units of mV and pC):
q [pC] = 10(dBmV/20) x A-1 (3)
= 10(dBmV/20) x 103
From the above equation, an approximate dBmV level of 15
dB measured on switchgear units 1-6 corresponds to an
apparent charge level of around 5,600 pC. Using the same
approximation, 40 dB measured close to the source of the
discharge at the bus section corresponds to an apparent charge
of around 100,000 pC.
(1) IV. DISCUSSION
It must be noted that the reported relationships are only
approximate. Since the TEV and IEC techniques respond
differently to the same PD event it is clear on examination of
the results that the relationship is not always linear. However,
the assumption of an approximate linear relationship is helpful
when considering a wide range of measurements. In
establishing these relationships, the idealised laboratory test
setup was necessary to minimise any attenuation and
dispersion effects of each measurement system. These effects
are evident on examination of the on-site measurements. For
example, the TEV dBmV level is greatly attenuated by the
shielding effects of the enclosures as the distance from the PD
source increases. The TEV mV level closest to the PD site
should therefore be used when approximating the
corresponding apparent charge.
Conventional IEC measurement techniques only
approximate the PD quantity – hence ‘apparent’ charge. The
use of TEV or UHF measurements to judge PD severity is
equally valid, but since more experience has been gained in
the application of conventional techniques, the apparent
charge level has become the internationally accepted quantity
for the assessment of PD magnitude and severity. It is hoped
that this initial study will go some way in assisting in the
diagnosis of PD severity based on measurements on MV
switchgear using the more convenient TEV method.
V. CONCLUSIONS
Partial discharge has been measured simultaneously on a
pulse-by-pulse basis using conventional IEC60270, UHF and
TEV methods in a laboratory-based test chamber using a
number of well-defined PD sources. Since the TEV and IEC
techniques respond differently to the same PD event, the
measured relationship between the two quantities is not only
dependent on the charge but on the dynamics of charge
transfer. This gives rise to characteristic patterns when the
pulse magnitudes for a particular PD source are plotted against
each other on the same graph. Although these correlations vary
between PD sources, an approximately linear relationship can
be estimated when all measured PD data is considered. A more
linear relationship exists between TEV and UHF since both
techniques respond to the dynamics of charge motion. The
gradient of the best-fit straight line in each case was 1μV/pC
(TEV/IEC) and 0.05 mV/mV (TEV/UHF).
Based on these correlations, TEV data was examined for
on-site measurements on a MV switchgear enclosure. The PD
source was pinpointed to the Bus Section and the apparent
charge quantity approximated to 100,000 pC in the region of
the defect based on the measured TEV dBmV levels and the
reported TEV/IEC correlation.
View publication stats
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was funded through the EPSRC Supergen V, UK
Energy Infrastructure (AMPerES) grant in collaboration with
UK electricity network operators working under Ofgem's
Innovation Funding Incentive scheme; - full details on
www.supergen-amperes.org
REFERENCES
[1] IEC International Standard 60270. High Voltage Test Techniques -
Partial Discharge Measurements. International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC), Geneva, Switzerland, 3rd edition, 2000.
[2] A. J. Reid, M. D. Judd, B. G. Stewart, and R. A. Fouracre. Frequency
distribution of RF energy from PD sources and its application in
combined RF and IEC60270 measurements. In IEEE Conference on
Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena, Kansas City, MO, USA,
October 2006.
[3] A. J. Reid, M. D. Judd, R. A. Fouracre, and D. M. Hepburn.
Simultaneous measurement of partial discharges using IEC60270 and
radio frequency techniques. IEEE Transaction on Dielectrics and
Electrical Insulation, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 444-445, April 2011.
[4] A . J. Reid, M. D. Judd, R. A. Fouracre, and D. M. Hepburn.
Identifcation of simultaneously active partial discharge sources using
combined RF and IEC60270 measurement. IET Science, Measurement
and Technology, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 102-108, May 2011.
[5] James E. Smith, Gabe Paoletti, and Igor Blokhintsev. Hot-spot hunting:
Experience with on-line partial discharge analysis as a tool for predictive
maintenance for medium-voltage switchgear systems. IEEE Industry
Applications magazine, pp. 41–47, Sep-Oct 2004.
[6] N. Davies and D. Jones. Testing distribution switchgear for partial
discharge in the laboratory and the field. In Proc. IEEE International
Symposium on Electrical Insulation, pp. 716–719, Vancouver, Canada,
June 2008.
[7] Z. Berler, A. Golubev I. Blokhintsev, G. Paoletti, V. Rashkes, and A.
Romashkov. Practical experience in on-line partial discharge
measurements of MV switchgear systems. In Proc. IEEE International
Symposium on Electrical Insulation, pp. 382–385, Anaheim, CA, USA,
April 2–5 2000.
[8] Darren Jones. The costs and benefits of condition monitoring in
substations. In Proc. PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and
Exposition, pp. 1–7, Chicago, USA, 21-24 April 2008.
[9] C. Kane, I. Blokhintsev, and A. Golubev. Measurement and analysis of
partial discharge in switchgear. In Proc. Electrical Insulation Conference
and Electrical Manufacturing Expo, pp. 203–210, Indianapolis, USA,
Oct 2005.
[10] A. Golubev, I. Blokhintsev, G. Paoletti, and J. Modrowski. On-line
partial discharge applications to mv electrical switchgear. In Proc.
Electrical Insulation Conference and Electrical Manufacturing and Coil
Winding Conference, pp. 225–232, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, Oct 2001.
[11] M. Judd and O. Farish. A pulsed GTEM system for UHF sensor
calibration. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement,
Vol. 47, No. 4, pp. 875–880, August 1998.