Corporate Standard for

Acoustic Imaging Partial Discharge Detection

Q/ZH005-2021

CRYSOUND
Sep.2021

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 Acoustic imaging partial discharge detection
1. Terms explanation
I. Partial discharge: A discharge that occurs only locally in an insulator, without penetration between the conductors to

which the voltage is applied, may occur near the conductors or elsewhere. The phenomenon is known as partial discharge,

or PD for short. According to Chinese power grid data, partial discharge is an important cause of eventual insulation

breakdown in high-voltage electrical equipment, and an important sign of insulation deterioration.

II. Suspended potential discharge: A metal component of high voltage power equipment, due to a fault in its structure,

transport or operation, causing a poor connection and disconnection of components that should have been connected at a

certain location and that bear different potentials during operation, between high and low voltage electrodes, forming a

voltage division according to their impedance. A potential to ground is generated on this metal component, called the

suspension potential. Due to the high voltage and concentrated field strength, the suspended potential can sometimes cause

the surrounding solid medium to burn or carbonise, leading to loss of insulation in severe cases and causing accidents.

III. Surface discharge: At the high voltage end of electrical equipment, due to the concentration of electric field, along

the surface discharge field strength is relatively low, often resulting in the phenomenon of surface partial discharge.The

process of surface discharge of the insulator is similar to the process and mechanism of air gap or bubble discharge inside

the insulation. The difference is that one end of the discharge space is the insulating medium and the other end is the

electrode. If the electrode system is asymmetrical, the discharge pattern occurring in the positive and negative half waves

of the industrial frequency is also asymmetrical. When one end of the discharge is a high-voltage electrode and the

non-discharging electrode is grounded, the positive half-cycle discharge is large and less frequent, and the negative

half-cycle discharge is more frequent and less frequent. If the electrode system is reversed, the discharge pattern is also

reversed.

IV. Corona discharge: Corona discharge usually occurs when a high-voltage conductor is surrounded entirely by gas.

Because the molecules in the gas are free to move, the discharge The charged masses generated by the discharge are not

fixed in a certain position in space. In the case of needle-plate electrode systems, the discharge occurs at the highest field

strength near the tip of the needle, as electrons are easily emitted in negative polarity and secondary electron emission

occurs when positive ions hit the cathode, making the discharge occur first in negative polarity. When the applied voltage

is low, the corona discharge pulse appears near the negative half of the applied voltage at 90° phase and is almost

symmetrical at 90°; when the voltage When the voltage rises, a small number of discharge pulses of high amplitude and

HANGZHOU CRYSOUND ELECTRONICS CO.,LTD. Add：NO10,XIANQIAO ROAD,ZHONGTAI STREET,YUHANG DISTRICT,HANGZHOU,ZHEJIANG,CHINA

Tel：0571—88225198 Fax：0571—88225178 E-mail：cry@crysound.com www.crysound.com
 low quantity appear in the positive half.

2. Local discharge standard chart

Partial discharges from loose

metal parts

Suspended
PDD chart
potential body
discharge

The discharge pulse amplitude is stable and the intervals between adjacent
discharges are generally consistent. When the suspended metal body is
asymmetrical, there is a polarity difference between the positive and negative
half-wave detection signals.

Partial discharges caused by

metal particles on the insulation

surface or by dirty insulation

Surface
Discharge surfaces.

PDD chart

Large dispersion of discharge amplitude, unstable discharge intervals and insignificant

HANGZHOU CRYSOUND ELECTRONICS CO.,LTD. Add：NO10,XIANQIAO ROAD,ZHONGTAI STREET,YUHANG DISTRICT,HANGZHOU,ZHEJIANG,CHINA
Tel：0571—88225198 Fax：0571—88225178 E-mail：cry@crysound.com www.crysound.com
 polarity effects.

A metal burr or tip at high or low

potential, which, due to the
concentration of the electric field,
produces a corona discharge.

Metal tip /
PDD Mapping
corona

discharge
The number of discharges is high, the dispersion of the discharge amplitude is small and the time
interval is uniform. The polarity effect of the discharge is very pronounced and usually only occurs
in the negative half of the I.F. phase.

3. Defect level determination

I. Substation switchgear testing

Operation Sound Ultrasound monitoring Chart with and Can the analysis software tell
al status pressure level for discharge sounds without local release the type of discharge
features

Defect ≥15dB Yes Yes Yes

Abnormal ＜15dB Yes Yes Yes

Normal No NO NO

When the sound is attenuated by the cabinet door and can be steadily imaged in the door crack or the top of the cabinet, and

there is an obvious discharge sound in the headphones, it is determined that there is a partial discharge in the location, and

the discharge location is recorded as positive/reverse, upper/medium/lower.

II. Substation open equipment testing

A. Corona discharge

Operational Sound Ultrasound Chart with and without local Can the analysis software
status pressure monitoring for release features tell the type of discharge
level discharge sounds

HANGZHOU CRYSOUND ELECTRONICS CO.,LTD. Add：NO10,XIANQIAO ROAD,ZHONGTAI STREET,YUHANG DISTRICT,HANGZHOU,ZHEJIANG,CHINA

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 Defect ≥40dB Yes Yes Yes

Abnormal 30dB＜ Yes Yes Yes

＜40dB

Normal ＜30 Yes No NO

Corona discharges are generally not taken seriously and are usually found at the ends of insulators (vials), cutters, wire

clamps, etc. Long-term discharges can lead to accelerated ageing and other consequences and should be monitored by the

customer.

B. Surface Discharge

Operation Is the insulator Sound pressure level Chart with and Can the analysis software tell
al status completely broken without local the type of discharge
down release features

Defect Yes ≥15dB Yes Yes

Abnormal NO ＜15dB Yes Yes

Normal

When the discharge occurs along the face, an acoustic source appears in the middle of the insulator, the insulator is partially

or fully penetrated, depending on the location of the acoustic source. A cloud flowing over the whole insulator indicates a

complete breakdown of the insulator, which should be defined as a defect and the customer should be advised to replace or

clean the insulator, while a cloud flowing over part of the insulator indicates a partial breakdown of the insulator, which

should be defined as an abnormality and the customer should be advised to replace or clean the insulator. This is not possible

with other instruments.

C. Distribution network testing

Operational Sound Ultrasound monitoring Chart with and Can the analysis software tell the
status pressure for discharge sounds without local type of discharge
level release features

Defect ≥25dB Yes Yes Yes

Abnormal ＜25dB Yes Yes Yes

Normal No No No
Full use should be made of the ultrasound listening function during distribution network inspections to confirm on site if it

is an ambient sound reflection or vibration.

HANGZHOU CRYSOUND ELECTRONICS CO.,LTD. Add：NO10,XIANQIAO ROAD,ZHONGTAI STREET,YUHANG DISTRICT,HANGZHOU,ZHEJIANG,CHINA

Tel：0571—88225198 Fax：0571—88225178 E-mail：cry@crysound.com www.crysound.com
4. Application Cases
Fault type Type Features Operational status Case

Ultrasound Vibrating
listening sound
Vibrations in the
busbar
Abnormal

Chart No

Amplitude 3.0dB

Ultrasound Discharge
listening sound
Tip discharge
Chart Corona
discharge
Normal
Amplitude 15.0dB

HANGZHOU CRYSOUND ELECTRONICS CO.,LTD. Add：NO10,XIANQIAO ROAD,ZHONGTAI STREET,YUHANG DISTRICT,HANGZHOU,ZHEJIANG,CHINA

Tel：0571—88225198 Fax：0571—88225178 E-mail：cry@crysound.com www.crysound.com
 Ultrasound Discharge sound
listening
Defects
Chart Surface discharge Insulator
Surface
fouling
discharge
25.0dB damage
Amplitude

HANGZHOU CRYSOUND ELECTRONICS CO.,LTD. Add：NO10,XIANQIAO ROAD,ZHONGTAI STREET,YUHANG DISTRICT,HANGZHOU,ZHEJIANG,CHINA

Tel：0571—88225198 Fax：0571—88225178 E-mail：cry@crysound.com www.crysound.com
 Type of Features Operation Cases
fault status
Defects

Ultrasound Discharge sound

listening
Surface
Chart Surface discharge
discharge
Amplitude 17.3dB

Type of Features Operation status Cases

fault
Abnormal

Ultrasound Discharge
listening sound
Chart No
Abnormal
conductors
Amplitude 45.7dB

HANGZHOU CRYSOUND ELECTRONICS CO.,LTD. Add：NO10,XIANQIAO ROAD,ZHONGTAI STREET,YUHANG DISTRICT,HANGZHOU,ZHEJIANG,CHINA

Tel：0571—88225198 Fax：0571—88225178 E-mail：cry@crysound.com www.crysound.com