Conference Record of the 2002 IEEE International Symposium on Electrical Insulation, Boston, MA USA, April 7-10,2002

Partial Discharge Measurement and Monitoring on Rotating Machines

Detlev W. Gross
Power Diagnostix Systems.GmbH
Bruesseler Ring 95a
52074 Aachen, Germany
gross @pd-systems.com

Abstraet: With respect to the basic gas discharge physics, the rise
time of an electron avalanche under nitrogen atmosphere results
in a partial discharge signal bandwidth of several hundreds of
MHz. However, in terms of high frequency properties, a rotating
machine acts as a highly complex network. Mismatch of
impedance and other effects hamper the applicability of different
frequency bands for partial discharge testing. The epoxy-mh
insulation system widely tolerates partial discharge. Thus, partial
discharge activity often serves as an indicator for other defect
mechanism, such as mechanical, thermal, or environmental
influence.
INTRODUCTION
Partial discharge activity is the most prominent indicator for
the assessment of insulation deterioration. With rotating
machines, partial discharge measurement techniques were
increasingly used since 1960. Due to further progress in signal
processing and measurement techniques, instruments that are
more powerful became available during the past decade.
SIGNAL PROPERTIES
Partial discharge impulses are heavily distorted as they travel
through the stator winding of a rotating machine until a cou-
pling device captures them. At their origin, partial discharge
pulses are steep current pulses, whereas the rise time of the
pulse is mainly determined by the properties of the gas filling
the cavity, delamination, tree, or crack in which the discharge
occurs. In case air is filling the cavity, its dominant nitrogen
component cause a rise time of few nanoseconds of the
electron avalanche. Thus, at its origin, the amplitude spectrum
of the partial discharge signal is evenly distributed from DC to
several hundreds of MHz.
High Frequency Behavior
However, a stator winding is a poor high frequency conductor.
To further study the high frequency behavior of a stator
winding, it is helpful to consider such a winding as a network
of cable and conductor sections with different properties.
Within the slot, a stator bar can be considered as a lossy
coaxial cable. A high frequency cable is characterized with its
impedance and its attenuation as a function of the frequency.
The dimension of the conductor vs. the insulation thickness as
well as the dielectric constant of the insulation determines the
cable impedance. With typical stator bars, this impedance is in
the range of below 10R to above 20Q whereas the machines
with a lower rated voltage show the smaller impedance.
The design of the conductor and especially the properties of
the semi-conductive layers determine the attenuation, which is
the second important parameter. With the conductor, the
isolated strands increase the attenuation for the higher frequen-
cies, while the semi-conductive layers, acting as so-called
corona protection, introduce a dispersion, which adds further
strong attenuation. The resulting corner frequency depends on
the thickness and the volume conductivity of the semi-
conductive layer. This effect is known as well from extruded
power cables, where frequencies above a corner frequency are
heavily attenuated.
With the bar leaving the stator slot, the conductor can be
considered as a single conductor against ground potential,
which offers an impedance of well above lOOSr. Fig. 1 gives
an overview of the different sections.
Overhang: Z,, > lOOR {
f
Overhang: ZL> lOOR $
Figure 1 - Modeling a stator winding of a rotating machine.
Modeling the high frequency behavior of a distributed appa-
ratus, such as a stator winding, with cable sections becomes
relevant, when the dimensions of the sections are at least in the
order of magnitude of the wavelength of interest (1). Thus,
with a slot section of 5m length and E, = 4, for example, the
model becomes relevant for frequencies above 3MHz.
h = cl2n f (1)
Where: h is the wavelength, c is the phase speed with c =
cdsqrt E ~ and
, f is the frequency.

0-7803-7337-5/OZ$l7.0002002EEE. 570
Impulses, which are travelling along a cable, encounter a
reflection, in case of a change of the cable impedance. A
positive reflection factor (2) is found with an increase of the
cable impedance.
r = (z,- ZdW2 + 21) (2)
Where: r is the reflection factor, Z , is the cable impedance
before, and 2,is the cable impedance after the change.
Time
Thus, with an average turbine generator and for ffequencies
above 20MHz more than 80% of the signal traveling from the
slot section to the overhang will be reflected and thus trapped Figure 2 - Pulse pile-up. The second impulse falls within the ringing
of the first impulse.
within this slot section. The same effect, but with a negative
reflection factor is found, when the signal wants to enter the
A thermally aged epoxy-mica insulation system of a rotating
slot section.
machine produces high repetition rates of discharge impulses
Field measurements on various types of generators with a
originated by a multitude of voids or delaminated areas.
spectrum analyzer proved a strong attenuation for frequencies
Mostly, repetition rates of 20.000 to 100.000 pulses per
above of 40MHz [4].
second are found with aged epoxy-mica insulated machines.
Therefore, ultra-wide-band measurement techniques (UWB) in
Therefore, to avoid false acquisition of the impulse peak
the upper VHF and UHF bands are not suitable to analyze the
amplitude and the impulse count, a lower cut-off frequency of
status of an entire stator winding. However, if used with near-
field probes those frequencies offer excellent means of
lOOkHz or above is mandatory.
locating individual sites of partial discharge activity [7].
VISUALIZATION
Low Frequency Behavior
The visualization of the acquired partial discharge activity is
one of the most prominent aspects to help the operator to
Tests on various rotating machines have shown that the stator
analyze the discharge activity and to assess its risk potential.
winding is relatively transparent for frequencies of 4OMz and
The traditional oscilloscope-style display (Fig. 3) of laboratory
below. Equation (1) shows that the winding of rotating machine
type detectors offers a clear information on the phase position,
is relatively small if compared with the wavelength of those
but does not unveil the inner structure nor the count rate of the
frequencies and, thus, signal reflections are not relevant for this
discharge activity.
low frequency band. Furthermore, attenuation is low, as the
dispersion effect introduced by the semi-conductive layers does
not affect frequencies below a couple of MHz. +9 45 I I
However, with the chosen bandwidth shifted to lower
frequencies, other signal properties hamper the acquisition of
the charge impulses.
After band-pass filtering, generally, the broad-band discharge
impulse show a reduced rise-time, which is correlated with the
upper cut-off frequency, while the lower cut-off frequency
determines the ringing of the pulse tail, as both comer
frequencies involve filtering of higher orders.
Thus, the lower cut-off frequency limits the maximum
repetition rate of consecutive impulses, which can be
processed without the so-called pulse pile-up distorting the
acquired amplitude. Fig. 2 illustrates the effect of the pulse -9 45
0 180 I de^ 1
1
360
pile-up. In this case, the second impulse falls into the ringing
period of the previous impulse. Consequently, the amplitude of Phase
the second impulse is acquired incorrectly, as it contains the Figure 3 - Oscilloscope type display. Acquired partial discharge
true peak amplitude plus (or minus) the residual amplitude of impulses are stored as vertical lines according to their polarity,
the previous impulse. amplitude, and phase position.

57 1
Another traditional way to display the discharge activity is ....... .- ...........:
..., ... ........... ......
. ................. .,,.._ . .......... .......
. . -... ;
showing the count rate versus amplitude (of charge or voltage), ! .
.X

.
I

., .. i .''.'. i i $
' -

as shown with Fig. 4. This graph offers an overview type

information concerning the electrode configuration, but, of
course, lacks the phase information.
1E+00

...... .........i.p..... ........................................... : . .................... .....I

3
2
L

a
/ Phase

$E-03I
Figure 6 - pq-npattem as three-dimensionalgraph.
0.0 0.99 lncl I.98

Charge Resolution of the Partial Discharge Pattern

Figure 4 - Count rate distribution. The red (blue) curve shows the
distribution of the positive (negative)counts vs. charge. The partial discharge pattern as shown with Fig. 5 has an 8Bit
phase times an 8Bit amplitude resolution versus a count depth
The partia1,dischargepattern, or pq-npattem, offers the count of 16Bit. Le., each partial discharge impulse is assigned to one
distribution versus phase and charge. Such a three-dimensional of the 65.536 counters of the counter array.
graph can be display as two-dimensional graph with the counts The resolution of the displayed partial discharge pattern is the
-the z-axis - coded in color (Fig. 5). most essential parameter for the ability of a system to show
12.7
relevant details of the partial discharge activity.
c-.-.-......... . .
/., ... --- '- As an example for a well-known 'pattern', Fig. 7 shows Mona
,.' .', - ..
Lisa (Leonard0 da Vinci, 1503) using two different sampling
.-.,; .....' .
I .

lnC' L:...........
~. - .
i...:......:.:............................ 1:- .
..., ........... ..-......
~
.. .............................. ~
resolutions. The left copy is sampled at 256 vs. 256, while the
9) copy on the right hand side uses 32 vs. 64,only.
F
G

u.u I I
0 1BO IWl 360

Phase
Figure 5 - Count rate distribution versus phase & charge. The counts Figure 7 - Influence of the sampling resolution on an image with low
are color-coded with a count depth of 16Bit. Phase and amplitude are to medium information density (Mona Lisa, Leonard0 da Vinci).
8Bit wide each. To give the phase orientation, a captured sine wave is
displayed as well. Surface and void discharge with a new motor coil.
Fig. 7 is an example, where the density of structure infor-
mation is relatively low. Le., if the viewer expects a 'Mona
Alternatively, the pq-n pattern can be displayed as a true Lisa' structure, even the lower resolution may be acceptable.
three-dimensional graph (Fig. 6). However, here the possibility As another non-technical example, Fig. 8 shows a picture with
to introduce a multitude of different views of the same pq-n a relative high density of structure information (Francisco
pattern, is more confusing than helpful with the analysis. Guardi, 1763). Here, the low resolution is unacceptable.

572
 .--/'
- .-
Figure 8 - Influence of the sampling resolution on an image with
high information density (The Doge on the Bucentaur at the Venice
Lido on Ascension Day, Francisco Guardi, 1763).
A similar loss of information is encountered while viewing
detailed partial discharge pattern at a lower resolution.
Consequently, the interpretation and analysis, whether by a
human expert or by an expert system, is strongly hampered.
Fig. 9 shows a bipolar partial discharge pattern acquired on a
virgin motor coil. Here, the low availability of the starting
electron with the fresh epoxy resin produces the typical sine-
shaped partial discharge pattern. With the high-resolution pq-
n pattern shown at the left-hand side, traces of five large gas
inclusions can clearly be identified. With the low-resolution
pattern, only the rabbit-shaped pattern of an internal discharge
is persisting. More detailed information on the theory and
simulation of phase-resolved partial discharge pattern is found
with [2,3].
mx-256 32 x 64
Figure 10 - Modulated discharge pattem of a thermally aged hydro
generator. Modulation due to power frequency harmonics.
573
Fig. 10 sh0ws.a partial discharge activity of a thermally aged
hydro generator stator winding. Here, the partial discharge
pattern is modulated by the 29" harmonic of the power
frequency. Such harmonics are frequently found depending on
the design of the rotating machine. The amplitude of those
harmonics is only a fraction of the fundamental, but it has a
strong influence due to its strong dWdt [I]. With the lower
resolution, this information is lost.
PARTIAL DISCHARGE MONITORING
As the epoxy-mica insulation system widely tolerates partial
discharge activity, the discharge activity often can be taken as
an indicator for other defect mechanism, such as mechanical or
thermal degradation (vibration, delamination, etc) [ 1,5-71.
Thus, emphasis is mostly put on the trending of the condition
assessed during the installation of the monitoring device,
which ideally takes place already during the commissioning of
the machine.
The monitoring device further must offer a remote access to
avoid travel ambiguities and to enable remote diagnosis in case
a preset alarm threshold has been tripped.
Preferably, coupling capacitors are used to couple to the
partial discharge activity. To simplify the installation, those
couplers are mostly installed at the machine terminals, often
directly at the flex links (Fig. 11).
Figure 11 - Coupling capacitor installed at the flex link of a
300MVA turbine generator.
Alternatively, previously installed coupling capacitors can be
utilized. Additionally, HF current transformers and Rogowski
coils can be used for the coupling purpose. In case of motors,
which are mostly fed through medium voltage cables, the use
of Rogowski coils is advantageous, because the cable impe-
dance of about 20Q serves as excellent termination for the
high frequency currents, which are picked up by the Rogowski
coil.
The ICMmonitor, which is used for the partial discharge
monitoring comes in a waterproof enclosure. The acquisition
unit, the optional modem unit and the coupler termination box
is often pre-installed in a metal cabinet, in order to simplify the
installation on site (Fig. 12).
Figure 12 - ICMmonitor acquisition unit installed in a cabinet along
with a modem unit, the coupler termination box, and a CT for noise
gating purpose.
Standard RG58 coaxial cable is used to connect to the three
couplers installed at the phase terminals. The length of the
coaxial cable is uncritical. RG58 cables can be used for a
distance of up to 100m.
In most cases, the instrument is equipped with a wide band
pre-processing amplifier, which demodulates the signal energy
found in a frequency band between 2MHz and 20MHz. This is
in accordance with the findings on the applicability of different
frequency bands for on-line monitoring as discussed above.
Partly, for quiet environments, a direct coupling in the
frequency band between 100kHz and 800kHz was used.
Additionally, a PC program is provided to track the discharge
activity registered and locally stored with the acquisition units.
Following a preset schedule, this program contacts the
ICMmoniror units via the analog modem or via a TCPAP
interface. Thus, one central personal computer can t&e care of
a multitude of acquisition units.
Since 1995, about 70 complete continuous on-line partial
discharge monitoring systems using the ICMmonitor have
been installed worldwide.
574
CONCLUSION
High frequency partial discharge signals, offering a very broad
spectrum at their origin, are severely attenuated while
travelling a stator winding of a rotating machine. Modeling the
high frequency behavior of such a winding with cable sections,
each having different properties helps to understand the high
frequency behavior of a rotating machine winding.
The p q - n pattern, with the colar-coded counts displayed
versus phase and charge amplitude, can be used for an in-depth
analysis of the partial discharge activity, if a minimum phase
and amplitude resolution is maintained.
Cost-effective partial discharge monitoring systems for the
continuous on-line trending of the initially assessed condition
along with the capabilities to perform a remote diagnosis using
phase-resolved partial discharge pattern via modem are
successfully in use on rotating machines since 1995.
REFERENCES
1. Binder, E., et al, "Development and Verification
Tests of Diagnosis Methods for Hydro generators", CIGRE
38" Session, Paris, France, August 2000, Paper 11-301.
2. Niemeyer, L. "A Generalized Approach to Partial
Discharge Modeling", IEEE Trans DEI, Vol. 2, No. 4, August
1995, pp. 519-528.
3. Heitz, C. "A Generalized Model for Partial Discharge
Processes Based on a Stochastic Process Approach", J. Phys.
D, September 1999, pp. 1012-1023.
4. Fruth, B., Gross, D. "Partial Discharge Signal
Generation Transmission and Acquisition". IEE Proc.-Sci.
Meas. Technol., Vol. 142, No. 1, January 1995, pp. 22-28.
5. Btlec, M., Hudon, C., Lamothe, S. "Recognizing
Partial Discharge Activity using PRPD Analysis", 2001 Doble
Client Conference, Boston, MA, April 2001, Paper 7G.
6. Fruth, B., Gross, D. "Phase Resolving Partial
Discharge Pattern Acquisition and Spectrum Analysis", Proc.
of the ICPDAM, July 1994,94CH3311-8, pp. 578-581.
7. Hudon, C., Torres, W., Btlec, M., and Contreras, R.
"Comparison of Discharges Measured from a Generator's
Terminals and from an Antenna in Front of the Slots':.
EIC/EMCW Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, October 2001,
0 1CH37264C.