On-line monitoring and automatic computer analysis of insulating systems

Reliable operation of high voltage (HV) equipment depends largely on the integrity of its insulation. Partial discharges (PD) play an important role in the ageing and breakdown of insulation systems and their presence may indicate defects which reduce life time and reliability of HV apparatus. This paper describes a computer aided on-line technique that has been developed to enable the detection and identification of insulation problems by non-specialised operators. This can help in the prevention of failure and enables the manufacturer and user to assess ageing and controlled outage of equipment. Typical examples of its application into insulating systems are presented.