Dielectric response measurement by impulse stimulus on AC: Measurement considerations, and laboratory testing on a bushing

Dielectric response (DR) measurement is commonly used for condition assessment of insulation systems of power components. A method for measurement of dielectric response using the stimulus of natural transients such as lightning and switching impulses was proposed in earlier work. Its desirable features include the ability to make measurements online over a range of frequencies, without requiring a voltage source. This article presents a laboratory demonstration of the method on a 150 kV service-aged transformer bushing, where the stimulus was a standard lightning impulse voltage superimposed on an AC voltage. Several aspects of the measurement and data processing that affect the results are studied experimentally and numerically. The results are compared with low-voltage frequency domain spectroscopy (FDS). Reasonable accuracy for monitoring changes in DR can be achieved by suitable choice of measurement circuit and data acquisition. The study suggests an approach for online monitoring of dielectric properties of power transformer bushings, and diagnostics of defects that affect the high frequency region of DR, such as moisture content.