Prysmian Group develops innovative technology for wireless measurement of partial discharges (PD) in electrical systems

categories: Products & Solutions 

Prysmian Group develops innovative technology <br /> for wireless measurement of partial discharges (PD) in electrical systems

12/03/2012 - 01:00 AM

Prysmian Group launches an innovative, exclusive technology for measuring partial discharges in electrical cables, accessories and equipment.

Partial discharge (PD) measurement is a crucial procedure for assessing an electrical system's condition, as it is one of the critical parameters evaluated during product manufacture, installation and after-sales. Partial discharge measurement, which is typically carried out by specialists using traditional technology, requires the customer to switch off the electrical system, connect it to the test equipment and conduct the diagnostics. This procedure leaves the system idle for several hours during each test.
Instead , the new wireless technology-based system allows measurements to be made without any contact, meaning that the electrical system does not have to be switched off, thus making the testing process significantly faster.

This innovation allows the Group to explore new opportunities, since it makes it possible to extend PD measurements to voltage classes which were previously not tested, such as the medium voltage distribution network. PD measurements for both high and medium voltage networks can now be performed on a continuous basis at substations, wind or solar farms, cruise ships etc. The possibility of monitoring systems without service interruption now makes it possible to carry out preventive maintenance in order to detect potential issues and prevent failures.

"This service confirms the Group’s leadership in innovation, guaranteeing an improvement in the services offered" states Agusti Valls y Prats, Prysmian Group R&D Director. " We have already tested the new product with some of our leading customers in Italy, Spain, Argentina and Canada and have received very positive feedback in terms of test results accuracy and speed of execution. For example it was possible to measure partial discharges of more than 60 wind farm towers in Sardinia in record time."

Prysmian Electronics S.r.l. is in charge of new technology development and implementation; this Group subsidiary will be supported by the expertise of the corporate R&D function and it will focus on exploring new Smart Grid related applications for measuring other parameters such as: temperature, voltage, current leakages, current intensity etc. that are critical for controlling the state of grid operation.