Experiences of monitoring partial discharges in a pulp and paper mill

The electrical industry has a very limited number of "predictive tools\´ and those available are generally cost prohibitive to install and require some level of expertise. One tool that has been successfully applied in several integrated paper mills across North America is the continuous monitoring of medium and high voltage equipment for partial discharges. This includes motors, generators, switchgear, bus duct, cables and transformers. On-line measurement and assessment of partial discharges has proven to be an effective tool in evaluating the condition of insulation and thereby limiting unscheduled outages. This paper will discuss the experiences Alberta Pacific Forest Industries has had in applying periodic, continuous monitoring and off-line tests for partial discharges and show the effectiveness of this recently implemented program. Actual data collected and experiences from rotating equipment and switchgear in a large pulp and paper mill will be presented and discussed