Identification and Localization of Multi-source Partial Discharges by Acoustic Measurements in Oil-pressboard Insulation System

Partial discharges (PD) deteriorate insulation of power apparatus and lead to final failure. Early detection and localization of PD can avoid unwanted failure of power apparatus. There are different techniques for PD detection. Acoustic emission technique for partial discharge detection is advantageous for online detection and source location. Normally, acoustic PD detection and location is based on the assumption of a single PD source. But in practice, more than one source of PD is present and they may be active simultaneously in a power apparatus. This paper addresses the identification and localization of two simultaneous PD sources employing acoustic emission technique in oil pressboard insulation system. The PDAE signals from two simultaneous PD sources are analyzed using wavelet analysis with time frequency resolution and Independent Component Analysis for identification and localization.