An experimental measuring instrument to characterize partial discharges by sensor fusion

The goal of this research work was the design and implementation of a measurement system that will be used for the partial discharge (PD) characterization in order to assess the condition of paper-oil (PO) insulation systems. In addition, the developed measuring instrument can be used to achieve a deeper understanding of the PD phenomena and their basis. This instrument integrates PD signals simultaneously measured using electric and ultrasonic sensors for making PD detection easier. The post-processing of the data captured from theses sensors allows a PD characterization based on the identification of the PD root cause and the localization of its source site. The performance of the proposed instrument was evaluated by sessions of controlled PD tests in the laboratory.