PD localization based on fuzzy theory using AE detection techniques

Partial discharge (PD) detection is an effective method for monitoring and locating electric insulation faults in an early stage of development in power equipments. Using the method of acoustic emission has advantages over the electrical detection methods because it is noninvasive and immune to electromagnetic noise. This paper demonstrates the approach in PD location based on fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithms. The fuzzy sets are proposed to deal with the unpredictable distribution of PD localization results. After the aggregation process, it uses an individual cut-points to specify the fuzziness rather than a distributed fuzzy set. Furthermore, the genetic method is used. The advantage is that it avoids bad initial value leading to a local minimum of the clustering functions. The test results show the PD localization based on fuzzy theory is effective, and this method possesses high operability and precision.