GFN Enhanced PD Measurement
The electricity distribution system ranks among society's most critical infrastructure and the demand for reliable electricity of highest quality is ever increasing.
At the same time many of the world's cable grids are reaching the end of their statistical life span.
Therefore, strategies and methods to identify and locate faults and failures before their occurrence become a very attractive approach to manage electrical distribution assets.
Condition based maintenance is a collection of predictive strategies and knowledge rules to target repair and refurbishment efforts onto defective cables and system components.
The partial discharge phenomenon (PD) has been identified as a reliable indicator of incipient dielectric collapse. PD activity can be measured offline and online, both methods offering their respective advantages but also, to date, exhibiting inherent limitations.
To catch all impending insulation break-downs, a continuous monitoring system would be necessary, but the detection of PD activity at normal operating voltages often raises the warning signal much too late.
Enhanced PD Monitoring
The GFN Enhanced PD Monitoring Scheme provides the means to gain the information of possible faults before it is too late. To obtain this early warning system the GFN Enhanced PD Monitoring combines the advantages of both on and offline PD monitoring.
The GFNs full control of phase-to-ground voltages admits online PD testing at levels above normal operating voltages and accordingly enabling systematic fore-checking strategies for the early detection of defective system components.
Pre Fault Protection
By means of voltage injection into the neutral, the Ground Fault Neutralizer controls phase-to-ground voltage giving the possibility to immediately quench partial discharge activities, thus preventing further development into a full dielectric breakdown.
Both schemes, enhanced PD Monitoring and Pre Fault Protection are performed without affecting power supply to end users.
