2001 IEEE 7th International Conference on Solid Dielectrics, June 25-29,2001, Eindhoven, the Netherlands 485

ON-LINE DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUE FOR MONITORING PARTIALDISCHARGES IN

CAPACITOR BANKS

H N Nagamani S N Moorching Dr. Channakeshava Dr. T Basavaraju

Central Power Research Institute, P B NO. 8066, Bangalore 80, India W C E , Bangalore, India

INTRODUCTION through different insulating media before reaching the

In spite of phenomenal technological developments in
Capacitor Industry, there are several reports of pre-
mature failure of capacitors in service. A significant
number of failures have also been experienced during
laboratory testing. Analysis of such failures has
indicated that majority of the failures can be attributed
to partial discharge (PD) phenomenon. So far, no
technique was available to measure PD in full size
capacitors. Also some of the power utilities have
expressed the need for development of techniques
suitable for on-line condition monitoring of power
capacitors.
container of the electrical equipment. These signals can
be detected by a suitable sensor mounted on the
container of the equipment under test. The output of the
sensor is analyzed using a data acquisition and
processing system [3].
The principle of AE technique is schematically shown
in Figure 1.
Preamplifi

Keeping these aspects in view, CPRI has established

facilities for measuring PD in full size capacitors
employing Acoustic technique. Capacitors of rating 750
kvar / 12 kV have been tested successfully for partial
discharges employing this technique. At the request of
clients, on-line PD measurements on HT capacitor
banks have been carried out [ 1,2]. This paper deals with
two recently investigated case studies. The methodology
employed for acquiring partial discharges from HT
capacitor banks in service is discussed along with
important findings.
ACOUSTIC EMISSION TECHMQUE FOR PD
MEASUREMENT
Measurement of partial discharges is one of the
important diagnostic tools for assessing the condition of
power equipment. The conventional electrical method
for PD detection is well established and is generally
undertaken with adequate electromagnetic shielding.
Sensitivity of PD measurement is poor for the high
capacitance value equipment like power capacitors. The
limitations of electrical method of PD detection for
equipment in service have resulted in the development
of alternative techniques. More recently, PD detection
based on acoustic emission (AE) technique is gaining
importance. The main advantage of this method is that it
is nondestructive, non-invasive and immune to
electromagnetic noise.
Principal of AE Method: Partial discharge activity is
associated with instantaneous release of energy. A
fraction of the released energy heats the material
adjacent to the PD location creating a small explosion,
which excites a mechanical wave. The waves propagate
L-\r Acoustic
Emission
Data Acauisition
&
StressWave Analyzing unit
Electrical
Figurel: Basic principle of AE technique (Schematic)
ON-LINE PD MEASUREMENT ON CAPACITOR
BANKS
At the request of two different Clients, on line PD
measurements were performed on HT capacitor banks.
PD measurement was carried out with the help of a 4
channel AE system of model MISTRAS 2001. AE
sensor cannot be directly placed on the container of the
capacitor in a capacitor bank as it will be at high
voltage. Therefore, AE signals from the capacitors were
acquired by mounting a hot stick of 66 kV rating on the
capacitor container. The hot-stick is made up of AE
sensitive material.
PD measurement on a 25 kV, 3 MVAR capacitor
banks in Railway Traction Substation
.
The capacitor bank details are as follows:
Voltage rating of the bank: 25 kV ac
..
’ Unit capacitor rating: 8 kV / 220 kvar
Total number of capacitors in each bank: 25
Measurement: 24 months after commissioning.
The bank is of single phase, out-door type with a 13 %
Series Reactor connected on HV side. The bank is

0-7803-6352-3/01/$10.00 0 2001 IEEE

 486

controlled by a 25 kV, 1600 Amps rating vacuum circuit
breaker.
AE signals were measured through AEPD hot-stick
mounted individually on 9 capacitors arranged at the
bottom most row of the bank when the capacitors
were under normal operating voltage of 25 kV.
Figure 2 shows the mounting of AEPD hot-stick on
one of the capacitors.
No PDs were observed from the capacitor under the
normal operating condition as shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Results of AEPD measurement on 25 kV
w.
1 Capacitor I Voltageon I Threshold 1 Measured
Series reactor of rating 36 kV, 79 Amps is connected on
neutral side of the capacitor bank. Each capacitor bank
is controlled by a 33 kV, 3-Pole, 1250 Amps rating SF6
circuit breaker suitable for direct switching of 20 W A R
33 kV capacitors.
PDs in the above bank were monitored during circuit
bxeaker operations. The Client was also interested in the
magnitudes of switching transients experienced by the
capacitor bank.
The arrangement for measuring the switching transient
voltage and current is shown in Figure 3. High voltage
probes, 3 numbers, were connected to RYB phases of
the bank at point of connection of incoming 33 kV
XLPE cable. 3000 Amps CTs were clamped on the heat
shrink terminations of 33 kV XLPE cable. Switching
I transients were recorded during six switching operations
of the Circuit breaker with the help of high voltage
probes and CTs connected to a Power Analyzer (RPM
make and model No. 1656).

A close view of AEPD hot-stick mounted on one of the

capacitors for monitoring PD is shown in Figure 4.
1
c
54 I 25 kV 40 dB No PD
c55 I 25 kV 40 dB No PD

Figure 3: Figure 4:
Arrangement for Placement of AEPD
measuring Switching hot-stick on the live
transients at the capacitor container for
Figure 2: Arrangement for measuring AE PD from incoming H V terminals PD measurement.
25 kV Capacitor bank at Railway Traction of a 36 kV capacitor
Substation. bank.

PD measurement on a 36 kV, 6.5 MVAR capacitor The magnitudes of partial discharges in 6 capacitors a~
bank at a 220 kV Receiving Station given in Table 2 along with the magnitude of transient
voltage. The reported AEPD values take into account
The capacitor bank details are as follows: the attenuation of AE signals through capacitor

.
8
Voltage rating of the bank: 36 kV ac
Unit capacitor rating: 6.98 kV / 181 kvar
Total number of capacitors in each bank: 36
dielectric and also along the AEPD hot stick.

8 Measurement: 18 months after commissioning.

 487

Table 2: Magnitudes AE PD from capacitors during DISCUSSION

switching transients
25 kV capacitor bank at railway traction substation:
Capacitor Transient Threshold AEPD PD from the 25 kV capacitor bank at traction substation
Number voltage for AEPD (max) of railways was monitored during normal operating
voltage. Capacitors were found to be discharge free
under normal operating condition. It may be noted that
voltage appearing on individual capacitors of the above
89 kV 40 dB bank during normal operating conditions will be around
93 kV 40 dB 80 dB 5 kV whereas they are rated for 8 kV. Also, the
c
6 60 kV 40 dB 80 dB capacitor bank was of 2 years old.

A typical transient event recorded during switching
operation of the circuit breaker is shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5 (a): Voltage (rms) recorded during a
switching operation of a SF6 circuit breaker.
36 kV capacitor bank at 220 kV Receiving station:
Capacitor banks in service invariably experience
transient over voltages and currents due to periodic
switching operations of the circuit breaker. Pre-mature
failure of capacitors occurs if (a) the switching
transients are of higher magnitudes than the specified
limits or (b) the capacitors are not designed to
accommodate rated transients. There are several reports
of premature failure of capacitors during switching
operations. One of the serious effects of such over
voltage effects is the occurrence of partial discharges in
capacitor insulation system. At present, there are no
comprehensive diagnostic techniques to assess the
performance of capacitor banks in service particularly
due to switching transients. CPRI has created necessary
facilities for undertaking field measurement at the
request of capacitor industry. At the request of one of
the capacitor users, a 36 kV capacitor bank was tested
on-line for checking its performance during switching
operation of the circuit breaker.
Figure 5(a) gives voltage (rms.) recorded during a
switching operation of the circuit breaker. The power
anlyzer records system disturbances as EVENT. It can
be observed in Figure 5 (a) that during switching on the
circuit breaker, an event of transient over
voltage(TOV1) and over current has been experienced
by the capacitor bank. The details of TOVl along with
c m n t are shown in Figure 5(b). According to IEC 871
Part 1: 1997, the first peak of transient over voltage
should not exceed 242 times the rated voltage (rms.
value) for a duration of Vi cycle. Hence, for a 33 kV
system, TOV should not exceed 93.3 kV. The maximum
value of TOV recorded is around 93 kV (refer to Table
2). Therefore, switching transients appearing at the 36
kV capacitor bank are within the limits specified in IEC
871 Part 1: 1997.

Before applying the AE technique for field

Figure 5 (b): Switching transient voltage (Expanded
TOV1).
measurements, it was extensively exercised during
laboratory testing of HT capacitors. The partial
discharges from HT capacitors subjected to switching
transients of magnitude 2.25 Un as per IEC 60871 Part
2: 1999 [4] were monitored employing AE technique.
The magnitude of AE signals from capacitors, which
successfully withstood the transient over- voltage test
were observed to be in the range of 75 to 85 dB.
 488

Therefore, the PD activity occurring from capacitors in

33 kV capacitor bank as shown in Table 2, during
switching operation appears to be harmless.

The study conducted was of great practical importance

to the Client as they wanted to check the suitability of
circuit breaker installed for switching ON and OFF the
capacitor bank.

CONCLUSIONS

CPRI has necessary facilities for on-line partial

discharge measurement on Capacitor banks.
Measurement of switching transients, harmonics and
other system disturbances appearing on the capacitor
banks can also be undertaken. Such investigation will be
of great help in (a) diagnosing the condition of the
capacitors in operation, (b) deciding the type of circuit
breakers to be used for capacitor switching operation
and also (c) to assess the performance of capacitor
banks under switching transients.

The proposed AFi technique can be employed as a

diagnostic tool for on-line condition monitoring of
power capacitors as the technique is non destructive,
the instrument is compact, portable and easy to
operate at site as capacitors need not be disconnected
from the capacitor bank.
REFERENCES

[l]“On-Line Measurement of Switching Transients on

Capacitors” H N Nagamani, et al, Seminar on
Capacitors 18-19 Jan, 2001, f i n e , organized by CBIP.
[2] “New Diagnostic Technique for On-Line Condition
Monitoring” - H. N. Nagamani,et al, CPRI,News letter
No. 74 April 2000.
[3]“Acoustic PD detection - Practical application” L E
Lundgaard, Sept/Oct 1992- Vol 8, No. 5, IEEE E1
Magazine.
[4] “A E Technique to assess the performance of HT
Capacitors during Endurance Test as per 1EC-60871-2:
1999”- H. N. Nagamani, et al, Presented at 5”
International Seminar on Capacitors-CAPACIT 2000
during 24” & 11’ March 2000 at New Delhi organized
by IEEMA.