Implementation of an Inductively Coupled EM Probe System for PD Diagnosis

In recent years, various types of partial discharge (PD) methods such as capacitive, inductive, electromagnetic, and acoustic coupling techniques have been developed for diagnosing rotating machines. An electromagnetic (EM) probe, which is an inductively coupled type of sensor, is required for detecting corona and internal discharges during off-line tests. In this study, a new technique for enhancing the measurement sensitivities for corona and internal discharge based on an EM inductive position sensor is proposed. An EM probe that winds wires around horseshoe-shaped and cylindershaped ferrites as helices is designed and optimized for the implementation of off-line PD monitoring of the stator winding of a rotating machine. The measurement system based on this design is implemented, and it is verified from the results of the experiment performed in this study that the probe provides similar performance as existing commercial products.