Fiber Optic Sensor for Acoustic Detection of Partial Discharges in Oil-Paper Insulated Electrical Systems.docVIP

Sensors 2012, 12, 4793-4802; doi:10.3390/s120404793 OPEN ACCESS sensors ISSN 1424-8220 /journal/sensors Article Fiber Optic Sensor for Acoustic Detection of Partial Discharges in Oil-Paper Insulated Electrical Systems Julio Posada-Roman *, Jose A. Garcia-Souto and Jesus Rubio-Serrano Department of Electronics Technology, Optoelectronics and Laser Technology Group, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Av. Universidad 30, E-28911 Leganés, Madrid, Spain; E-Mails: jsouto@ing.uc3m.es (J.A.G.-S.); jrserran@ing.uc3m.es (J.R.-S.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: jposada@ing.uc3m.es; Tel.: +34-91-624-5988; Fax: +34-91-624-9430. Received: 16 January 2012; in revised form: 31 March 2012 / Accepted: 5 April 2012 / Published: 12 April 2012 Abstract: A fiber optic interferometric sensor with an intrinsic transducer along a length of the fiber is presented for ultrasound measurements of the acoustic emission from partial discharges inside oil-filled power apparatus. The sensor is designed for high sensitivity measurements in a harsh electromagnetic field environment, with wide temperature changes and immersion in oil. It allows enough sensitivity for the application, for which the acoustic pressure is in the range of units of Pa at a frequency of 150 kHz. In addition, the accessibility to the sensing region is guaranteed by immune fiber-optic cables and the optical phase sensor output. The sensor design is a compact and rugged coil of fiber. In addition to a complete calibration, the in-situ results show that two types of partial discharges are measured through their acoustic emissions with the sensor immersed in oil. Keywords: optical fiber sensors; interferometry; acoustic emission; ultrasounds; partial discharges; transformers 1. Introduction Oil-paper insulation systems are commonly used in power apparatus such as power transformers and high voltage cables, among others