CAREER: Condition-Based Maintenance of Electric Power Systems

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This project will focus on monitoring of electrical insulation with mobile sensors. Theirnetwork will accommodate a full range of spatial and temporal resolution requirements posed by powerquality sensitive customers and a highly competitive yet cost-conscious deregulated power industry. Severalmost relevant sensor technologies will be combined in a single system to nondestructively evaluate agingstatus, presence of incipient faults, and exact location of failing sections in insulating cables and powerequipment. A mobile micro-manufactured platform will be used for periodic comprehensive and need-drivenlongitudinal scanning of insulation status, whereas traditional of stationary sensors will providesystemwide information for multi-sensor diagnostics. The project will lead to a new concept of distributionpower systems, especially for underground cables, in which the entire network will be periodically testedby automatic "crawlers". Prime sensing mechanisms will include fringing electric field dielectrometry,acoustic sensing, and infrared sensing. Additional sensors are likely to be installed once the first prototypeof the mobile platform is complete. Communication links and source of power for device operation woulddetermine maximum range and miniaturization aspects of mobile platforms.