IPEC Ltd - Offshore windfarm array cable and switchgear Partial Discharge (PD) monitoring

局部放电（Partial Discharge，PD）是发生在电缆、开关设备和附件中的一种预击穿现象。在过去的8年里，IPEC率先将局部放电监测技术作为资产管理的工具，主要是与EDF Energy在其伦敦和东南部的配电网络上合作。随着技术的发展和市场的发展，很明显，安装永久监控的最有说服力的商业案例是在高临界电路上，故障会造成安全问题或产生很大的财务影响.因此，IPEC最强劲的销售一直在工业部门，特别是加工厂，例如，化工厂，钢铁厂和半导体工厂。为了做到这一点，我们已经开发出非常复杂的数据采集和分析算法，可以检测小的PD信号在非常高的背景noises. IPEC的大部分业务已经在海外地区投资制造业，所以虽然毛利率的技术是高的，所以是销售成本.单个变电站的典型安装成本可能在25- 35 K英镑的范围内。随着英国海上风电场投资的快速增长，IPEC已经发现了一个机会，可以将PD监测的好处带到海上资产管理中。连接风力发电机的高压电网工作环境恶劣，增加了缺陷和故障的可能性。此外，维修故障部件的成本和随之而来的损害非常高。通过永久监控连接涡轮机的海底电缆和开关设备网络，资产运营商将能够在故障发生之前识别并非常准确地定位缺陷。在许多情况下，这将允许进行预防性维护，从而避免完全故障。离岸风力发电场通常有20年的设计寿命，据估计，这种监测技术的成本将通过在此期间避免两次故障来抵消。

Partial Discharge (PD) is a pre-breakdown phenomenon that occurs in cables, switchgear andaccessories. IPEC have pioneered PD monitoring technology as a tool for use in assetmanagement over the last 8 years, largely in collaboration with EDF Energy on their Londonand South East based distribution network. As the technology has developed and marketsevolved it has become apparent that the most compelling business case for installation ofpermanent monitoring is on high criticality circuits where a failure would pose safetyconcerns or have a high financial impact. As a result IPEC’s strongest sales have been in theindustrial sector and in particular process plants for instance, chemical plants, steel plants andsemi-conductor fabs. In order to do this we have developed very sophisticated data acquisitionand analysis algorithms that can detect the small PD signals in very high background noise.Much of IPEC’s business has been overseas into regions investing in manufacturing soalthough gross margins on the technology are high so are the costs of sale. A typicalinstallation for a single substation may cost in the region of £25-35K.With the high and rapidly increasing investment in off-shore wind farms around the UK, IPEChave identified an opportunity to bring the benefits PD monitoring to offshore assetmanagement. The working environment of the high voltage network connecting wind turbinesis harsh, increasing the likelihood of defects and failure. In addition the cost of repairing afailed component and the consequential damages are very high.By permanently monitoring the network of subsea cables and switchgear that interconnect theturbines, the asset operators will be able to identify and very accurately locate defects before afailure occurs. In many cases this will allow preventative maintenance to be carried out thusavoiding failure altogether.Off-shore wind farms generally have a 20 year design lifetime and it is estimated that the costof this monitoring technology would be offset by avoiding just two failures over this period.