Study of fluorescent fiber sensors for partial discharge detection

To explore a new method of monitoring partial discharge signals using the optical effects, a photoelectric cell and three configurations of sensors made of fluorescent fibers were designed based on an analysis of the characteristics of the fibers and the partial discharge spectrum. One sensor was installed in a high voltage motor. The experimental results showed that the output changed from random pulses to 50 Hz periodic pulses and finally to 100 Hz periodic pluses as the voltage increased, and that the pulse amplitudes was higher with higher voltages. Therefore, the frequency and amplitude of the output signals effectively reflect the intensity of the partial discharges in the motor. The sensor will improve the reliability of monitoring systems by working together with other detecting methods. Correlation analysis can be used to improve the monitoring system sensitivity.