The Location of Partial Discharge Sources Inside Power Transformers Based on TDOA Database With UHF Sensors

This paper proposes a new method to locate the partial discharge (PD) sources inside the high-voltage power transformers with ultra-high frequency (UHF) sensors, based on the time difference of arrival (TDOA) database. A TDOA database includes the TDOA information of possible PD sources inside a power transformer, which is established under the construction of the system of the tested power transformer and the high accuracy of the minimum distance between a possible PD source and a UHF sensor. We employ the tangent transmission model of PD signals and the shortest path algorithm to solve the distance problem in case of an obstacle obstructing the transmission of PD signals. In order to verify the feasibility and accuracy of this new TDOA database method, we carry out two experiments. One experiment was conducted with a 110kV power transformer and the other was carried out with a platform for PD of electric power equipment. The experimental research results which are composed of location coordinates, transmission path and TDOA information indicate that the TDOA database method can locate single PD source as well as multiple PD sources simultaneously with the location error less than 0.3m.