Possibility of developing and using an autonomous device for acoustic emission of a plane contact connection of electrical buses to evaluate its technical condition

Abstract

This paper discusses the possibility of developing and using an autonomous acoustic emission device to evaluate the technical condition of plane contact connections of electrical buses used in switchgears with voltages of 0.4-35 kV. In the modern power systems where monitoring and detection of defects in contact connections at early stages of development plays one of the key roles affecting the level of reliability of electrical installations, the proposed acoustic emission device may significantly improve the quality of monitoring, especially in cases where traditional methods such as thermal imaging controls cannot be effectively applied. The proposed device includes a control unit, a pulse generator, emitting and receiving piezoelectric transducers, an attenuator, an amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter, a memory unit, a battery, a temperature sensor and a wireless data transmission module which allows for remote control in real time and transmit data to a remote control point without the need for operator participation. As part of the study, an improved structural diagram of the flaw detector was proposed, and bench studies were carried out which showed the stability of the amplitude when measuring the level of an ultrasonic signal passing through a contact connection under a voltage reaching 80 kV. The research findings confirm the effectiveness of using a device for ultrasonic emission of bus-bar contacts implemented on the basis of an ultrasonic flaw detector taking into account its modernization for the purpose of autonomous operation and placement in places with difficult access for thermal imaging inspection as well as in the absence of the possibility of providing the conditions necessary for inspection.