The chromatic approach to the intelligent monitoring of HV equipment using arrays of optical fibre sensors

Interruption of currents flowing in a high-voltage power network is a complex process involving intricate interactions between the mechanics, electromagnetics and electrical discharging in a circuit breaker. Consequently, ensuring correct operation, and more ambitiously attempting to predict incipient failure to operate, is a difficult proposition. To deal with such a complex situation, there is a need to evolve an intelligent monitoring methodology which will enable such objectives to be achieved in a generic manner. In this contribution, the use of the chromatic approach to optical fibre sensing and subsequent fusion of multisensors output is described as a basis for such intelligent monitoring of HV circuit breakers. The parameters measured with the chromatic fibre sensors are listed, taking advantage of the inherent electrical insulated nature and electromagnetic immunity of such sensors. These measurements are supplemented by voltage and radiofrequency emission measurements during circuit breaker operation. The time varying outputs from this array of different sensors have been further chromatically processed in the time domain enabling the complex information contained in the outputs to be compressed in chromatic space. This has enabled changes in the operational trends of the circuit breaker to be conveniently tracked in a simple manner, so forming an advantageous monitoring strategy.