Resolution evaluation of ultrasonic diagnosis tools for electrical insulation devices and the detection of electrical trees

Ultrasound is a well-known diagnosis tool that can be used for the condition assessment of insulating systems. For this special purpose, various investigations on the detectability of the included inhomogeneities are performed: The resolution of ultrasonic measurements on high voltage insulations has been evaluated by using standardized Landolt rings in silicone rubber and epoxy resin. Although a dependency exists on the ring position, the diagnostic system that is used is able to image the gap with a sub-millimeter size. In other words, the system has recognition ability for two different objects close to such a distance. Regarding detectability, it has been found that in addition to ball-shaped inhomogeneities, the system can also detect thin fibrous objects with a diameter of a few micrometers. Finally, the results are used to detect and characterize electrical trees in silicone rubber