Research on Fault Pre-Warning of Loose Terminal Blocks in Circuit Breaker Operating Mechanisms Based on Log Edge Detection

High-voltage circuit breakers stand as pivotal components within power systems. Among them, terminal connectors, integral to the circuit breaker actuation mechanism, often operate in highly vibrational environments. Prolonged exposure to such vibrations can degrade their performance, detaching wire connections and resulting in compromised contacts. This, in turn, severely impacts the circuit breaker's actuation process. This study focuses on a specific type of terminal connector, using the degradation in gap distance as a performance parameter. It undertakes sinusoidal vibration tests, integrating edge contour extraction techniques with image processing. A pixel-level measurement approach rooted in the Log operator is introduced, enabling the prediction of the duration of terminal loosening faults due to aging. Results demonstrate that the gap distance identified through Log operator edge detection deviates by 0.235 mm from actual measurements, with an error rate of 10.23%. This method effectively detects finely defined edges of well-focused objects, moderately suppressing salt-and-pepper noise, thereby yielding enhanced discernment accuracy. Moreover, predictions derived from the logistic model for loosening fault duration differ from actual effective values by less than 1.55 hours. This capability allows for the timely identification of terminal connector wire bundle looseness, facilitating early fault warnings.