Audio Recording Device for Partial Discharge from Overhead Power Lines

Power system faults are disruptive and may lead to long power outages. One cause is the phenomenon of partial discharge (PD). PD events may result in damage to the insulation, junctions, and transmission lines. Early detection of PD events could be used to schedule preventative maintenance for the involved junctions and transmission lines. One approach to PD detection is by analyzing acoustic emissions near power lines to determine if a PD event has occurred. Due to interference and noise issues, methods to analyze audio emissions for identification of potential PD events need further development to become practical. The purpose of this project was to develop a prototype of an audio collection system with the ability to survive in an outdoor environment, record audio sounds, and transmit the recordings to external computers for storage, analysis, and identification of potential PD events. Such a device could be mounted outside near high-risk power lines and junctions for monitoring for potential PD occurrences. The use of such a device would contribute toward algorithm development to detect PD, which would assist scheduling of preventative maintenance.