Review on PD Ultrasonic Detection Using EFPI - Part I: the Optical Fiber Sensing Technologies

Partial discharges (PD) detection for power equipments mainly includes the pulse current method, transient earth voltage (TEV) method, ultrasonic detection method, ultra-high-frequency (UHF) method, and optical detection method. Among them, those PD detection methods realized based on optical fiber sensing technologies has the advantages of safety, insulation and anti-electromagnetic interference. So they are suitable to be designed as embedded or intrusive sensors installed into the power equipments of PD on-line monitoring or live detection with prospects for development. In this paper, the measurement methods of PD ultrasonic signals based on optical fiber sensing technologies, principle parameters and advantages and disadvantages are summarized. At last, the optical fiber sensing technology using extrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometers (EFPI) is pointed out that it has good application prospect due to its high sensitivity and stability.