Development of polarization and depolarization current measurement and analysis system using labview

Abstract

Polarization and depolarization current (PDC) measurement is a new dielectric testing method that has been used to monitor the condition of an insulating material. ThIs non-destructive dielectric testing method helps to determine the conductivity and dielectric response functions (f(t)) of insulation material. The dielectric response, f(t) obtained gives further information on ageing as well as the condition of insulator. Development in measurement technologies and data analysis techniques using computational methods yields advantages such as time saving and safety enhancement. Currently, a commercial PDC measurement system known as PDC Analyser 1MOD only carries out PDC measurement and does not analyse the PDC data for material conductivity and f(t) which are used to evaluate the condition of insulation material. In this research, a user-friendly PDC system is developed using LabVIEW. This system will enable users to analyse insulation condition of a material through the material’s conductivity and f(t) using the PDC measurement data. Hence, the main objective of this project is to develop a user-friendly and comprehensive method that enables users to activate, control, record and analyse PDC measurement within one system. The system has been tested by running the PDC tests and analysis on two types of insulation materials: solid based and liquid based. The results of these tests were compared with tests conducted using MATLAB as well through manual calculations. The developed system has been found to produce faster results compared to MATLAB and manual calculation methods. This developed system contributes by saving time in performing PDC data analysis and helping user to assess conditions of insulating material in a single comprehensive system with cheaper equipment compared to the cost of commercial equipment. In addition, the system also increases users’ confidence in carrying out high voltage equipment monitoring and diagnosis.