Prysmian Group has launched a technology for measuring partial discharges in electrical cables, accessories and equipment. Partial discharge measurement, which is typically carried out by specialists using traditional technology, requires the customer to switch off the electrical system, connect it to the test equipment and conduct the diagnostics. This procedure leaves the system idle for several hours during each test. Instead, the new wireless technology-based system allows measurements to be made without any contact, meaning that the electrical system does not have to be switched off, thus making the testing process significantly faster.
This innovation allows the group to explore new opportunities, since it makes it possible to extend PD measurements to voltage classes that were previously not tested, such as the medium-voltage distribution network. PD measurements for both high- and medium voltage networks can now be performed on a continuous basis at substations, wind or solar farms, cruise ships etc. The possibility of monitoring systems without service interruption now makes it possible to carry out preventive maintenance in order to detect potential issues and prevent failures.
Prysmian Electronics S.r.l. is in charge of new technology development and implementation; this group subsidiary will be supported by the expertise of the corporate R&D function and it will focus on exploring new Smart Grid related applications for measuring other parameters such as: temperature, voltage, current leakages, current intensity etc. that are critical for controlling the state of grid operation.
