78455 - Predictive Maintenance for Electrical Infrastructures M

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students are able to choose the most appropriate diagnostic techniques for a specific apparatus, and are able to start using the techniques by themselves, interpreting measurement results. Their expertise is based on the knowledge that they acquire on (a) the typical failure modes of high and medium voltage equipment; (b) the diagnostic techniques most commonly used to identify local defects (weak points in the insulation systems) and bulk degradation; emphasis will be given to the physical basis of these techniques and their limitations; (c) the basic information regarding the use of artificial intelligence techniques in diagnosis and (d) the qualification of insulation systems as a prerequisite to ensure proper reliability levels.

Course contents

• Electrodes (coaxial cylinders and concentric spheres, point/plane electrodes, emission of electrons from metal electrodes)
  
• Conduction mechanisms in dielectrics.
• Dielectric response.
  
• Discharges in gases (ionization and attachment coefficients, discharges in uniform field, Paschen's law, discharges in divergent fields, streamer inception criterion)
• Breakdown of liquid dielectrics
• Breakdown of solid dielectrics (intrinsic breakdown, electro-mechanical breakdown, thermal runaway, tracking)
• Grading systems
• Interfaces
• Partial discharges: physics, measurement and interpretation
• Insulation issues associated with the use of power converter in electrical machine drives.

Readings/Bibliography

Slides and notes provided by the teacher.

The documents are available on IOL for download.

Teaching methods

About 10% of the course consists of lab experiences. 

Assessment methods

Oral examination

Teaching tools

The high voltage equipment in the lab. of innovation technology will be used to show how to use diagnostic systems.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Cavallini