NDB Technologies AE-150 Page 9 User Manual Download

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A E - 1 5 0 s y s t e m – U s e r M a n u a l

Preliminary setup

The AE-150 system contains many accessories and modules. Visually inspect all
modules, cables and accessories. Any deterioration may result in poor test
results.

Use the provided battery charger to recharge the instrument’s battery. The
battery charger can stay connected to the AE-150 while being used.

AE-150 main module assembly:



Install and secure all four acoustic sensors to each corner of the AE-
150 main module.



Connect the acoustic sensor’s coax cable to the appropriate channel
input.



Install the two antennas on the AE-150 main module:

Install the phase synchronization antenna (blue stripes) on
the proper antenna connector (near the

AE Channel 2

connector).

Install the communication antenna (yellow stripes) on the
proper antenna connector (near

AE Channel 1

connector).

Note: The antennas must be installed at all time while using the AE-150, even
if hardwired communication is used.

Summary of Contents for AE-150

Page 1: ...NDB TECHNOLOGIES INC AE 150 Partial Discharge Localization System MU012 GEN ENG Version 3 0 AE 150 User Manual ...

Page 2: ...cation setup 10 Phase synchronization 10 PD channel 11 AE 150 installation 13 Operation 16 Initial setup 17 PrPD Acquisition 19 Waveform acquisition 22 Moving the AE 150 to a new location 25 Data selection 26 Localization 26 Create a report 27 Additional features 27 Monitoring 27 Auto Loc 30 Battery 32 Battery replacement 32 Charging the batteries 32 Technical specifications 33 Appendix 1 Kit cont...

Page 3: ...ries 39 Appendix 2 40 Main unit overview 40 Appendix 3 Mirador Tx detailed 44 Test file 44 General view 44 AE 150 control side tab 44 Data Analysis side tab 49 Appendix 4 UHF Antenna 57 Installation 58 Appendix 5 Flexible UHF Antenna 59 Installation 60 ...

Page 4: ...sibility of the user Read all safety and operating instructions before using the equipment Retain this User Manual for future reference Heed all safety warnings on the equipment and in the manual Follow all operating instructions Safety Symbols Hazard symbol referring to the instruction manual The product is marked with this symbol when it is necessary for you to refer to the instruction manual in...

Page 5: ...intenance must be performed by qualified personnel who are familiar with the construction and operation of the test set and the hazards involved Wearing rubber gloves is recommended as a routine safety precaution The AE 150 system uses strong magnets which may represent injuries if not used properly The user must keep clear any body part from the magnets when performing installation Keep any ferro...

Page 6: ...d on the transformer tank using its powerful magnets that will hold the four acoustic sensors firmly against the tank wall Partial discharge activity is measured by all four acoustic sensors and by the AE 150 PD channel through an HFCT clamp UHF antenna or other type of electric coupling device Acquired signals are correlated with power line Phase using the wireless AC Sync module or from the outp...

Page 7: ...0 s y s t e m U s e r M a n u a l 7 Inspection method The following sequence summarizes the inspection method covered in this manual It is recommended to follow this sequence in order to obtain optimal results ...

Page 8: ...k dimensions Keep those values for later as they will be required in Mirador Tx software These measurements are crucial and needs to be taken with great precision On the transformer tank determine an origin point location from which X Y Z axis will start from next figure configuration suggested The tank dimension measurements origin point and axis will be used in Mirador Tx software to locate the ...

Page 9: ...n module assembly Install and secure all four acoustic sensors to each corner of the AE 150 main module Connect the acoustic sensor s coax cable to the appropriate channel input Install the two antennas on the AE 150 main module o Install the phase synchronization antenna blue stripes on the proper antenna connector near the AE Channel 2 connector o Install the communication antenna yellow stripes...

Page 10: ...sion cable If your computer does not have an RS232 serial port use the provided RS232 to USB adapter Wireless communication The communication indicator must be ON To toggle this indicator press and hold the communication selection button for four seconds then release it The instrument will restart automatically Connect the AE 150 USB wireless module to the computer Phase synchronization The AE 150...

Page 11: ...r tank will flow to ground through the transformer s groundings The AE 150 will sense these electrical signals using the HFCT clamp The RF 023 filter is used to reduce ambient electrical noise Connect the RF 023 filter to the AE 150 PD connector Connect the HFCT clamp 20mm and 60mm opening models are available to the RF 023 filter using the provided BNC to BNC coaxial cable Install the HFCT clamp ...

Page 12: ...pically used on straight type transformer drain valve For more detail see the Appendix 4 section of this manual Flexible UHF antenna The AE 150 can measure partial discharge activity directly from inside the tank with high immunity to ambient noise using the Flexible UHF antenna This antenna is used on straight or non straight type transformer drain valve For more details see the Appendix 5 sectio...

Page 13: ...any of the following rotations 0 default 180 90 counter clockwise or 90 clockwise Note the chosen rotation as it will be used in Mirador Tx software Acoustic couplant Gently clean all four acoustic sensors using a dry cloth Apply a thin layer 3mm 0 25 in of the provided acoustic couplant on all four acoustic sensors ...

Page 14: ...ts are crucial and need to be taken with great precision Refer to next figure The AE 150 magnets are very strong Be careful not to pinch any fingers hair or any other body part while installing the AE 150 Keep the AE 150 away from any object made of ferromagnetic materials at all time Once the AE 150 is installed on the transformer tank press all four sensors to maximise acoustic couplant contact ...

Page 15: ...erent locations using the sensor holders Use a wrench to release the acoustic sensor from its enclosure Carefully insert the sensor in the magnetic holder A clip holds the sensor in place Apply acoustic couplant on each acoustic sensor Refer to the Acoustic couplant section of this manual for more detail Install the AE 150 on the transformer tank only one wall at a time with the magnetic holders ...

Page 16: ...n The Operation section of this manual describes how to operate the AE 150 with Mirador Tx software The flowchart below summarizes the operations covered in this section of the manual Note Refer to Appendix 3 for a detailed overview of Mirador Tx software ...

Page 17: ...dor Tx software and click Create New to create a new file Browse and select the desired location to save the file Transformer tab Click the AE 150 CONTROL Transformer tab Type the transformer s serial number in the Serial Number field Type the previously measured transformer tank dimensions in the Tank Dimensions fields Optional Click the Optional Information button to enter more details Company S...

Page 18: ...wn menu Select the communication port Click the Auto Detect button Communication will be established automatically between the computer and the AE 150 AE 150 position Click the AE 150 Position tab Type the previously measured location of the center of the AE 150 from the tank origin point Select the tank wall on which the AE 150 is installed Select the AE 150 rotation angle ...

Page 19: ...identified it will be isolated by setting a trigger window Click the Controls tab Click the AUTO SET button The AE 150 will set the acoustic channels gain automatically This process can take a few seconds wait until completed Click the Pre set Configuration dropdown menu Select between PrPD Quick recommended for faster transfer speeds or PrPD High Resolution recommended for high resolution results...

Page 20: ...d retry a PrPD acquisition If applicable Try with the HFCT clamp installed on a different ground cable Follow the Installation and Operation sections of this manual to avoid skipping any step If pattern s of interest is are found Single or multiple patterns of interest can be found from a single PrPD acquisition Each pattern can then be isolated using the trigger window in order to determine if ac...

Page 21: ... A Start and Cursor B End Examples A window set from 110 to 250 will consider any event occurring between 110 to 250 and ignore any event between 250 to 110 refer to the top part of next figure A window set from 230 to 70 will consider any event between 230 and 70 and ignore any event between 70 and 230 refer to the below part of next figure Set the horizontal threshold cursor above the noise leve...

Page 22: ...each wave PD and acoustic is critical as it will be used for partial discharge source localization Click the AE 150 CONTROL side tab and then the Controls tab Note At this step the gain adjustment Auto Set button should have been done already See PrPD Acquisition section of this manual Confirm the presence of the trigger window values previously defined in the PrPD section Click the Pre set Config...

Page 23: ...For non qualified signals increase averaging at the acquisition step The next figure illustrates typical results where the acoustic acquisitions are shown Use the horizontal magnifier tool to zoom in on the beginning of the acoustic wave trains Times of arrival In the Calculator tab click on the Auto TOA button Times Of Arrival A cursor will automatically be moved at the beginning of each wave tra...

Page 24: ...oints will be displayed on the transformer tank representation To accept these pinpoints click the Accept button Click on the Create Vectors button The number of created vectors will be displayed in the field below the Accept button To accept these vectors click the Accept button If no pinpoint or vector are found manually adjust the cursors positions at the beginning of each waves especially acou...

Page 25: ...tank origin point Type the new position values X Y and Z in Mirador Tx AE 150 CONTROL AE 150 Position AE 150 vs Tank Origin From the Tank Wall dropdown menu select the tank wall on which the AE 150 is installed From the AE 150 Rotation dropdown menu select the rotation of the AE 150 instrument If individual magnetic holders are used to install the acoustic sensors on the tank wall type their locat...

Page 26: ...elections from the list or use the shift key for grouped selections Click the Flag button to keep the selected acquisition s or click the Unflag button to discard them Localization Once data selection is completed the final localization process can be performed To do so follow the steps below Click the Data Analysis Localization tab Select the vectors and pinpoints to be used in the Flagged List C...

Page 27: ...ng While performing standard PrPD testing the operator may not be able to find significant PD patterns even though the transformer dissolved gas analysis DGA results and history clearly shows partial discharge presence Partial discharges may occur in a particular time frame of the day week due to temporary high load or other factors In order to determine this time frame it is recommended to use th...

Page 28: ...ansformer tank AE 150 position tab Refer to the Operation section of this manual Click the Controls tab In the Pre set Configuration menu select the PrPD setting of choice Click the AUTO SET button The AE 150 will set the acoustic channels gain automatically This process can take a few seconds Wait until completed Click on the Monitoring tab and then check the Enable checkbox Set the interval betw...

Page 29: ...els gain automatically This process can take a few seconds Click on the Monitoring tab and then check the Enable checkbox Set the interval between two acquisitions in the Interval Hours Minutes fields Set the Start Time and End Time Click the START MONITORING button to start the acquisition process Tip It is recommended to let the instrument run for at least 24 hours in monitoring mode typically f...

Page 30: ...dew point etc Auto Loc The Auto Loc feature automates the main operations in order to locate partial discharges in a transformer tank This process is also quicker as less data is transferred to the computer However the operator must be aware that the Auto Loc feature is designed to avoid any false positives In some cases the algorithms will not locate any partial discharge where in fact it could b...

Page 31: ...cenario 2 Partial Solutions Device move required to confirm As in scenario 1 if the Auto Loc function manages to bring out appropriate signals it will use the same parameters and repeat the same operation set to localize the source Dotted lines will be displayed in the 3D Localization Graph representing the localization vector solutions found so far These possible solutions will be related to thos...

Page 32: ...ge to the instrument a risk of injury and will void warranty ndb Technologies strongly recommends returning the AE 150 instrument to its factory for battery replacement Charging the batteries Install the proper plug adapter to the charger Connect the charger to wall socket 100VAC to 240VAC 50 60Hz See next figure Connect the charger s connector to the AE 150 main module s charger port Make sure to...

Page 33: ...nal Filtering Highpass 6th order at 100 kHz Amplitude Resolution 12 bits Dynamic Range 120 dB Input Range 500 mVpp max Drive for integrated pre amplification 0V 5V 30 mA Sensitivity 6 µV Partial Discharge channel Number of Channels 1 Bandwidth 5 MHz to 300 MHz Sampling Frequency 48 MHz Input Range 1 Vrms Sensitivity 100 µVrms Dynamic Range 80 dB Phase reference input Specifications Number of chann...

Page 34: ...1 to 100 μs Power supply specifications Battery autonomy More than 8 hours DC in Voltage 12V to 15V 2 5A Phase reference module Power supply 110 VAC to 240 VAC Frequency 50 Hz to 60 Hz Wireless range 30 m Wireless communication module Wireless range 100 m in line of sight Computer requirements Minimal requirements Operating system Windows XP Vista 7 8 or 10 RAM memory 2GB and more Screen Resolutio...

Page 35: ... Description Illustration 1 AE 150 AE 150 main unit with four acoustic sensors 2 AE 150 USB Wireless communication module 3 AE 150 SYNC Phase synchronization module 4 ACC 054 USB 2 0 A male to B male cable 5 WIR X 036 Americas WIR X 012 Europe WIR X 064 Australia WIR X 67 UK Power cord ...

Page 36: ...32 Serial RS232 communication cable 7 WIR C 001 BNC Male male coaxial cable RG58 25ft 8m 8 WIR X 077 Serial RS232 extension cable 50ft 15m 9 NDB USB RS232 to USB adapter 10 RF 023 Coaxial High Pass Filter 25 MHz BHP 25 11 PAP 039 Mirador TX installation disk ...

Page 37: ...A E 1 5 0 s y s t e m U s e r M a n u a l 37 12 AE 150 PACK PS007 Battery charger 13 PAI X 003 Acoustic couplant 14 TOOL 094 Measuring tape 15 BOX 070 DAND154 Carrying case 16 MU012 GEN ENG User Manual ...

Page 38: ...tional magnetic probe holder kit content kit part number AE AH KIT Item Part number Description Illustration 1 AE 150 HOLDER 1 Set of four magnetic sensor holders 2 CON X 080 Set of four BNC to BNC female female adapters 3 WIR C 003 Set of four BNC to BNC RG 58 coaxial cables 72inches 1 8m Part number for one unit The kit AE AH KIT includes four units ...

Page 39: ...ration 1 HFCT 20 High frequency current transducer clamp 20mm 0 8 in 2 HFCT 60 High frequency current transducer clamp 60mm 2 4 inches 3 AE 150 UHF KIT UHF antenna set for AE 150 4 AE 150 UHF FLEX KIT Flexible UHF antenna set for AE 150 5 ACC 055 Optional 60 kHz acoustic sensor for the AE 150 ...

Page 40: ...ion See point 14 to 20 of this section 3 Phase synchronization antenna blue stripes This antenna is used for phase synchronization through the wireless link 4 Acoustic sensor The acoustic sensors total of four detect ultrasonic waveforms produced by the partial discharge source in the transformer under test 5 Removing handles The removing handles are used to disengage the AE 150 from the transform...

Page 41: ...n mode button This button is used to toggle between wireless communication and wired serial communication by pressing and holding then releasing it after three seconds 11 ON OFF button Press and hold one second to turn the system ON or OFF Once the system is ON the power indicator will be lit 12 Communication mode indicator The indicator is lit when wireless communication is selected The indicator...

Page 42: ...ink 15 Data communication antenna yellow stripes This antenna provides a bidirectional link between the AE 150 and the computer through the wireless communication module 16 Acoustic channel 1 Input BNC connector for acoustic sensor 1 17 Pulser output Pulse generator output 18 Inhibition channel 2 This sensor will be available as a future option 19 Inhibition channel 1 This sensor will be available...

Page 43: ...Volts DC input for battery charging The AE 150 can be used with the battery charger connected The battery automatically charges when the charger is connected Typical recharge time is 3 hours 24 Phase input Input connector for an ammeter clamp for phase synchronization optional or another phase signal source see channel specifications 25 Acoustic channel 4 Input BNC connector for acoustic sensor 4 ...

Page 44: ...ame of the current test file 5 Status bar progress bar The status bar displays the current status and the progress bar displays progression of the current task 6 Stop icon Click to stop any test in progress 7 Online indicators Turns ON when connected to an AE 150 module A heartbeat light shows the device is connected and ready to acquire data AE 150 control side tab The AE 150 CONTROL side tab inc...

Page 45: ...ery icon displays the AE 150 s battery level o Transformer tab The Transformer tab is used to type the transformer information such as Serial number Type the serial number of the transformer under test Tank dimensions Type the transformer dimensions width height and depth Optional Information Clicking this button opens a menu where more information can be entered Company name Substation name Trans...

Page 46: ...the AE 150 if applicable o AE 150 position tab Used to type the AE 150 position on the transformer tank The AE 150 can be installed on any tank wall at any rotation between 0 90 180 or 270 and the detached acoustic sensors location can be entered AE 150 vs tank origin fields Type the previously measured location of the AE 150 from the origin point on the transformer tank The measurement must be ta...

Page 47: ...r the number higher the averaging The averaging in PrPd measurement mode is labled Cycles This determines the duration of acquisition in number of Power Frequency network cycles Pre trigger Angle dropdown menu Pre trigger Waveform mode only Sets the time buffer before the triggering events Angle PrPD mode only Select the PrPD angle resolution between 32 64 128 or 256 Acq Length Amplitude dropdown ...

Page 48: ...vious acquisition Displays the date and time of the previous monitoring acquisition Next acquisition Displays the date and time of the next set acquisition o Controls tab Auto Loc The Auto Loc feature is designed to automate every operation needed to locate partial discharge activity in the transformer tank Using the Auto Loc feature is also faster than standard operation as no large file is trans...

Page 49: ... future use Pulser Output Channel Enter the pulse period and pulse width then click Set to activate the pulse generator or Stop to deactivate o Controls tab Hardware This tab contains the acoustic hardware bandpass and the sensor pre amplification voltage settings Data Analysis side tab The Data Analysis side tab is divided in sub tabs Data Selection Localization Waveforms PrPD Trend and Options w...

Page 50: ... All to select all sensor positions A three dimensional representation is present with all selected AE 150 positions represented by the four acoustic sensors Results In this section the Sort By selection is used to sort data in the Results window by Time Type of data or Sensors Position The Select All Flag and Flag buttons are used to select data that will be relevant for the localization process ...

Page 51: ...intersection in the 3D graph Coordinates Mean center Average center point coordinates relatively to the origin point of the transformer tank Standard distance Statistical value representing the dispersion of found coordinates relative to the mean center A low standard distance means the found coordinates are generally close to the center mean o Waveforms The Waveforms tab is where waveforms acquis...

Page 52: ...ifies the signal on the time axis horizontal Vertical magnifier Magnifies the signal on the amplitude axis vertical Original view Automatically adjust the zoom to its default values where the entire signals are viewable Zoom in Zoom in based on the cursor location Zoom out Zoom out based on the cursor location Pan Pan the signal view A 3 dimension graphical representation of the transformer tank o...

Page 53: ...stic wave trains The Create Pinpoints button will trigger the localization algorithms that will localize the PD with only one set of waveforms Up to four results can be created with one acquisition since three sensors are needed for this process The Create Vectors button triggers the vector creation based on the waveforms cursors Up to four vectors can be created from a single acquisition since th...

Page 54: ...is graph is the accumulated result of multiple cycles The color of the acquired signal is related to the number of occurrences at a particular amplitude and phase angle Adjusting the right side occurrences slider helps to identify occurrence intensity in order to find PD pattern Cursor and trigger window Once a PD pattern of interest is determined the cursors must be positioned Click and drag the ...

Page 55: ...agnitudes divided by the acquisition time Show Select the acoustic s sensor s to show in the graphs Trend Overview graph Displays all PrPD acquisitions taken in the selected acquisition Move the red cursors to narrow the selection AE Trend Displays the acoustic PrPD acquisitions PD Trend Displays the PD channel PrPD acquisitions Inspection Comments Log Shows the inspection comments log PrPD Channe...

Page 56: ...lue for sound velocity in Oil and in Steel or click the Default button to set default values 1420m s in oil and 5200m s in steel Display Select the preferred units for Velocity meters second kilometers second feet sec or miles sec Distance centimeters meters inches or feet ...

Page 57: ...osion risks Stand clear of all parts of the high voltage circuit including all connections unless the test set is de energized and all parts of the test circuit are grounded Keep other people away from test activities with suitable barricades or warnings Treat all terminals of high voltage power equipment as potential electric shock hazards Voltages may be induced at these terminals because of pro...

Page 58: ...ntrance 4 Hand tighten central fitting nut Air purging Slightly loosen the bleeding valve Slowly open the pipe valve Hand tighten the bleeding valve when air is purged oil will be dripping Insertion Holding the antenna s handle loosen central fitting nut Insert antenna up to clamp collar Hand tighten central fitting nut Removal Holding the handle loosen central fitting nut Remove antenna up to pre...

Page 59: ...ll connections unless the test set is de energized and all parts of the test circuit are grounded Keep other people away from test activities with suitable barricades or warnings Treat all terminals of high voltage power equipment as potential electric shock hazards Voltages may be induced at these terminals because of proximity to energized high voltage lines or equipment Maintenance must be perf...

Page 60: ...pipe to reach the highest spot in the transformer valve 2 Slightly open the purging tube valve 3 Slowly open pipe valve Close the purge tube valve when air is purged oil will start dripping 4 If more air pockets are spotted thanks to the camera reopen the air purge valve and slowly pull the tube to catch and evacuate them 5 Close the purge tube valve when done Insertion To insert the antenna the t...

Page 61: ... mode 2 Unscrew the antenna grounding sleeve 3 Remove antenna up to pre insertion length guided by camera display 4 Close tank pipe valve 5 Open the purge tube valve to bleed the oil from the tank pipe valve adapter 6 Unscrew the adapter fitting and remove the antenna 7 Remove the adapter and replace the pipe stopper ndb Technologies 2017 ...

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