Corona and Partial Discharge Diagnostic Device and Method for Using the Same

• US 20120265458A1
• Filed: 04/13/2011
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Agapiou, John S., Simon, Daniel L., Spicer, John Patrick, Panozzo, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 9,046,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/59
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/08 Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1227 of components, parts or materials G01R31/1209, G01R31/1218, G01R31/18 take precedence; circuits therefor G01R31/14; testing vessels of electrodes G01R31/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1263 of solid or fluid materials, e.g. insulation films, bulk material; of semiconductors or LV electronic components or parts; of cable, line or wire insulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/14 Circuits therefor , e.g. for generating test voltages, sensing circuits G01R31/1209 - G01R31/1227 take precedence; for testing switches G01R31/327
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/34 Testing dynamo-electric machines
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults

Abstract

A method for diagnosing a fault in an electrical component using a diagnostic system having a plurality of sensors. The method includes positioning the electrical component in a predetermined position adjacent the diagnostic system and at a predetermined orientation with respect to the diagnostic system. The method also includes causing a predetermined level of electrical current to flow to the electrical component, the stationary sensors sensing electrical discharge emitted by the electrical component at an area of the fault, and the tangible computerized controller receiving sensor data from the sensors. The method further includes the tangible computerized controller executing the computer-readable instructions to process the sensor data to generate test information including a location of the electrical component at which the fault is occurring in at least two dimensions.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing a fault in an electrical component using a diagnostic system having at least three stationary sensors, the method comprising:

positioning the electrical component in a predetermined position adjacent the diagnostic system and at a predetermined orientation with respect to the diagnostic system;

causing a predetermined level of electrical current to flow to the electrical component;

the stationary sensors sensing electrical discharge emitted by the electrical component at an area of the fault;

the tangible computerized controller receiving sensor data from the stationary sensors; and

the tangible computerized controller executing the computer-readable instructions to process the sensor data to generate test information including a location of the electrical component at which the fault is occurring in at least two dimensions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

causing a predetermined level of electrical current to flow to the electrical component is performed by the tangible computerized controller executing the computer-readable instructions; and

the tangible computerized controller, in executing the computer-readable instructions to cause the predetermined level of electrical current to flow to the electrical component, provides the electrical current at a plurality of different voltage levels over time including a voltage level of at least 100% above an specified operating voltage of the electrical component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tangible computerized controller, in executing the computer-readable instructions to generate the test information, performs a geometric evaluation selected from a group of evaluations selected from:

trilateration;

multilateration; and

triangulation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tangible computerized controller processing the sensor data to generate test information including the location of the electrical component at which the fault is occurring includes determining the location having three-dimensions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the tangible computerized controller executing the computer-readable instructions to classify the electrical component as remediable or failed based on at least the location of the fault determined by the computerized controller.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the tangible computerized controller, in response to classifying the fault as remediable, determining a remedial action to be taken to correct the fault of the remedial part.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the electrical component in the predetermined position and at the predetermined orientation adjacent the diagnostic system includes:

an automated positioning sub-system of the diagnostic system positioning the electrical component within an isolation chamber;

the automated positioning sub-system of the diagnostic system positioning the electrical component within the isolation chamber includes the automated positioning sub-system transferring the electrical component through an opening of the chamber; and

connecting the electrical component to an electrical connection that is in turn connected to a power source for supplying the current to the electrical component.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each of the sensors has a type selected from a group of sensor types selected from;

thermal sensor;

ultraviolet sensor;

acoustic sensor;

electromagnetic sensor; and

radio frequency sensor;

the selected stationary sensors perform the step of sensing electrical discharge emitted by the electrical component at an area of the fault; and

the tangible computerized controller receives the sensor data from the selected stationary sensors.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the electrical component is selected from a group of particular electrical components consisting of;

a stator for an electric motor; and

a rotor for an electric motor; and

positioning the electrical component in the predetermined position and the predetermined orientation adjacent the diagnostic system includes positioning the selected particularly electrical component in the predetermined position and the predetermined orientation adjacent the diagnostic system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the tangible computerized controller executing the computer-readable instructions to generate a report based on the sensed data, the report including a three-dimensional mapping of the fault.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the tangible computerized controller executes the computer-readable instructions to process the sensor data to generate the test information at a time of initial evaluation; and

the method further comprises considering the test information, generated with respect to the electrical component at the time of initial evaluation, at a later evaluation time, after the electrical component has been used by a user and exhibited a problem.

12. A method for diagnosing a fault in an electrical component using a diagnostic system having at least two directional sensors, the method comprising:

positioning the electrical component in a predetermined position adjacent the diagnostic system and at a predetermined orientation with respect to the diagnostic system;

affecting relative motion between the sensors and the electrical component;

causing a predetermined level of electrical current to flow to the electrical component;

the sensors sensing electrical discharge emitted by the electrical component at an area of the fault while the relative motion is being affected and the current is flowing to the electrical component;

the tangible computerized controller receiving sensor data from the sensors; and

the tangible computerized controller executing the computer-readable instructions to process the sensor data to generate test information including a location of the electrical component at which the fault is occurring in at least two dimensions.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the tangible computerized controller executing the computer-readable instructions to classify the electrical component as remediable or failed based on at least the location of the fault determined by the computerized controller.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the tangible computerized controller, in response to classifying the fault as remediable, determining a remedial action to be taken to correct the fault of the remedial part.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

each of the sensors has a type selected from a group of sensor types selected from;

a horn antenna; and

a patch antenna.

the selected sensors perform the step of sensing electrical discharge emitted by the electrical component at an area of the fault; and

the tangible computerized controller receives the sensor data from the selected sensors.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the tangible computerized controller executes the computer-readable instructions to process the sensor data to generate the test information at a time of initial evaluation; and

the method further comprises considering the test information, generated with respect to the electrical component at the time of initial evaluation, at a later evaluation time, after the electrical component has been used by a user and exhibited a problem.

17. A diagnostic system for diagnosing an electrical component, the diagnostic system comprising:

at least two sensors for sensing a discharge emitted by a fault of the electrical component;

a computerized controller at least;

being operatively connected to the sensors;

including a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and

a processor configured to perform the computer-readable instructions to at least;

receive sensor data from the sensors; and

process the sensor data to generate test information including a location of the electrical component at which the fault is occurring in at least two dimensions.

18. The diagnostic system of claim 17, wherein:

each of the sensors has a type selected from a group of sensor types selected from;

thermal sensor;

ultraviolet sensor;

acoustic sensor;

electromagnetic sensor;

radio frequency sensor;

a horn antenna; and

a patch antenna.

19. The diagnostic system of claim 17, wherein:

at least two of the sensors are directional antennas;

the system further comprises apparatus for causing relative motion between the electrical component and the directional antennas;

the antenna are configured to sense the discharge while the apparatus is causing the relative motion;

the apparatus is configured to cause the relative motion with respect to a first antenna of the at least two antennas being relative motion selected from a first group of relative motions consisting of;

linear relative motion between the antennas and; and

angular relative motion; and

the apparatus is configured to cause the relative motion with respect to a second antenna of the at least two antennas being relative motion selected from the first group of relative motions.

20. The diagnostic system of claim 19, wherein:

at least two of the sensors are stationary sensors having a type selected from a group of sensor types selected from;

thermal sensor;

ultraviolet sensor;

acoustic sensor;

electromagnetic sensor; and

radio frequency sensor.