Ultrahigh Frequency Sensor for Multisource Partial Discharge Detection

Unattended partial discharges (PDs) at electrical insulators of high-voltage (HV) power utilities are the root cause of deterioration toward sudden failures resulting in unexpected power interruptions. ultrahigh frequency (UHF) PD sensing solutions are promising for their contactless early detection abilities. However, most conventional UHF PD monitoring devices struggle in the presence of multiple concurrent PD sources. This becomes challenging, especially when a solo PD sensor is used. This article proposes a compact ultrawideband UHF sensor design that improves single-sensor-based multisource PD detection. The proposed sensor’s performance has been compared with two other UHF sensors with narrow and wideband sensitivities. Results reveal that the proposed sensor’s ultrawideband sensitivity with a compact design makes the sensor a better choice for portable single-sensor-based multisource PD sensing devices.