If you work with high- or medium-voltage (MV) switchgear or cables, Megger’s new handheld PD scan instrument provides you with a convenient and reliable way of detecting insulation faults before they progress to cause major failures. PD Scan lets you detect and measure partial discharge (PD) activity, which is a reliable early-warning indicator of deterioration in MV insulation. You’ll find the new instrument exceptionally versatile, thanks to its wide range of internal and external sensors, and with its touchscreen interface and user-guided software, you’ll also find it very easy to use.
PD Scan works by detecting the radio frequency emissions produced by PD faults so you won’t need to make any direct connection to the switchgear or cable being investigated. You carry out the tests with the asset under investigation energised, which minimises the need for inconvenient and disruptive outages. A further important benefit is that the instrument evaluates and interprets PD data for you and gives you a clear and unambiguous indication of whether there are anomalies that you will need to investigate further.
“Failures in MV installations often lead to long downtimes and can be very costly,” said Hein Putter, Product Manager at Megger. “Users of PD Scan can, however, detect potential weak points and resolve them before they develop further and lead to outright failures. This means they can make big savings and avoid service interruptions that might incur large penalties.”
When using PD Scan, you can choose from a variety of internal and external sensors and, when you connect an external sensor, the instrument will automatically recognise it, thus minimizing the risk of mistakes.
If, for example, you find that the transient earth voltage (TEV) readings on several switchgear panels are the same, using the external TEV sensor will allow you to pinpoint the location of PD activity so that you can take appropriate remedial action without needing to open more than one panel. You can also use PD Scan with acoustic sensors and optional Bluetooth headphones to detect corona and surface discharges in medium- and high-voltage systems.
You’ll appreciate PD Scan’s compact design and simple operation via a large colour touchscreen, features that make it an indispensable companion for maintenance and service tasks. It even has a built-in camera so you can photograph damaged areas quickly and conveniently, as well as an integrated QR code scanner that makes it easy for you to scan equipment data and compare measurements with your existing databases. And the dedicated software that completes the PD Scan package provides everything you need for analysing and reporting your results.
