Partial Discharge Measurement & Monitoring on the High Seas #61

Imagine yourself in the middle of the ocean, climbing up a steep ladder and hoisting cases of your testing gear by hand from a boat moving in high waves onto an offshore substation platform.

Your work environment moves every time a wave hits the platform – it’s all you can do to concentrate on performing diagnostic measurements and prevent yourself from getting seasick while you quickly complete your tasks before the boat leaves to take you back to shore at the end of the day.

This is what OMICRON partial discharge applications engineer Roy Brusenbach frequently deals with on the job. Since over a year, he has been helping customers by performing offshore partial discharge (PD) measurements and monitoring in the Baltic Sea.

In this episode, Roy describes the necessity of performing these diagnostic checks and trending of insulation condition, primarily on cable terminations and gas-insulated switchgear at offshore substation platforms. He also talks about the challenges he faces when performing his work in testing environments at sea.

To meet these challenges, Roy offers tips for performing PD measurements and monitoring on offshore platforms, including how he prepares for the job and avoids getting seasick while traveling to his job site by boat and when he is on the moving platform.

Lastly, Roy explains why PD testing and monitoring will be used more frequently – both offshore and on land – to assess the condition and reliability of critical electrical equipment.