AC Test Research Articles

The implementation of a cost‐efficient damped AC testing methodology for transmission cables based on DC–AC conversion and distributed partial discharge detection

AbstractThis research introduces a novel damped alternating current (DAC) testing methodology, which integrates an enhanced DAC generator with a pulse‐based distributed partial discharge (PD) detection technique. The advanced DAC generator is designed without the need for high voltage (HV) solid‐state switches, thereby offering a cost‐effective solution for field‐testing voltage generation through a direct current–alternating current conversion approach. To meet the demand for high instantaneous power, a capacitor bank is employed as the power supply. Furthermore, the implementation of a distributed PD detection technique enhances sensitivity and eliminates limitations associated with cable length. To minimize the construction costs of the distributed PD‐detection system, a pulse synchronization technique has been employed. Efforts to reduce the system's weight were informed by simulations, resulting in the design and development of a prototype weighing 850 kg for a 64/110 kV power cable. The reduction in the number of HV solid‐state switches contributes to significant cost savings, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars, when compared to conventional DAC generators. Laboratory and field tests validated the effectiveness of the cost‐efficient DAC testing methodology.

An iteration-based design algorithm for high frequency transformer in SSTs and its validation by finite element analysis

This paper proposes an iteration-based algorithm for the optimum design of a high frequency transformer for solid-state transformer (SST) applications. This algorithm minimizes the total owning cost (TOC) of a distribution type solid-state transformer. The unique features of this algorithm compared with the available algorithms in the literature are as follows: it iterates eight design variables, four constraints are defined for selecting the valid designs, and it works with different core materials and AC test voltages. The algorithm uses various user-defined data inputs to calculate loss capitalization values for TOC calculation. In every iteration, TOC is estimated, and calculated values of design constraints are compared with their threshold limits. A case study is conducted on a high-frequency transformer (HFT) incorporated in 1000-kVA, 11-kV/415-V, Dyn11 three-phase wound core SST. This is to determine the optimum design parameters. In this case study, the algorithm was iterated with 2,100,000 design data inputs, generating 258,272 designs that satisfied all design constraints. The optimum design with minimum TOC is selected from the generated 258,272 designs. The optimum design is validated using finite element analysis in ANSYS software. Comparing the results of both analyses, the deviation is less than 5%. Hence, the algorithm’s reliability is proved.

Development of calibration device for on-load tap changer tester of transformer

Abstract More and more transformer on load tap changers are being tested using the AC method, which is closer to the actual operating status of the transformer on load tap changers. From the analysis of the switch operating status, the test results are closer to the actual value. However, the existing calibration devices for transformer on load tap changer testers are all aimed at DC testers, and traditional calibration methods are difficult to achieve synchronous calibration of transition resistance, transition time, and synchronization under AC test signals. Therefore, this article designs a three channel variable AC resistor module based on FPGA controlled DAC to simulate different resistors. The variable resistor module can achieve fast switching of resistors through frequency compensation, and achieve synchronous verification of analog conversion resistance, conversion time, and synchronization. After testing, the maximum allowable error of the calibration device for simulating transition resistance is ± (0.3% RD+5 m Ω), and the absolute error of transition time and synchronization is less than 20us, which fully meets the needs of laboratory calibration and solves the calibration problem of the transformer on load tap changer tester.

Comparison of SensPERT® Leishmania rapid test with two other immunochromatographic tests for the diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil.

In urban environments, dogs serve as the primary reservoir for visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Rapidly diagnosing canine VL through tests enables early treatment and a favorable prognosis. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of the SensPERT® Leishmania test kit (Dechra®), Alere® Leishmaniasis Ac test kit, and the rapid test dual path platform (TR-DPP®) Bio-Manguinhos in detecting VL. 30 serum samples from reactive VL dogs and 30 serum samples from healthy dogs were employed for assessing the sensitivity and specificity variation between SensPERT® Leishmania test kit, Alere® Leishmaniasis Ac test kit, and rapid test dual platform - TR-DPP®. The SensPERT® Leishmania test outperformed Alere® and TR-DPP® in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and demonstrated near-perfect concordance with Alere® and substantial concurrence with TR-DPP®. The SensPERT® Leishmania rapid test proved to be a promising test in the detection of VL in dogs.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE CHLORIDE-ION PERMEABILITY OF BAMBOO-FIBER-REINFORCED CONCRETE

This study investigated the chloride-ion permeability of C30 concrete by adding bamboo fibers with different treatments (untreated, treated with calcium hydroxide solution and treated with sodium hydroxide solution) and different dosages. Three testing methods, namely the electric-flux method, AC test method and the RCM method, were used to characterize the concrete. Parameters such as electric-flux value, AC resistivity and chloride-ion diffusion coefficient were obtained. Results showed that the surface impurities of the bamboo fibers treated with calcium hydroxide solution were removed and the thermal stability of the bamboo fibers was improved, which can effectively enhance the chloride-ion permeability of concrete. Compared to untreated bamboo fibers, the improvement rate was between 14 % and 17 %. Sodium hydroxide is a strong alkaline solution, which can easily disrupt the structure of bamboo fibers and reduce the resistance of concrete to chloride-ion penetration. The best chloride-ion permeability was achieved when the bamboo fiber content reached 2 %. The electric-flux method, AC test method, and the RCM method were mutually validated with good correlation. It is recommended to choose a suitable and simple method for testing. Bamboo-fiber concrete lays a solid foundation for the future transformation of the civil-engineering industry.

Low ADAMTS13 Activity in Patients with Liver Disease- Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura or Not?

Introduction: Patients with liver injury have hemostatic defects including reduced ADAMTS13 (A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13). Severe deficiency of ADAMTS13 (ADMS13) activity (< 10%) is pathognomonic for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a rare thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Differentiating TTP from severe liver injury is complex for multiple reasons including 1) low baseline ADMS13 2) concomitant coagulopathies complicating differentiation from disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) 3) ADMS13 activity (ADMS13:AC) assay interference (hyperbilirubinemia (>30mg/dL) can cause artifactual reduction of ADMS13:AC). Here we sought to characterize the clinical presentation, management, and outcomes of patients with liver injury presenting with thrombocytopenia (TCP), microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) and low ADMS13:AC at our institution. Methods: In this retrospective study, after IRB approval, electronic medical records (EMR) of institutional patients who had ADMS13:AC and inhibitor profile performed in our special coagulation laboratory between 2018 and July 17, 2023, were reviewed. Eligible patients had ADMS13:AC ≤20% were ≥ 18 years and had evidence of liver injury at time of ADMS13. Liver injury was defined as ALT or AST elevations greater than two times the upper level of normal within one month prior to ADMS13:AC testing, history of end stage liver disease or cirrhosis, or liver transplant with evidence of graft dysfunction. Details regarding clinical presentation, management and outcomes were extracted from the EMR. PLASMIC and ISTH DIC scores were retrospectively calculated. Results: 70 patients had at least one ADMS13:AC < 20% during the study period. 28/70 patients met liver injury inclusion criteria and 20/28 had TCP and MAHA. Of those 20 patients, median age at initial ADMS13:AC was 56.5 years (29-85). Most patients (n=14) had ADMS13:AC of 10-20%. ADMS13:AC was < 5% and 5-10% in 3 patients each. Eleven patients had a positive inhibitor with a median Bethesda titer of 1.85 BU (0.5-3.9). Etiology of liver included: ischemic hepatopathy (n=8), liver graft failure (n=4), liver metastasis (n=3), cirrhosis (n=2), alcoholic hepatitis (n=1), unknown (n=2). Median hemoglobin and platelet (plt) count at time of ADMS13 was 7 g/dL (6.4-13.2) and 30 x10 9/L (3-98), respectively. 7/20 patients had a PLASMIC score of ≥5; PLASMIC score was ≥5, in 2/6 patients with ADMS13:AC <10%. 16/18 patients had an ISTH DIC score ≥5. 18/20 patients had a creatinine > 2 mg/dL or were receiving renal replacement therapy the time of ADMS13: AC. 7/20 patients had total or direct bilirubin of >30mg/dL. Eight/20 patients were treated with plasma exchange (PEX) for a median duration of 7 days (2-13). 66.7% of pts with ADMS13:AC <10% received PEX. Glucocorticoids and Rituximab were used with the intent to treat TTP in 7 and 3 patients, respectively. Caplacizumab was used in 2 patients. 3/8 (37.5%) patients receiving PEX demonstrated normalization of MAHA. One of these patients demonstrated improvement but not normalization of plts (Table 1B, case 5). All patients had recurrence of hematologic abnormalities after PEX was stopped. One patient was treated with plasma infusion with stabilization in plt count. There were 13 and 15 deaths within 1 and 6 months of first ADMTS13:AC, respectively. One death was potentially attributable to management of TTP (Table 1B, case 1). There was no difference in time to death or mortality with the use of PEX. Repeat ADMS13:AC remote from PEX, TCP and MAHA was available for 1/5 surviving patients. This patient (Table1, case 2) had normalization of ADMS:AC after undergoing liver transplant. Conclusion: The differential diagnosis of TCP and MAHA in patients with liver injury includes hepatic dysfunction, DIC and TMA. In the current cohort, 89% of evaluable patients met criteria for overt DIC per ISTH criteria. Due to a low ADMTS13:AC, 40% of patients underwent a trial of PEX with 37.5% demonstrating improvement in MAHA that was not sustained upon discontinuation of PEX due to persistent liver dysfunction. Six-month mortality was 75% and use of PEX did not affect mortality. Given the high mortality, further studies evaluating which patients with TMA and liver injury are more likely to benefit from therapies typically used to treat TTP are necessary.

DC and AC Testing of HTS Coils for Magnetoelectric Generator

Application of high temperature superconductors in electrical machines aims to achieve extremely high specific power. Recent research has shown that the maximum specific power could be obtained when both DC and AC windings are superconducting. This parameter is critically important for the implementation of projects such as electric aircraft. In addition, a systematic approach is important when several devices, for example, an electric machine, a cable and an electronic converter are developed together. Such a system is currently being manufactured and tested at Moscow Aviation Institute. The main element is a superconducting electric 90 kW generator, with this particular article being devoted to the coils that make up its winding. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Nowadays application of high temperature superconducting tapes for DC coils is well-known. Different projects demonstrate successful application of them. In order to successfully use AC HTS coils, it is necessary to characterize them in terms of critical current and losses. Results of DC and AC testing of high temperature superconducting coils are provided in this paper.

Predicting FDG-PET Images From Multi-Contrast MRI Using Deep Learning in Patients With Brain Neoplasms.

18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is valuable for determining presence of viable tumor, but is limited by geographical restrictions, radiation exposure, and high cost. To generate diagnostic-quality PET equivalent imaging for patients with brain neoplasms by deep learning with multi-contrast MRI. Retrospective. Patients (59 studies from 51 subjects; age 56 ± 13 years; 29 males) who underwent 18 F-FDG PET and MRI for determining recurrent brain tumor. 3T; 3D GRE T1, 3D GRE T1c, 3D FSE T2-FLAIR, and 3D FSE ASL, 18 F-FDG PET imaging. Convolutional neural networks were trained using four MRIs as inputs and acquired FDG PET images as output. The agreement between the acquired and synthesized PET was evaluated by quality metrics and Bland-Altman plots for standardized uptake value ratio. Three physicians scored image quality on a 5-point scale, with score ≥3 as high-quality. They assessed the lesions on a 5-point scale, which was binarized to analyze diagnostic consistency of the synthesized PET compared to the acquired PET. The agreement in ratings between the acquired and synthesized PET were tested with Gwet's AC and exact Bowker test of symmetry. Agreement of the readers was assessed by Gwet's AC. P = 0.05 was used as the cutoff for statistical significance. The synthesized PET visually resembled the acquired PET and showed significant improvement in quality metrics (+21.7% on PSNR, +22.2% on SSIM, -31.8% on RSME) compared with ASL. A total of 49.7% of the synthesized PET were considered as high-quality compared to 73.4% of the acquired PET which was statistically significant, but with distinct variability between readers. For the positive/negative lesion assessment, the synthesized PET had an accuracy of 87% but had a tendency to overcall. The proposed deep learning model has the potential of synthesizing diagnostic quality FDG PET images without the use of radiotracers. 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Dynamic measurement of magnetic characteristics of switched reluctance motor

Introduction. Switched reluctance motor (SRM) is a type of electric motor featuring nonlinear magnetic characteristics. The flux linkage or inductance profile of SRM is usually required for the purpose of high control performance, and can be normally obtained through conventional static test by using DC or AC method when the rotor is locked. Problem. However, it is not practical to use the conventional method of measurement when the specific apparatus for locking the rotor is unavailable. Besides, due to the magnetic nonlinearity of SRM, the saturation effect makes it difficult to obtain the saturated magnetic characteristics, and the conventional static AC test fails to address this problem. Novelty. In this paper, a dynamic measurement method of the magnetization curves of SRM is proposed which allows the measurement take place while the motor is running with load. Methodology. Based on the conventional static AC test, the proposed measurement handles the saturation problem successfully by introducing a DC offset in the high frequency AC voltage. Phase inductance with different rotor positions and currents can be obtained by analyzing simple equivalent circuit. Practical value. Simulation is conducted in MATLAB/Simulink environment and the results have verified that the proposed dynamic measurement can effectively obtain the magnetic characteristics of SRM.

Manufacture and performance test result of a 95 kA-class Nb-Ti cable-in-conduit conductor for the low field winding-package of CFETR-TF coil

The engineering design of the CFETR TF prototype coil and conductors has been completed. The wind-package (WP) of the coil is graded into three regions based on the magnetic field distribution for saving cost. High-Jc Nb3Sn strand, ITER-like Nb3Sn strand and Nb-Ti strand are applied for high-field, mid-field and low-field WP respectively. In order to verify the conductor design, full-size short samples have been manufactured for the three types of conductors. The samples are tested in the SULTAN facility at CRPP in Villigen, Switzerland. At present, the test of Nb-Ti conductor for low-field WP is finished, DC and AC tests were performed. In DC test, several current sharing temperature (Tcs) measurements were performed with 500 electromagnetic cycles and one thermal cycle. Additionally, minimum quench energy (MQE) measurement was performed for investigating the stability of the conductor. The test results and analysis are reported in this paper.

Damped AC Testing and Diagnosis of Wind Farm HVAC Long-Length Cable Circuits

Many new HVAC power cable installations on wind farms, both on- and offshore, have long lengths. In contrast to traditional power cable connections of a few kilometers, the failures of those systems usually result in much higher repair and unsupplied energy costs. To support the quality assurance of newly installed cable systems as well as to create a sound basis for condition-based maintenance, this paper discusses the technical challenges of the field testing of long-length power cable systems using a damped AC testing method and also discusses the best practical applications for the testing and diagnosis of these wind farm HVAC cable systems.

Spark Plasma Sintered Soft Magnetic Composite Based on Fe-Si-Al Surface Oxidized Powders.

Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) need a stable matrix to apply heat treatments for enhancing their magnetic characteristics. A stable matrix can be offered by alumina, but the densification of the ferromagnetic particles covered by this oxide (by sintering) can be very difficult. This paper proposes a feasible synthesis route for obtaining alumina matrix SMCs. An Fe-Si-Al alloy with nominal composition Fe85Si9Al6 was obtained by mechanical alloying of elemental Fe, Si, and Al powders, and further, the as-milled powders were superficially oxidized by immersion in HCl solution. The oxide layer was composed of iron, silicon, and aluminum oxides, as the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy technique revealed. The Fe-Si-Al@oxide powder was densified by the spark plasma sintering technique-SPS. Upon sintering, a continuous matrix of oxide (mainly alumina) was formed by the reaction of the Fe-Si-Al powder coreswith their oxide layer. The main part of the composite compacts after sintering consisted of an Fe3Si-ordered phase dispersed in an oxide matrix. The DC and AC tests of magnetic composite compacts showed that upon increasing the sintering temperature, the density, magnetic induction, and magnetic permeability increased. The initial magnetic permeability was constant in the entire range of testing frequencies and the magnetic losses increased linearly. The stability of the magnetic characteristics in frequency is promising for developing further such types of magnetic composite.

Demonstration of kA-Class Rutherford Cables Using MgB2 Wires for an Energy Storage Device Suitable for a Liquid Hydrogen Indirect Cooling

Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) has been a promising option amongst potential other storage devices to support world-wide demands for introducing more renewables into the utility grid. If MgB <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> strands are used for SMES, liquid hydrogen, one of the renewables, could be used not only as a clean energy source but also as a coolant for the superconducting device. For large-scale coil design, mechanically fragile multi-filament strands should be used for their low AC loss feature considering that the transport current inside the coil would be always changing. To realize such a design, we designed and fabricated the large current capacity for AC-use Rutherford cable, together with experimental tests for its feasibility assessment. Based on the latest test results and development of commercial MgB <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> strands with high mechanical strength, and this research and development of kA-class cable at liquid helium temperature for extrapolating the critical current ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">I_c</i> ) at hydrogen temperature, we believe this approach has the potential to make a practical SMES device with MJ capacity. In this paper, the world's largest-capacity AC cable design and test results including critical current evaluation under several background field strengths are shown, and the stability and current re-distribution are also discussed.

Effects Of Transdermal Sodium Bicarbonate Lotion On High-intensity Cycling Performance

Pre-exercise oral ingestion of sodium bicarbonate may lead to improved high-intensity exercise performance in trained individuals. However, this practice often causes gastrointestinal distress, which can mitigate the ergogenic benefits. An alternative method of administration involves the delivery of sodium bicarbonate through applying lotion to the surface of the skin surrounding the working muscles. However, few studies have examined the ergogenic benefits of this practice. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of pre-exercise application of a sodium bicarbonate lotion (SBL) on performance during a series of intermittent high-intensity cycling bouts compared to a placebo (PLA). METHODS: In a randomized cross-over fashion, 7 trained cyclists completed a one-hour cycling performance test on a stationary trainer using their personal road bikes on two separate occasions. This protocol consisted series of maximal 5-second (neuromuscular, NM), 5-minute (maximal aerobic, MAP), 20-minute (functional threshold, FTP), and 1-minute (anaerobic capacity, AC) efforts separated by recovery. Performance was determined by the mean power output during each effort. Thirty minutes prior, subjects applied 0.4 g/kg-bw of either SBL or PLA to the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius. Capillary samples were collected at 1-minute and 3-minutes following the MAP, FTP, and AC tests to measure blood lactate. Differences in power output and lactate responses between conditions were tested using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. RESULTS: There were no differences in power output during the any of the efforts between conditions. In the SBL condition, participants had higher blood lactate concentrations one-minute following the MAP test compared to PLA (p = 0.01, mean dif. = 4.3 mmol/L). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that pre-exercise application of SBL did not influence performance in trained cyclists. The elevated blood lactate response to the MAP effort in SBL could indicate enhanced cellular buffering and lactate clearance. Practically, this suggests that SBL could be beneficial prior to shorter time-trials or intervals performed near maximal aerobic capacity. Once the target sample of 16 cyclists have completed the study, we can provide further insight on the ergogenic effects of SBL application in this population.

Integrated Capacitive- and Resistive-Type Bimodal Relative Humidity Sensor Based on 5,10,15,20-Tetraphenylporphyrinatonickel(II) (TPPNi) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Nanocomposite.

The development of high-performance humidity sensors to cater for a plethora of applications, ranging from agriculture to intelligent medical monitoring systems, calls for the selection of a reliable and ultrasensitive sensing material. A simplistic device architecture, robust quantification of ambient relative humidity (% RH), and compatibility with the contemporary integrated circuit technology make a bimodal (capacitive and resistive) surface-type sensor to be a prominent choice for device fabrication. Herein, we have proposed and demonstrated a facile realization of a 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrinatonickel (II)–zinc oxide (TPPNi-ZnO) nanocomposite-based bimodal surface-type % RH sensor. The TPPNi macromolecule and ZnO nanoparticles have been synthesized by an eco-benign microwave-assisted technique and a thermal-budget chemical precipitation method, respectively. It is speculated from the morpohological study that specific surface area improvement, via the provision of ZnO nanoparticles on micro-pyramidal structures of TPPNi, may reinforce the sensing properties of the fabricated humidity sensor. The relative humidity sensing capacitive and resistive characteristics of the sensor have been monitored in 40–85% relative humidity (% RH) bandwidth. The fabricated sensor under the biasing conditions of 1 V of applied bias (Vrms) and 500 Hz AC test frequency exhibits a significantly higher sensitivity of 387.03 pF/% RH and 95.79 kΩ/% RH in bimodal operation. The average values of both the response and recovery times of the capacitive sensor have been estimated to be ∼30 s. It has also been debated why this high degree of sensitivity and considerable reduction in response/recovery time has been obtained. In addition, the intense and wide bandwidth spectral response of the TPPNi-ZnO nanocomposite indicates that it may also be utilized as a potential light-harvesting heterostructured nanohybrid in future studies.

A Method to Improve the Efficiency of Onsite Damped AC Test of Medium-Voltage Cables

In this letter, a simultaneous three-phase (STP) partial discharge (PD) test method for onsite damped AC test of medium-voltage cables is presented. By using the method, the onsite test efficiency improves nearly three times. A STP PD test module is implemented that is adapted to the commercial DAC test system. Onsite test was carried out on a 10 kV medium-voltage cable using the proposed test module to verify the feasibility. Benefitting from the symmetry of noises of the three phases, the test sensitivity is improved significantly. In the noise suppression experiment, the maximum background noise drops to 4.24 mV from 34.67 mV.

Influence of the Cable Accessories Installing Method on the Partial Discharge Activity in Medium Voltage Cables

This article proposes a method to modify the construction of a medium voltage (MV) heat shrinkable cable termination in cases of atypical damage to the shields of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulated cables. The proposed solutions include a modified method of assembling electric field control coating. An attempt was made to check the effect of such damage to the shields of MV cables with XLPE insulation on the level of occurrence of partial discharges within the cable termination. The investigations included testing the XRUHAKXS 1 × 240/25 cable type using the electric method (ME) and high frequency (HF) method with sinusoidal AC test voltage. As a result of the measurements, the values of total charges in the period and phase-resolved partial discharge (PRPD) patterns were obtained. The presented experimental results show the influence of the damage of the semiconducting coating surface on the occurrence of a defect in the cable termination without a modified method of control mantissa pinning. We suggest new methods of assembling MV cable accessories in the case of the presented coating damage in MV cable insulation.

DC and AC Tests of Moisture Electrical Pressboard Impregnated with Mineral Oil or Synthetic Ester—Determination of Water Status in Power Transformer Insulation

In this study, the conductivity and permittivity of electrical pressboard—insulating liquid—water composites were investigated, and the electrical properties of the composites and water were analysed comparatively. Mineral oil and synthetic ester were used as insulating liquids. It was found that the presence of water caused an increase in the permeability of the composite in the frequency range below 100 Hz. The value of static permittivity determined by water in the content of 5 wt. % was approximately 15. To obtain this value caused by liquid water, its volume should be approximately five (oil) and four times (ester) higher than its actual content, respectively. The determined values of the activation energy of the DC conductivity of the composites were several times higher than the values of the activation energy of the conductivity of the liquid water. The experimental values of the dielectric relaxation times were many orders of magnitude higher than the dielectric relaxation times of water. This means that the experimental results obtained for the dielectric permittivity, the activation energy of conductivity and the dielectric relaxation times for moisture electrical pressboard impregnated by mineral oil or synthetic ester exclude the possibility of the presence of liquid water in the composites. It was found that the conductivity of the composites increased exponentially with increasing water content. Such dependencies are characteristic of hopping conductivity, caused by the quantum phenomenon of electron tunnelling between nanometre-sized potential wells. As the increase in conductivity is determined by the presence of water in the composites, therefore, the nanometre potential wells were single-water molecules or nanodrops.

Ester-based Dielectric Fluid for Power Transformers: Design and Test Experience under the GreenEst Project

Ester-based dielectric fluids have now been on the market for several decades, providing fire-safe and environmentally friendly alternatives to mineral oils, which have traditionally been used in transformers and other electrical equipment. This opens the door to innovation in power transformers. However, the use of esters-based dielectrics in power transformers is still very limited, especially for the higher voltage levels. The usage of these esters-based dielectrics in higher voltage power transformers is not yet consensual. this work present results with the use of natural esters in power distribution transformers. Tests carried out on mineral oil and natural ester oil found that the ester-based dielectric can withstand higher voltage thresholds for AC and Impulses tests, mainly within the specs of destructive tests, e.g., the natural ester was able to withstand a 185kV impulse without registering dielectric rupture while the natural oil registered a dielectric rupture with a 160kV impulse. Heating and mechanical tests demonstrated that ester-based dielectric oils for power transformers lead to a flow reduction between 16,8% and 18,2% in the cooling system that was design for mineral oils but they achieve a higher heat transfer coefficient, between 0,5% to 5% depending on the location of measurement.

Distribution System State Estimation Using Model-Optimized Neural Networks

Maintaining reliability during power system operation relies heavily on the operator’s knowledge of the system and its current state. With the increasing complexity of power systems, full system monitoring is needed. Due to the costs to install and maintain measurement devices, a cost-effective optimal placement is normally employed, and as such, state estimation is used to complete the picture. However, in order to provide accurate state estimates in the current power system climate, the models must be fully expanded to include probabilistic uncertainties and non-linear assets. Recognizing its analogous relationship with state estimation, machine learning and its ability to summarily model unseen and complex relationships between input data is used. Thus, a power system state estimator was developed using modified long short-term (LSTM) neural networks to provide quicker and more accurate state estimates over the conventional weighted least squares-based state estimator (WLS-SE). The networks are then subject to standard polynomial scheduled weight pruning to further optimize the size and memory consumption of the neural networks. The state estimators were tested on a hybrid AC/DC distribution system composed of the IEEE 34-bus AC test system and a 9-bus DC microgrid. The conventional WLS-SE has achieved a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.0151 p.u. for voltage magnitude estimates, while the LSTM’s were able to achieve RMSE’s between 0.0019 p.u. and 0.0087 p.u., with the latter having 75% weight sparsity, estimates about ten times faster, and half of its full memory requirement occupied.