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In this paper, the amount of SF6 decomposition gases due to the partial discharge (PD) was studied in the SF6 gas-insulated transformer. The long-term PD degradation experiment was performed while controlling the discharge magnitude using the surface discharge, and the gas generation amount was measured by using gas chromatography for SO2F2, SOF2, SO2, CO, and CF4. In addition, to investigate the relationship between the partial discharge energy and the decomposed gas generation amount, partial discharge energy was calculated by a data processing program and converted to the unit of joule per mole. With the finite element method (FEM), the electric field distribution and SF6 gas decomposition mechanism were explained for the partial discharge energy effect on the gas generation. This study helps understand the relationship between the partial discharge energy and the decomposed gas generation ratio with the experimental results and can be used for the diagnosis of PD and maintenance process for the gas-insulated transformers.

A time-domain transmission measurement technique for extracting the complex propagation constant of a cross-linked polyethylene cable is proposed. For this extraction, a pulse transmitted through the cable is measured in the time domain and analyzed in the frequency domain. The proposed technique does not use an open termination for reflection, and therefore increases the upper frequency of the bandwidth for extraction; by reducing the pulse width, it decreases the measurement error as compared with an existing time-domain reflectometry method.

This paper presents a two-port time-domain reflectometry(TDR) measurement technique for extracting the complex propagation constant of a cross-linked polyethylene(XLPE) cable. For the extraction, a short pulse transmitted through the cable is measured in the time domain and analyzed in the frequency domain. The propagation constant of a 22.9 kV XLPE cable with a conductor area of 325 is extracted up to a frequency of approximately 2.14 GHz. The measured using a network analyzer and the two-port TDR technique are compared for verification. As a result compared with previous TDR method, the upper possible frequency limit for extracting the propagation constant increases and the measurement error decreases.

Internal pressure of vacuum interrupter (VI) is one of the most important parameters in VI operation and may increase due to the outgassing from the materials inside VI or gas permeation through metal flange or ceramic vessel. The increase of the pressure above a certain level leads to the failures of switching or insulation. Therefore, an effective pressure check of VI is essential and an analysis of partial discharge (PD) characteristics is an effective monitoring method to identify the degree of the internal pressure of VI. This paper introduces a research work on monitoring the internal pressure of VI by analyzing PDs which were measured using a capacitive PD coupler. The authors have developed cost effective capacitive coupler based on the ceramic material that has an excellent insulation properties and the main component of the capacitive coupler is made by SrTiO3. Detectable internal pressure range and distinguishability of the internal pressure of VI were investigated. From the PD tests results, the internal pressure range, from 10 -2 torr to 500 torr, can be monitored by PD measurements using the capacitive coupler and PD inception voltage (PDIV) follows the Paschen's law. In addition, rise time of PD pulse at 13.2kV decreases with the increase of the internal pressure of VI.

The present study describes the considerations on the long-term reliability of the on-line partial discharge (PD) ceramic sensor for thermal power generators. Voltage acceleration aging tests were carried out under continuous and impulsive thermal aging at more than 100℃, considering the practical service environment. Experimental results show that the sensors have a life that could last for more than 100 years, excellent dielectric characteristics, and insulation strength. In addition, the ceramic on-line PD sensors were installed in a thermal power generator in Korea for demonstration. The results of the PD calibration and test voltage application prove that the on-line ceramic sensors have satisfactory performances for on-line PD measurement.

First boronization was performed in KSTAR tokamak during 2009 campaign in order to reduce oxygen impurities and to lower the power loss due to radiation. We report the results from the experiences on carborane during the first boronization in KSTAR. After the boronization, H2O and O2 level in the vacuum vessel are reduced significantly. The characteristics of the deposited thin films were analyzed by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry, XPS, and AES. ∼1.78 × 1016 cm−2 s−1 of carbon flux on the wall is estimated by using cavity technique.

First boronization in KSTAR is reported. KSTAR boronization system is based on a carborane (C2B10H12) injection system. The design, construction, and test of the system are accomplished and it is tested by using a small vacuum vessel before it is mounted to a KSTAR port. After the boronization in KSTAR, impurity levels are significantly reduced by factor of 3 (oxygen) and by 10 (carbon). Characteristics of a-C/B:H thin films deposited by carborane vapor are investigated. Re-condensation of carborane vapor during the test phase has been reported.

The partial discharge (PD) measurement is a very effective method to assess the winding insulation condition of high-voltage machines, since most of the insulation failure processes are directly or indirectly caused by PD. On-line PD measurements, which can detect insulation defects of winding in the early stages on rotating machines in operation, have been accepted as the most important technique. The epoxy mica capacitive coupler is currently and extensively used for on-line detection of PD pulses of high-voltage rotating machines. To evaluate the feasibility of developing a capacitive coupler that is easier to manufacture at a lower cost compared to epoxy mica couplers, a 100 ㎊ capacitive coupler made of ceramic material is designed, fabricated and tested for on-line PD measurements of 23 ㎸ electrical machines. A series of electrical tests and accelerated aging tests are performed on the ceramic coupler to evaluate the performance requirements, long-term reliability and thermal stability for in field application. The test results show that the newly developed ceramic coupler provides equal and improved performance at a lower cost compared to epoxy mica couplers, and estimated voltage life is anticipated to surpass 100 years.

In this paper, measurement of hydrogen gas using three kinds of gas sensors were studied for improving selectivity and quantification on hydrogen gas. Output characteristics for each sensors were analyzed to some concentrations of hydrogen gas. It was illustrated that the wide range of hydrogen gas concentrations upto 10,000[ppm] can be reliably measured from investigation of concentration ranges with high amplitudes and good resolutions. Also, the combinations of outputs from three kinds sensors were able to improve the selectivity of hydrogen gas.

The initial phase wall conditioning in KSTAR is depicted. The KSTAR wall conditioning procedure consists of vessel baking, glow discharge cleaning (GDC), ICRH wall conditioning (ICWC) and boronization (Bz). Vessel baking is performed for the initial vacuum conditioning in order to remove various kinds of impurities including H2O, carbon and oxygen and for the plasma operation. The total outgassing rates after vessel baking in three successive KSTAR campaigns are compared. GDC is regularly performed as a standard wall cleaning procedure. Another cleaning technique is ICWC, which is useful for inter-shot wall conditioning under a strong magnetic field. In order to optimize the operation time and removal efficiency of ICWC, a parameter scan is performed. Bz is a standard technique to remove oxygen impurity from a vacuum vessel. KSTAR has used carborane powder which is a non-toxic boron-containing material. The KSTAR Bz has been successfully performed through two campaigns: water and oxygen levels in the vacuum vessel are reduced significantly. As a result, KSTAR has achieved its first L–H mode transition, although the input power was marginal for the L–H transition threshold. The characteristics of boron-containing thin films deposited for boronization are investigated.