METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE INSULATING ABILITY OF AN INSULATION ON AN ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for touch-free testing of the insulating ability of an electric insulation on an electric conductor, where the testing item (8), the conductor, continuously is moved between a system of testing electrodes (2, 4), where the electric current path to the surface of the testing item is established by means of ionized atmospheric air, ion cloud or corona, between the testing electrodes (2, 4), made by a high frequenced high voltage generator (14) with low effect, where the testing item (8) is moved through the center of the electrode system (2, 4), that defects in the insulation are determined by means of a DC voltage e stablished in an electric serial connection with the ion cloud, so that insulation defects in the testing item (8) will cause an electric current through the electric charge carrier in the form of ions, and that the electric current is registered by a current measuring circuit (18).

Description: Method and apparatus for testing the insulating ability of an insulation on an electric conductor The present invention relates to a method for testing of the insulating ability and of an insulation on an electric conductor, such as an enameled wire or a cable, and of the type described in the introductory part of claim 1. From US-A-3 413 541 an apparatus is known, where the difference of voltage for the testing is established between the electric conductor and a mechanical arrangement with rolls; and from US-A-2 488 578 it is furthermore known to use hanging chains to form connection to the conductor, which insulation has to be tested. Furthermore it is known to transfer the testing voltage to the conductor by means of metal balls or the like, through which the conductor is moved. These methods have in common that an insulation defect on the conductor, for instance in the form of a crack or a hole, will be registered as a voltage flashover. The voltage has to be chosen so that it does not exceed the puncture voltage of the insulating material, but is bigger than the puncture voltage in atmospheric air at the same distance as the thickness of the insulating material. It is furthermore known to use a contact wheel, where the wire to be insulation tested extends in an angular notch along the periphery of the wheel. That is that puncture may only occur where the sides of the notch touch the wire. An arrangement, where the wheel is substituted by a conducting media, such as salt water or mercury, which is known from the description to Danish patent application No. 2281/88, does not have this defect; but will pollute the wire to an unacceptable degree, which requires a subsequent cleaning process. The liquid may be substituted by a metal powder or by metal balls. This will not cause pollution of the surface of the wire; but the surface of the wire may be damaged by grinding. From WO 90/05311 it is also known to over-fasten a high A.C. voltage on the testing voltage, whereby a puncture may be obtained where the insulation layer is defective. This requires that the over-fastened voltage is adapted to a voltage between the puncture strength for air, or in this case an easy ionizing gaz, Argon, and for the measured insulating material. However, it only concerns ionizing if a defect in the insulation occurs. From DD-A-209 913 it is known, that the conducting media also may be replaced by a sufficient quantity of electric charge carriers, ions, which over a suitable axial distance is adapted to surround the wire. A such electric conducting cloud may be a plasma cloud, or ionized gaz. A plasma cloud generated by a lighted electric arc is capable of carrying an electric current, by ionizing of for instance noble gaz between the electrodes. An electric arc is aggressive, both towards the electrode materials, the insulating materials and in this connection the item tested, by virtue of the very high temperature to maintain the arc, and thereby the ionizing. This results in unfavourable properties in the form of sporadic damage of the item and the insulating material and poor validity of the electrodes. From US-A-4 151 461 it is known, that the ionizing also may be obtained by continuously discharging of sparks; but to secure continouos ionizing it requires big effect, 150 - 800 VA by 100 - 600 Hz, and it therefore causes that the electrodes are quickly worn down. From US-A-3 263 165 it is furthermore known, that the ionizing of atmospheric air also may be provided by means of a radioactive isotope, which may establish a current through the atmospheric air. Due to environmental reasons this is inexpedient, and requires intensive maintenance. From EP-A-0 264 482 it is known to use laserbeams to generate the charge carriers, and from EP-A-0 367 379 it is furthermore known, that electro emitting materials, such as chemical compounds of barium or calcium may emit electrons - but only by heating to high temperatures. The six last-mentioned methods have the important advantage, that the insulating material and the wire are not touched mechanical, why there are neither wear nor tear or physical damage of the surface of the insulation. No unintended form of hardening of the metal core of the item is occuring, which normally may happen by mechanical bending around rolls or the like. A such hardening is very unfavourable for by way of example copper wire for spools in electric machines etc. The invention has for its purpose to provide a method for testing the insulating ability of the insulation on an electric conductor and of the introductory mentioned type, by means of which method it in a careful, touch-free manner by means of simple provisions becomes possible currently - on-line - to establish a sufficient quantity of electric charge carriers in the form of an ion cloud or corona to test quickly and effectively, whether the electric conductor is completely covered by a sufficient layer of insulating material, and thereby is capable to insulate for electric voltage. The method according to the invention is distinctive in that the testing item is moved through the center of the electrode system, that defects in the insulation are determined by means of a D.C. voltage established in an electric serial connection with the ion cloud, so that insulation defects in the testing item will cause an electric current through the electric charge carrier in the form of ions, and that the electric current is registered by a current measuring circuit. In a careful, touch-free manner and by means of simple provisions it hereby becomes possible currently - on-line - to establish a sufficient quantity of electric charge carriers in the form of an ion cloud or corona to test quickly and effectively, whether the electric conductor is completely covered by a sufficient layer of insulating material, and thereby is capable to insulate for electric voltage. It should be underlined that - in order to avoid damaging heat influence of the test item - there is made use of a high-frequenced high voltage with low effect to establish a permanent corona between the testing electrodes. The invention furthermore relates to an apparatus for use by the method according to the invention, which apparatus comprises a system of testing electrodes being such pro- vided that they together form a central passage for a testing item, an electric conductor, so that the testing item may be moved continuously through the passage, a high- frequenced high voltage generator with low effect, being adapted to ionize the atmospheric air in said passage and form a permanent ion cloud or corona, a measuring voltage generator and a current measuring circuit, and is distinctive in that said measuring voltage generator is adapted to form a current path through the ion cloud or the corona to the surface of the testing item, if insulation defects may occur, as the current measuring circuit also is connected with the electric conductor of the testing item. Appropriately the apparatus according to the invention is such provided that the testing electrode system is provided as two sets of electrodes being alternate placed in a circle around said passage for the testing item in such a manner, that the electrodes mutual are equally distributed along the circle that is by way of example mutually displaced 45°. The apparatus according to the invention is furthermore such provided that one set of the electrodes is insulated from said other set of electrodes in such a manner that a permanent ion cloud or corona is formed because of the capacitive current generated by the voltage from the high voltage generator. In an advantageously manner the insulating material between said set of electrodes is of such type (shape and material), that the ionizing do not cause puncture, sparks, but continuous discharges in the form of a permanent ion clud or corona. In order to optimize the effect of the preferably permanent ion cloud or corona said electrodes are such provided that only between the respective circuits a common current path is formed through the ionized atmospheric air in the form of an ion cloud or corona, that means so that the current from the measuring voltage generator may pass the ion cloud or the corona via a hole in the insulation of the testing item and further through the metal conductor of the testing item connected with the current measuring circuit. Appropriately the apparatus according to the invention is such provided that one set of electrodes consists of a metal coating on the inner side of a piece of pipe made from glass or ceramics, which piece of pipe is placed parallel with said passage for the testing item; while the other set of electrodes consists of electrode staffs being placed perpendicular to said passage and between first-mentioned set of electrodes. The invention is explained in more detail in the following with reference to the drawing, in which: - Fig. 1 shows a schematic sectional view seen from the side with coupling diagram for an embodiment for an apparatus to be used by the method according to the invention, and Fig. 2 shows a perspective socalled exploded view of an embodiment for an arrangement of the sets of electrodes by an apparatus according to the invention. Cf. the coupling diagram shown in Fig. 1 the apparatus comprises a set of electrodes 2 and a set of electrodes 4 each consisting of four electrodes arranged in a circle around a central passage 6 for a testing item 8, for instance an insulating electric conductor, which insulation coating is continuously tested, while the conductor is moved through the passage with suitable speed. The set of electrodes 2 consists of four thin cylindric electrode staffs being placed perpendicular to the testing item 8 in the passage 6 and being mutual displaced 90° along said circle, that means that an end part of the electrode staffs is placed close to the central passage 6 of the testing item 8. The set of electrodes 4 consists of area defined metal coatings 10 on the inside of tube pieces 12 made from glass or cheramics, as the insulating material around the set of electrodes 4 shall have sufficient good electric and mechanic abilities, as exactly glass or cheramic. In other words Figs. 1 and 2 show two sets of electrodes with each four electrodes being mutually displaced 45°. As it furthermore appears from Fig. 1 there is by means of a high voltage A.C. generator 14 impressed a high frequenced high voltage - frequency and effect is dependent on the electric abilities of the material in question; but typically it will be about 60 - 100 KHz and 3 - 25 VA. By means of a measuring voltage generator 16 a measuring voltage is impressed, and by means of a current measuring circuit 18 fault currents caused by holes in the insulation of the testing item 8 are detected, which testing item - as shown in Fig. 2 - similar to the measuring circuit is frame connected to the apparatus. The measuring signal may be measured between the wires 20 and 22. In other words the object of the invention is to utilize the ionizing, which occur by way of example in atmospheric air just before the electric field intensity in the air is high enough to make a puncture happen. More popular this ionizing is described as corona. To maintain the continuous cloud of ions without a puncture occurs, the electrodes 2 and 4 are separated by an insulating material, the tubes 12. The ionizing occurs continuously by means of a high A.C. voltage with high frequency from the A.C. generator 14, why the current of the corona is capacitive with the insulating material 12 as dielectric. As current and voltage are phase displaced 90° with capacitive load, the heat arisen mainly is caused only by the dielectric loss in the insulating material 12 of the system. For the same reason the effect consumption is low, about 5 VA for the outlined system of electrodes. The system of electrodes is in the embodiment described circular oriented around the testing item 8, and the embodiment secures that the ionizing of the air is sufficient around the whole diameter of the item. Alternatively the system of electrodes may be carried out with the electrodes in line, whereby a plate placed on the insulation, or a foil over a metal roller may be tested. The function of the apparatus is such that the testing item continuously is moved through the central passage 6 of the system of electrodes, and that an insulation fault will cause that an electric current may run assisted of electric charge carriers in the form of ions. This is due to the fact that the atmospheric air within the set of electrodes 2 and 4 is made electric conducting in the form of ionizing by means of an electric field intensity causing discharges with high frequency in the form of corona. The embodiment of the electrodes insures that the ionized atmospheric air contain a sufficient quantity of ions in the center of the system of electrodes so that a detectable increase of current from the measuring voltage generator 16 may be registered by the the current measuring circuit 18, if the insulation of the item is defective. The embodiment insures that there is two circuits, which alone have common current path in the ionized atmospheric air, corona. Thereby only the current from the measuring voltage generator 16 will be able to run through the corona, via a hole in the insulation, and further through the conductor of the item, which is connected to the current measuring circuit 18 via the frame connection to the apparatus. If there is no holes in the insulation of the testing item a current path to the metal core of the item cannot be established because of the insulating material.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method for touch-free testing of the insulating ability of an electric insulation on an electric conductor, where the testing item (8), the conductor, continuously is moved between a system of testing electrodes (2, 4), where the electric current path to the surface of the testing item is established by means of ionized atmospheric air, ion cloud 5 or corona, between the testing electrodes (2, 4) established by a high frequenced high voltage generator (14) with low effect, characterized in that the testing item (8) is moved through the center of the electrode system (2, 4), that defects in the insulation are determined by means of a D.C. voltage established in an electric serial connection with the ion cloud, so that insulation defects in the testing item (8) will 10 cause an electric current through the electric charge carrier in the form of ions, and that the electric current is registered by a current measuring circuit (18). 2. An apparatus for touch-free testing of the insulation ability of an electric insulation on an electric conductor (8), which apparatus comprises a system of testing electrodes 15 (2, 4) being such provided that they together form a central passage (6) for a testing item (8), an electric conductor, so that the testing item (8) may be moved continuously through the passage (6), a high-frequenced high voltage generator (14) with low effect, being adapted to ionize the atmospheric air in said passage (6) and form a permanent ion cloud or corona, a measuring voltage generator (16) and a current measuring circuit 20(18), characterized in that said measuring voltage generator (16) is adapted to form a current path through the ion cloud or the corona to the surface of the testing item, if insulation defects occur, as the current measuring circuit (18) also is connected with the electric conductor of the testing item. 253. An apparatus according to claim 2, c h a ra ct e riz e d in that the testing electrode system is provided as two sets of electrodes (2, 4) being placed in a circle around said passage (6) for the testing item (8) in such a manner, that the electrodes mutual are equally distributed along the circle that is by way of example mutually displaced 45°. 30 4. An apparatus according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that one set of electrodes (2) is insulated from said other set of electrodes (4) in such a manner that a permanent ion cloud or corona is formed because of the capacitive current generated by the voltage from the high voltage generator (14). 5 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, ch ara cterized in that the insulating material between said set of electrodes (2, 4) is of such type (shape and material), that the ionizing do not cause puncture, sparks, but continuous discharges in the form of a permanent ion clud or corona. 6. An apparams according to claims 2-5, characterized in that said electrodes are such provided that only between the respective circuits a common current path is formed through the ionized atmospheric air in the form of an ion cloud or corona, that means so that the current from the measuring voltage generator (16) may pass the ion cloud or the corona via a hole in the insulation of the testing item and further through the metal conductor of the testing item connected with the current measuring circuit (18). 7. An apparams according to claims 2-6, characterized in that one set of electrodes (4) consists of a metal coating (10) on the inner side of a piece of pipe (12) made from glass or ceramics, which piece of pipe (12) is placed parallel with said passage (6) for the testing item (8); while the other set of electrodes (2) consists of electrode staffs being placed perpendicular to said passage (6) and between first- mentioned set of electrodes (4).

Inventors: JOERGENSEN PETER, OLESEN JOERGEN, JOERGENSEN, PETER, OLESEN, JOERGEN
Applicants: DANSK SYSTEM ELEKTRONIK A S, JOERGENSEN PETER, OLESEN JOERGEN, DANSK SYSTEM ELEKTRONIK A/S, JOERGENSEN, PETER, OLESEN, JOERGEN
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G01R31
IPC codes: G01R31