Comparative Measurement Accuracy Analysis of an Optical Medium Voltage Transducer Pre- and Post-Lightning Impulse...

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Optical Sensing Technologies
• High Voltage Engineering

Background:

• Accurate voltage monitoring is critical for high voltage (HV) power grids.
• Existing voltage sensors face challenges in harsh electrical environments.
• Novel sensing solutions are needed for reliable HV network operation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance and robustness of a novel optical voltage transducer (MVT) module.
• To assess the impact of lightning impulse withstand tests on MVT module accuracy.
• To validate the MVT module for use in 132-kV high voltage networks.

Main Methods:

• The MVT module integrates piezoelectric transducer (PZT) and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technologies.
• It functions as a voltage-to-strain-to-wavelength converter for precise voltage measurement.
• Lightning impulse withstand tests were conducted according to IEC 60044-7 and IEC 60060-1 standards.

Main Results:

• The MVT module successfully withstood lightning impulse tests without failure.
• Post-test accuracy remained within original specifications: ±0.1% amplitude and ±0.1° phase error at 80-120% rated voltage.
• Accuracy at 2% rated voltage was below ±4% amplitude and ±2° phase error.

Conclusions:

• The MVT module demonstrates excellent resilience to high-voltage transient events.
• The combined PZT-FBG optical sensing approach is suitable for robust voltage monitoring in HV networks.
• The MVT module meets stringent performance requirements for 132-kV applications.