2013 IEEE International Conference on Solid Dielectrics, Bologna, Italy, June 30 – July 4, 2013

Processing of partial discharge ultra-high frequency

signals from a true size transformer

Youchen Wang, Chaojie Zhu, Qiaohua Wang, Zhihao Wang, Yi Yin*

Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
﹡Email: yiny@sjtu.edu.cn

Abstract—Quite a few methods have been proposed to detect
partial discharge in power transformers, such as dissolved gas
analysis (DGA), pulse current method, ultrasonic wave method
and ultra-high frequency (UHF) method. UHF method, is widely
used in condition monitoring recently for the sake of its wider
spectrum and higher sensitivity. This paper presents a PD
detection experiment inside a true size transformer which was
rebuilt to install 9 UHF sensors. Four types of PD sources were
placed into in the transformer. The pattern and intensity of PD
can be changed by adjusting PD voltage and insulation distance.
Signals detected by the sensors were decomposed and
reconstructed by methods of Continuous Wavelet Transform
(CWT) and Multi-Resolution Analysis (MRA) based on different
wavelets. The time-frequency characteristic and de-noising
performance of different transforms applying to PD signals were
compared and the result shows that different transforms reflect
advantages in different respects. A new method is proposed to
extract PD signals from noises.
when frequency is between 300 MHz and 1.5 GHz, the S11
curve of the antennas is shown in Fig. 2) amounted on the
walls of the transformer and analyzed by several methods. The
sampling frequency was 2.5 GHz throughout the experiment.
II. WAVELET ANALYSIS , DE-NOISING , THRESHOLDS & A
NOVEL METHOD
A. Continuous Wavelet Transform, Discrete Wavelet
Transform & Multi-Resolution Analysis
For pattern recognition, proper, rich and significant
characteristics should be extracted from original PD signals
and be input into neural networks. Therefore a UHF signal
should be processed and analyzed by mathematical tools to get

Keywords—UHF; partial discharge; power transformer; signal

processing; Continuous Wavelet Transform; Multi-Resolution
Analysis

I. UHF METHOD, TRANSFORMERS & DISCHARGE

MODELS
Whether partial discharge occurs is a crucial indicator of a
transformer’s insulation state. Ultra-high frequency (UHF)
method, with wider spectrum and higher sensitivity, has been
widely used to detect partial discharge. UHF method was (a)suspended particle (b)surface discharge
originally taken into practical use to detect PD in gas-insulated
switchgear (GIS) and satisfying results encouraged researchers
and engineers to try the method to PD detection in power
transformer.
This paper reported an experimental investigation in a
rebuilt true size power transformer (S10-6300/110, rated power
6300/6300kVA, rated voltage 110/35/10.5kV, insulating
system LI480AC200/LI200AC95-LI75AC25, connection
mode YNd11). Four models of PD resources were designed
and immersed into the transformer, names, a loose metallic
particle in transformer oil (suspended particle), surface
contamination on an insulating support (surface discharge), a
sharp protrusion on an electrode (point to plate) and a cavity (c)point to plate (d)cavity discharge
within solid insulation (cavity discharge). Practical models of
the 4 discharge types are shown in Fig. 1. PD signals were Fig.1. Practical models of 4 discharge types
detected with 9 sensors (discone antennas, whose S11<-10 dB

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 2013 IEEE International Conference on Solid Dielectrics, Bologna, Italy, June 30 – July 4, 2013
Fig.2. S11 curve of the sensors
such exact and true characteristics. Among those mathematical
tools, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was always used to give
information in the frequency domain. However it has been
shown that FFT was such a weak tool that it provided only
information in the frequency domain [1, 2], and some crucial
details concentrated in small areas belonging to both time
domain and frequency domain were missing on fast transient
pulses. Gabor proposed a new way to operate convolution to a
certain signal and a chosen window function (Gaussian
function is the optimal choice in considering with Heisenberg
Uncertainty Principle [1, 2]) which is widely known as Short
Time Fourier Transform (STFT). A time-frequency window
obtained from STFT with its length and height constrained to
certain values which are not satisfying enough to take into
implementation. Wavelet was proposed as its time-frequency
window is automatically narrowed for detecting high frequency
phenomena with a higher time resolution, and widened for
investigating low frequency behavior with a better frequency
resolution [1, 2]. Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT), using
wavelet bases to operate convolution, was brought to experts
and engineers to catch time-frequency characteristics of signals
[1, 2]. To make it convenient for mathematical computing,
Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) with Multi-Resolution
Analysis (MRA) has been treated as a necessary part of signal
processing. Many useful statistics and characteristics can be
extracted from results of MRA which decomposes a certain
signal into several detail levels and a synthesized part. Signal
de-noising and compressing can be realized as well [1, 2].
B. De-noising & thresholds
There are different types of noises that appear in the field
[3].
• Relatively low frequency sinusoidal signal.
• Coronas from HV wires or plants in the power supply
system.
• Communication signals.
These noises can couple into the transformer from dielectric
windows, such as organic or inorganic bush sheds. A lot of
work, both simulation and engineering practice, had been done
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to reduce the noise effect. It seems now that de-noising can be
easily realized with MRA since many theories had been
proposed to set a proper threshold for each detail level of
wavelet decomposition. Among those theories, one put forward
by D. J. Donoho especially changes the style of threshold
setting with rigorous proof and intuitionistic method [4, 5].
However, in conditions whether the appearance for a certain
type of noise is unknown, it is not easy to decide which scale
(or octave) should survive and which should be attenuated or
even be eliminated.
C. Time-Frequency Characteristics & De-noising Effective
Comparing
CWT focuses on the smallest window, while MRA focuses
on details of each scale. Commonly used wavelets such as
Morlet wavelet, Meyer wavelet and Gaussian wavelet (gaus8
discussed in this paper) were compared dealing with CWT
issues, while Daubechies4 and symlets4 were compared
dealing with MRA issues under another criterion. When
dealing with MRA, decomposition levels (3, 5, 7) were also
taken into consideration to make the comparison fair since
different decomposition levels brought different results even
when the wavelet basis remained unchanged.
D. A Novel De-noising Method
CWT tells when and in which scale (certain frequency
band) does the signal occur [6, 7], but the time-domain shape
of the signal in a scale will not be told, which limits CWT’s
application. So, a tool like MRA is indispensable if the goal is
to extract pure (at least relatively pure) PD signals [4, 5, 8].
Therefore the de-noising method could work as follows:
• Combine CWT results and the original signal to
determine the scale components and occurring time of
the noises.
• Use MRA to decompose the signal and set thresholds
manually to adapt the residuals (and their FFT) to
results got from CWT.
III. RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS
A. CWT Effects Comparison
Morlet wavelet, Meyer wavelet and Gaussian wavelet
(gaus8) were used to analyze a suspended discharge with CWT
and the discharge voltage was AC 22kV. Results are shown in
Fig. 3. When Meyer wavelet was used in Fig. 3 (b), the
brightness of scale 2 (which represented energy content of
frequency between 312.5 MHz and 625 MHz because of the
2.5 GHz sampling frequency, was just in the UHF band),
during the period near 50ns (time when the sampling is
triggered), did not show an increase as significant as that in Fig.
3(a) when signal rose suddenly, nor did it show a significant
decrease when signal declined suddenly. The bright area of
scale 5 to scale 9 (frequency between 4.88 MHz and 156.25
MHz, obviously noises) and time near 65 ns of it was also
much bigger than the result shown in Fig. 3 (a) where Morlet
wavelet was used. The brightness change of scale 1 (frequency
between 625 MHz and 1.25 GHz, consisting of mobile
communication noise) was nearly as significant as that of scale
 2013 IEEE International Conference on Solid Dielectrics, Bologna, Italy, June 30 – July 4, 2013
Fig. 3. CWT results of Morlet, Meyer and Gaussian wavelet
Fig. 4. Denoise results of sym4 and db4
3, which made it more difficult to distinguish it from true
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partial discharge. The result of gaus8 shown in Fig. 3 (c)
showed no better feature than that in Fig. 3 (b), and the high
frequency resolution seemed even worse. The facts tell that
Meyer wavelet and Gaussian wavelet do not have a perfect
focusing character dealing with PD UHF signals, but Morlet
wavelet does.
The reason may be that Morlet wavelet has the smallest
effective support [-4, +4] to focus better and be similar to high
frequency parts, while effective supports of gaus8 and Meyer
wavelet are [-5, +5] and [-8, +8], respectively.
B. MRA Effects Comparison
Both Daubechies4 and symlet4 have similar results in
decomposition and de-noising of signals. However, when
dealing with point to plate discharge, sym4 performances a
little better. The de-noised signals and their spectra of a point
to plate discharge signal (the discharge voltage was 16.14 kV)
are shown in Fig. 4. The decomposition levels are both 7. It is
said the discharge consists of a type of corona in the positive
cycle and a type of surface discharge in the negative cycle.
Such a complicated discharge model has been discussed by I. J.
Kemp [9]. On the other hand, symlets family has nearly
symmetry feature which Daubechies family, known as
orthogonal bases, doesn’t possess. Maybe the complexity of
point to plate model makes it better to use a basis with a
symmetry feature to reduce the dispersion of the coefficients of
the wavelet reconstruction.
Decomposition level is always restricted to a relative lower
value in order to avoid missing of details for the reconstruction
signal. However, frequencies of the UHF signals are up to 600
MHz while mobile communication signals (like cellphones) are
near 1 GHz. Those recurrent communication noises can be
taken as detail level 1 (between 625 MHz and 1.25GHz) and
the missing of them at high level is but rather a good thing. TV
broadcasting signals are weak in the field, so these noises can
be eliminated by thresholds de-noising with no special concern,
though their frequency bands are very close to the partial
discharges’. Therefore 7 levels as mentioned before may also
be proper.
C. Implementation of the Novel De-noising Method
The novel de-noising method was used to deal with a
surface discharge signal (the discharge voltage is 6.23 kV). The
results are shown in Fig 5.
After having got the CWT of the signal shown in Fig. 5 (c),
it was found coexisting with noises consisting of maybe
coronas in scale 5 to scale 10 (whose frequencies were under
78.125 MHz) and cellphone signal in scale 1 (whose frequency
was near 1 GHz). The signal was decomposed using MRA at
level 7 with sym4 as the mother wavelet. To de-noise
effectively, the residuals shown in Fig. 5 (f) (and its spectrum
in Fig. 5 (g)) should approximate to the frequency contents
recognized before. Therefore, the threshold for each level was
respectively manually set and adjusted several times. The
signal was well de-noised in this way as shown in Fig. 5 (d)
(and its spectrum in Fig. 5 (e)). As can be seen in Fig. 5, the de-
noised signal holds information in the wanted frequency band
and leaves noises away.
 2013 IEEE International Conference on Solid Dielectrics, Bologna, Italy, June 30 – July 4, 2013

IV. CONCLUSIONS
• Morlet wavelet, with a small effective support and more
vanishing moments, was a good wavelet basis to analyze
PD signals acquired from an oil-insulating transformer.
• To decompose and de-noise the PD signal, Daubechies
family was desirable unless the defect was complicated
like a point-plain in oil defect where symlets performance
better.
• With a communication noise whose frequency was much
higher than PD UHF signals, a high decomposition level
of MRA brought no sacrifice when dealing with
reconstruction issues.
• The novel method using both CWT and MRA can help us
recognize and extract the noises in the field. It behaved
well when dealing with signals acquired from the true size
oil-insulating transformer.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors wish to express their thanks to Jiangsu Electric
Power Company Research Institute for financial support and
Jiangsu Huapeng Group for technical support.
REFERENCES

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[9] Y. Sun, B. G. Stewart, and I. J. Kemp, “Time-Frequency Analysis of RF
Partial Discharge Signals Using Wavelet Transforms,” UPEC 2004, pp.
154-159, 2004

Fig. 5. Implementation of the novel method

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