Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/M98777/01
Title:	ESR21:INTEGRATED APPROACH TO CONDITION MONITORING AND PLANT LIFETIME MODELLING
Principal Investigator:	McDonald, Professor Sir J
Other Investigators:	McArthur, Professor S Judd, Dr MD
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	GE Harris Energy Control Scottish Power
Department:	Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Organisation:	University of Strathclyde
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	05 June 2000	Ends:	04 June 2003	Value (£):	279,687
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Power Systems Plant
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The framework for a new approach to condition monitoring of electrical plant will be created. This will link the development of plant-specific aspects, such as sensor technologies and subsystem architectures, with computational intelligence techniques geared to the expert interpretation of incoming data. Information extracted from condition monitoring data will be integrated with plant lifetime models, manufacturers' design data and previous experience to predict the implications of operational strategies on plant performance and costs. Initially, three key electrical plant types will be addressed: (i) Gas insulated substations benefit from a mature technology in UHF monitoring, for which a large database exists. (ii) Switchgear represents a major investment within the transmission network and maximisation of its service life is an important goal. This can be achieved by replacing routine maintenance with on-line performance monitoring schemes. (iii) Power transformers are a promising new application for high-frequency diagnostic techniques, which could help to prevent failure by providing an early warning of internal discharges. UHF methods for partial discharge detection in transformers will therefore be investigated. The overall aim is to create a condition monitoring infrastructure capable of dealing with data gathered by equipment monitoring these and many other types of plant.
Key Findings
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Organisation Website:	http://www.strath.ac.uk