Application of thermographic measurements in power engineering

Thermographic methods for diagnosing electrical equipment are increasingly used to detect faults at individual points in the power system. The article presents the methods and principles of thermographic measurements and provides examples of measurements performed on selected elements of the power system.One of the fundamental challenges facing the power industry is ensuring a sufficient supply of electricity, satisfactory quality, and uninterrupted delivery to the consumer. This is associated with financial losses for both the consumer and the supplier, who is subject to financial penalties for failing to fulfill signed contracts.
Currently, in the power industry, more and more attention is being paid to issues of power quality. The costs associated with power quality are increasing year by year; for example, in the USA, since 2003, approximately 45% of total investment costs in the energy sector have been allocated to this [1]. The increasing expenditures are caused by the rise in the number and power of unstable, non-linear, and sometimes asymmetrical loads. Not much less attention is paid to research and measurement methods that can quickly and accurately diagnose the electrical equipment used in the power industry. This diagnostics is carried out on individual elements forming the power system. This process starts from generation, through (…)

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