FALCON: Introducing a new era of PD monitoring for MV applications

Techimp – AltaNova Group has released its brand-new FALCON PD acquisition unit especially designed for MV applications such as MV-switchgear, ring-main-units (RMU), MV-cables and motors.

Currently, permanent partial discharge monitoring is applied mostly to the costliest electrical devices such as HV-cables, GIS, power transformer and generators, as PDM systems are known to be complex and exclusive. Today, for this reason, only in rare cases where process stability or other critical parameters prevail (mostly in industries), MV assets are furnished with PDM systems.

The FALCON will radically change this perception by combining high-end technology, easy installation and high reliability with affordable cost.

Proven technology has been transferred from HV monitoring such as GIS, HV-cable, power transformer and generators to the brain of FALCON. The device incorporates Techimp’s patented and well recognized T/F-map technology for unsurpassed noise suppression as well as PD source separation and identification. The FALCON will be connected to PD sensors such as HFCTs, TEVs or coupling capacitors.

Onboard computing power and data storage allow for detailed analysis of actual and historical data through a web-browser interface making a central server obsolete. The unit can be connected to the LAN-network and reached through a web-browser from any PC/laptop anywhere inside the network.

A smart alarm configuration is considering Q-max and trending; thus, avoiding false alarms. Dry contacts for RTU / SCADA communication are available. Easy installation and commissioning through auto-setting keep installation costs low. However, in the expert-mode, the customer can establish his own settings. Any number of FALCON units can be daisy chained.