Are you responsible for maintaining medium and high voltage systems?

Infrared Thermography can help you identify four electrical failure modes: 

• High resistance connections
• Electrical load related issues
• Insulation breakdown
• Inductive heating 

However, Ultrasound is better at detecting the following high-voltage electrical failure modes: 

• Arcing
• Tracking
• Corona discharge

Each of the above three modes has a distinct acoustic signature that can only be detected by standard ultrasonic equipment or acoustic imagers – unless the failure has progressed to a point where it can actually be heard by the human ear! 

Corona discharge is caused by the ionization of the air around a high voltage conductor, resulting in current leakage and the production of nitric acid (HNO3) that can degrade metals and insulting materials.  Corona can also create a path for electrical tracking, causing an electrical breakdown on the surface of insulating material and a low current pathway to ground across an insulator. 

Contact Snell to discuss how an Ultrasound inspection might benefit you.