Modern diagnostics equipment of substations and cable lines is in the service of specialists of Smolenskenergo

Within the investment program IDGC of Centre — Smolenskenergo division received eight electrical laboratories in excess of 46 million rubles for the diagnostics of electrical equipment of substations and locating faults in cable lines.

The cars, which the laboratories are mounted on, have good cross-country ability, which allows for diagnostics of hard-to-reach facilities.

Electrotechnical Laboratories (ETL), based on GAZ 33081 and GAZ 27057, are designed to: test transformer and distribution substations of 35-110 kV; measure the dielectric loss tangent and capacitance of the direct and inverse schemes; measure current and no-load losses at undervoltage, short-circuit impedance, ratio of transformation and connection groups of windings, etc.

Lab ELA 10-3, based on GAZ 27057 and GAZ 33081, is equipped for routine preventive testing of cable lines, finding fault location using reflectometry, no burning down techniques, burning down and gentle burning down methods “ART-burning down”.

The acquired combined laboratories ELA 10T-3 and 10T-1 based on GAZ 33081 can simultaneously determine the fault location of paper-oil insulated cable lines of 0.4 — 10 kV and test distribution and transformer substations of 35-110 kV. In this setting, it is possible to connecting the ETL to lines 1 and 3 of the facility under work. Specialists of the branch mention that all equipment used on board the ETL is not oil-filled. The control panel has an emergency push button that allows to automatically shut down and proper ground the measuring system and the cable being tested.

All high voltage sources in the system are controlled by the excess of the permissible level of voltage: when the level reaches 110% of nominal it is automatically disconnected. The system is powered through a distribution transformer, and the 220V mains control provides a system stop in the case of too much voltage deviation. It is also possible to lock the system with an external safety device with a lamp indicator and a lock switch.

In 2013, under the investment program it is planned to purchase a modern laboratory, which will perform tests and fault location of cable lines with XLPE insulation.