Apparatus and method for testing coating of an electrical conductor
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorDavid M. Prough
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for testing a coating on a conductor, such as a dielectric coating on a wire. A high voltage source is coupled to the conductor and the coating through a primary winding of a transformer. Faults in the coating will result in a change in current in the primary winding thus inducing current in a secondary winding of the transformer. Current in the secondary winding is detected by a sensor and fault data can be compiled by known data acquisition devices.
Claims20
An apparatus for testing a coating on an electrical conductor comprising:
- a test voltage source having two terminals;
- a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, said test voltage source being coupled to said primary winding, and adapted for connection to said conductor to define a circuit in which current due to voltage of said test voltage source flowing through said coating to said conductor flows through said primary winding of said transformer;
- and
- a sensor coupled to said secondary winding to detect current through said secondary winding induced by a change in current through said primary winding to indicate a breakdown in the coating of the electrical conductor.
An apparatus for testing coating on plural electrical conductors comprising:
- a power supply having a test voltage source having two terminals;
- plural detection circuits each comprising a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, said test voltage source being coupled to said primary winding and adapted for connection to said conductor to define a circuit in which current due to voltage of said test voltage source flowing through said coating to said conductor flows through said primary winding of said transformer, said detection circuit further comprising a sensor coupled to said secondary winding to detect current through said secondary winding induced by a change in current through said primary winding to indicate a breakdown in the coating of the electrical conductor;
- wherein said detection circuits are coupled to said power supply in parallel to one another.
A method for testing a coating on an electrical conductor comprising the steps of:
- providing a test voltage across the coating and the electrical conductor;
- directing current due to the test voltage through a primary winding of a transformer;
- and
- sensing a current induced in a secondary winding of the transformer due to fluctuations of the current in the primary winding caused by breakdown in the coating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.