Arrester Condition

Monitor – ACM

Entering a New Era of

Surge Arrester Monitoring

© Siemens AG 2010
Energy Sector – E T HS AR
Overview - Key Aspects

Arrester Condition Monitor (ACM) – A New Era of Surge Arrester Monitoring

Basic and Advanced versions to fit perfectly to customers requirements –

upgrade always possible

Traditional parameters provided: total leakage
current, total counts

Additional features like resistive current
(from 3rd harmonic), „traffic light“ visualization,
peak values and time stamp of surges

Unique new features like: automatic trend
measurement, energy equivalent of each surge impulse

Solar powered – no dependence from batteries,
leakage current or electric field, no galvanic connection
between electronic and power system

Totally sealed by direct molded silicone – no cavities, no moisture ingress
© Siemens AG 2010
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 ACM basic

Measurement and display of total counts

Sensitivity: less than 100 A

Resolution: 2 Impulses per second

Measurement and display of total leakage current

Range: 0.1 … 15 mA

Measurement and visualization of arrester condition

Range: 0.1 … 5 mA (resistive)
Every minute

Visualization: Arrester specific – “Traffic light”
two displays Actual condition – via 3 LEDs
show data
Based on: Third Harmonic Anaylysis -
Related to resistive component

Compensation of power system harmonics and
Correction of temperature
© Siemens AG 2010
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ACM advanced

 All functions of ACM basic – plus wireless access

to additional features

1

Actual values of total and resistive leakage current

2

History of daily measurements
of total and resistive leakage current

Automatic measurement once per day

Storage capacity: > 2.000 entries
( more than 5 years)

Time of daily measurement can be configured
freely by user

Reliable and unique trend information
© Siemens AG 2010
Page 4 Energy Sector
ACM advanced

 All functions of ACM basic – plus wireless access

to additional features

3

Actual values of lifetime counts
and total absorbed energy.
4

Detailed unique history information

about all surge events:

Time stamp, <Date> <Time>

Peak value [A] and polarity

Average value [A]

Impulse width [µs]

Impulse energy equivalent [kJ]
© Siemens AG 2010
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ACM advanced

 more details:

Universal USB wireless module (3EX5 085)

allows communication between PC / Laptop
and ACM at arrester

Free software to access the data

License key – arrester specific for every
sensor

Up to 30 m distance between arrester
and laptop

© Siemens AG 2010
Page 6 Energy Sector
Solar power supply

 Facts about the solar power supply (basic and advanced)

Ensures safe operation independent from batteries, leakage

current or electric field

SchottSolar ASI® - hightech solar cells with maximum
power density

Power buffered using longlife proven UltraCapacitors

Ready for operation in less Area with restricted service times
than 24hrs after deep
discharge (delivery in box)

Widely independent from No
restrictions
seasonal daylight shift

Area with restricted service times

© Siemens AG 2010
Page 7 Energy Sector
Modes of operation
Facts about the modes of operation (basic and advanced)
Active mode

During daylight and twilight

5 … 30 minutes to
„wake up“, depending on
light intensity

All functions are active
Page 8
Sleep mode

During night

No cyclic measurement and
display to save power

Detection of every surge

Automatic trend registration
once per night

„Wake up“ and display of actual values
possible by illuminating solar cell by torch

Wireless access possible (advanced only)
© Siemens AG 2010
Energy Sector
Software – Service tool (advanced only)

Database on PC / Laptop – Mainframe

Enter ACM key data,

arrester location and
system voltages

Set time and other
parameters

Select sensor
(ACM) for wireless
connection and
data download

© Siemens AG 2010
Page 9 Energy Sector
Software – Service tool (advanced only)

Frame Measured Values – Leakage currents selection

Read the latest

leakage currents

See and evaluate
the trends since
installation

Save data to PC

© Siemens AG 2010
Page 10 Energy Sector
Software – Service tool (advanced only)

Frame Measured Values – Surge currents, peak selection

Read the total

counts and accu-
mulated lifetime
energy

See and evaluate
surge history data
since installation

Save data to PC

Select average, impulse width or energy per impulse respectively.© Siemens AG 2010
Page 11 Energy Sector
Monitoring recommendations

How to read arrester monitoring data and draw conclusions ?

Leakage current information

Total leakage current give only rough idea about status, maybe influenced by
outer conditions.  Limited significance

Resistive current (from 3rd harmonic analysis) is better, but needs harmonic
compensation (of network harmonics) and temperature correction.
 Significant information has to
be drawn from long term trend
monitoring from first day of
installation on!

© Siemens AG 2010
Page 12 Energy Sector
Monitoring recommendations

How to read arrester monitoring data and draw conclusions ?

„Traffic light“ information (II)

Resistive leakage current (from 3rd harmonic analysis) is compensated and
corrected and compared to arrester specific warning levels.

Yellow or red warnings shall be crosschecked:

to eliminate any influence from any temporary or intentional overvoltages.

with neighboring phases.

Actions 

© Siemens AG 2010
Page 13 Energy Sector
 Monitoring recommendations
Long duration current impulse

How to read arrester monitoring data and 25 MW

Long duration current impulse
1200 A
20 kV
draw conclusions ? Voltage
Current80 kJ
1000 A
20 MW
15 kV
Surge information 1.1 kA 800 A
60 kJ

15 MW
75.9 kJ

600 A

Energy
10 kV
Total counts (> 100 A) do not reveal the
3.2 ms 40 kJ

Power
400 A
source of an impulse. Lightning, switching 10 MW
5 kV
200 A
and long duration impulses are quite 5 MW
Voltage
Current
Power
Energy
20 kJ

0 kV 0A
different in their energy intake.
0 MW 0 kJ
 Limited significance 0 ms 1 ms 2 ms
Time
3 ms 4 ms 5 ms

0 ms 1 ms 2 ms 3 ms 4 ms 5 ms

Peak values have a higher significance Time

in connection with the characterization according to impulse type (impulse width).

Energy per impulse is the most sophisticated way to get information about
surge activities. It is the best relation to the real duty of an arrester.
 Although there is no “maximum lifetime energy absorption” of an
arrester, the total energy is today's most useful input for asset management
when equipment has to be evaluated or prioritized for exchange programs.
© Siemens AG 2010
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Station communication

ISCM – Integrated Substation Condition Monitoring

Strong trend to interconnected substation equipment

ACM advanced sensor is prepared to be integrated in
future substation communication systems (IEC 61850)
Surge Arresters

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© Siemens AG 2010
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 Thanks you for your attention

© Siemens AG 2010
Page 16 Energy Sector