Doble Engineering, a subsidiary of ESCO Technologies, announced the introduction of the EMI Surveyor, a non-invasive surveying solution that helps generation and industrial plants optimize maintenance and improve outage planning.
Based on Doble’s decades of electromagnetic interference (EMI) testing experience, the surveyor can detect more than 70 different electrical insulation and mechanical defects in generators, motors, bus duct systems, transformers, switchgear, cable terminations and other high voltage equipment. Using this information, asset owners can reduce costs and the risk of system failures by identifying areas where maintenance is not needed.
EMI testing is performed while HV plant assets are in service, enabling more efficient outage management and preparation for inspections, maintenance and prioritization of needed repairs. With the EMI Surveyor, data collection is completely passive, and there are no permanent high-voltage connections, arc flash concerns, or interference with plant operations.
“One of the biggest market needs today is being able to conduct condition-based tests without interruption to plant operations,” said Paul Griffin, vice president of global professional services at Doble. “By packaging proven EMI testing methods into an integrated solution that can be used while the plant is up-and-running, we’re offering teams a means to extend maintenance intervals and significantly reduce the risk of failures.”
Doble’s experienced services team also provides EMI testing services for customers, with more than 10,000 tests performed to date.
“EMI testing is performed at hydroelectric plants, fossil fuel plants, steam turbine plants, refineries and petrochemical sites,” said James Timperley, senior principal engineer at Doble. “It’s very useful for maintenance personnel to plan in advance for the replacement parts they need and focus their resources during outages and turnarounds on the equipment that needs attention.”
By identifying dozens of different electrical and mechanical defects in HV electrical equipment, the EMI Surveyor provides testing teams with a broader view of potential defects, including partial discharge, corona, arcing and sparking. Doble also provides training and application support for understanding and successfully using the EMI Surveyor.
