Antennas Applications and Field Measurement in Power System Distribution Networks for Electric Arcs Induced Electromagnetic Signals Waves Remote Sensing

This paper presents both, the theoretical and experimental studies of the radio antennas’ applications and field measurement feasibility and capability for the detection and location of the electric arcs Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum bands measurement. Generally, these RF-signals are referred to as electromagnetic (EM) signal frequency energy radiated intensity contents (sferic). Which can be used to monitor the power arcing faults sferic to pinpoint these arcs hazard’s locations within the power distribution networks. Bearing in mind that such fault source triangulation technique is commonly referred to as a radio measurement method. The effects of this novel system implementation function and operation are best demonstrated by the Geographical Positioning System (GPS) aspect. However, for this novel system implementation which could meet the power system fault protection scheme requirements, the design of the wireless sensors devices structures is of critical importance. In other words, the antenna apparatus together with its mode of operation and function need to be further scrutinized and clarified. Because onsite under a real field measurement condition the air-bone signals sensors such as the antenna can detect any kind of RF-signal generated by various EM sferic waves transmitters. For that reason, to preserve the integrity, reliability and feasibility of this novel proposed method, the aforesaid antenna apparatus mode of operation must be clearly specified. This way the discrimination of the power arcing EM sferic frequency spectrum band from those of other external sources could be simply achieved. Thus, preventing the failures of this novel proposed method. However, according to radio theory the antenna is associated generally with the region of transition between a guided wave and the free space waves. Hence, the antenna can be regarded as either an EM sferic wave transmitter and / or receiver. That is to say, the antenna is a device that uses an oscillating distribution to produce electromagnetic radiation. In other words, an antenna is simply an oscillating electric dipole into which a pair of electric charges appear to be varying sinusoidal manner with time such that at any instant the two charges have equal magnitude but opposite sign. Under this concept of the antenna, herein this research project a RF-signal receiver antenna device is scrutinized in detail to evaluate its ability, capability and feasibility for the monitoring of the single phase-to-ground faults associated to various types of sparks discharges also known as the power arcing faults. Through this investigation several antenna types were explored and scrutinized in detail. These include the following: (i) The loop antenna, (ii) The dish or parabolic antenna and (iii) The Yagi-Uda antenna. The particularity of these antennas kinds is that these devices consist of the commonly used onsite for the lightning events monitoring together with various man-made RF-signals measurements. However, since the power distribution system networks landscapes are quite huge and unfriendly, therefore, to minimize these landscape challenges in terms of monitoring complexities, the major radio measurement requirements (in terms of antennas’ parameters) which underline the performance of this specific wireless sensor apparatus field measurement are examined. In addition, the design of the adequate signal filtering devices which could cope with the electric arcs induced RF-signals onsite under the real field measurement environment and conditions are scrutinized as well.