Development of a System for the Online Comprehensive Condition Monitoring of Metal-Clad Switchgear

Metal-clad (MC) switchgear faces a problem of data sharing and association, which single-condition monitoring system can't achieve. Aiming at this problem, this paper designs a system that could monitor the comprehensive condition of MC switchgear. By monitoring the condition of mechanical, insulation and temperature simultaneously, this system could improve the efficiency of monitoring and reduce the cost of maintenance considerably. A modular frame with easy-to-install sensors are used in the hardware design, making the system compatible to most switchgears. In this way, the system can be customized according to actual needs, and the installation procedure would become enough flexible. In the diagnosing process, a mathematical model based on the gray prediction theory is introduced to digitize the condition information. After that, the original data is converted into definite results, which help in decision making of maintenance work.