One of the activities of the our laboratory is diagnostics of the condition of overhead power lines. The most common and at the same time difficult problem in the operation of overhead power lines is disconnection due to electrical breakdown of insulators. The breakdown of an insulator does not always lead to its destruction or noticeable changes in its appearance, and then finding a faulty insulator is a very laborious task that takes a lot of time and resources.

Defects of insulators develop for a rather long time and from the appearance of the first signs (increase in the frequency and power of partial discharges) to electrical breakdown and destruction, months or even years can pass. Inspection using the Ultraprobe 2000 ultrasonic inspection system manufactured by UE Systems, Inc. allows identifying a defect at the initial stage. During testing, the device amplifies and converts an acoustic signal of the ultrasonic range, accompanying partial discharges, into an audio signal perceived by the operator.

The main advantages of the acoustic control of power transmission lines are efficiency, reliability and the absence of the need to turn off the equipment for testing.