Qualitrol Releases QPDM | The Next Generation Partial Discharge System

Qualitrol is proud to release the QPDM continuous online monitors for transformers. The QPDM represents the next generation of our field-proven, industry-leading UHF Partial Discharge monitoring, trending, and classification technology based on 25+ years of customer experience. It monitors PD activity on real real-time basis, predicts faults, and gives the confidence to make informed strategic decisions regarding the timely maintenance of the transformer before an unexpected outage occurs.

The new QPDM monitors will be available for full production in the coming months.

“More often than not, a transformer failure is an economic disaster. Most of the time, the economic impact comes from the wait time for a replacement. Did you know that the typical time between order, manufacturing, delivery, and replacement of a transformer can easily take longer than a year? By not actively monitoring your transformer, you could lose revenue, experience catastrophic failures, and have major safety and environmental impacts,” states Product Manager Paul Smith.

The QPDM has an outstanding built-in sensitivity of -80 dBm and wide band selections, covering 300 to 2100 MHz, which reduces the chances of missing any Partial Discharge activity.

High dynamic range of 70 dB enables better analysis of PD activity with larger amplitude variations. Real-time monitoring of Partial Discharge amplitude and discharge rate helps in correlating PD activity with Load, OLTC operations, etc.

A trend view of PD amplitude and discharge rate indicates PD Activity. Using the QPDM to monitor faults helps optimize transformer maintenance scheduling.

The QPDM monitor enclosure is IP66 rated, has built-in LED indicators, and a remote client enables safe operation in harsh environmental conditions.