Integration of a novel sensor design within a power component

Sensors can be included in power grid components that traditionally only performed some other, non-sensing, function: examples of these components are cable joints, outdoor insulators, circuit-breakers and transformers. One purpose would be to make an measurement of some property of the network (e.g. a voltage), avoiding the space and expense of a separate unit. Another would be to make a measurement of some property of the component, for condition monitoring purposes: for example, pulses in the electric or magnetic fields, caused by partial discharges (PD), or chemicals released by aging phenomena.

Of particular interest is the use of sensors that do not require an external power source and that somehow produce or modulate an optical signal on an optical fibre: this avoids dangers of galvanic connections near to high-voltage conductors, and makes the signal robust against the electromagnetic fields of the harsh electrical environment in which power components operate.

The interests of the prospective student and the academic and industrial partners will determine the type of sensor and component to study. Several separate MSc projects are therefore possible under this broad initial title.