A partial discharge detection system based on improved STMS fiber UV sensor

The occurrence of partial discharge in high-voltage transmission equipment can lead to insulation breakdown, emphasizing the critical need for early fault detection. Traditional sensors are highly vulnerable to electromagnetic interference, which significantly impacts the accuracy and reliability of the obtained results. This paper presents an all-fiber ultraviolet (UV) sensor based on the STMS structure coated with zinc oxide (ZnO) composite graphene, realizing partial discharge detection based on optical theory. Firstly, using first principles calculation method, we conducted a comparative study on the ultraviolet-sensitive materials ZnO and ZnO composite graphene. The results demonstrate that the composite material exhibits optical response characteristics that are more suitable for partial discharge detection. Subsequently, sensitive materials with different surface morphology were prepared by hydrothermal method. These materials were uniformly coated on the waist cone region of the STMS optical fiber sensing unit using surface functionalization techniques. The UV test results showed that the flower-shaped ZnO composite graphene coated STMS optical fiber sensing has a higher sensitivity of 857.41 pm/nW cm-2, reaching 1.62 times that of rod-shaped sensitive materials. Finally, the test results of the partial discharge environment indicated that the sensor showed a good linear response when the partial discharge voltage was above 21.55 kV. The UV optical fiber sensor demonstrates promising potential for applications in the field of partial discharge detection.