Fault Analysis in Electromechanical Relays’s Switching Using Fiber Bragg Grating

Switching devices are used in power systems at different voltage levels, and it is necessary to monitor these artifacts to ensure their safe operational conditions. This paper presents a method of instrumentation and analysis of switching electrical devices under different operational conditions. The instrumentation is performed using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor, taking advantage of its capability of dynamic strain sensing to analyze the switching device. The experimental setup relied on a 12 V DC relay that was instrumented using an FBG sensor. The device was subjected to two simulated failure conditions: the inner contact blockage and a simulation of gradual spring wear-off. The usage of Support Vector Machine (SVM) as a method of recognizing the degradation pattern of mechanisms and contacts was also proposed. The method of evaluation with SVM Gaussian Kernel functions indicates a 3.5 % error rate. The results of the pattern recognition method presented in this paper indicate the possibility of usage in devices with industrial applications.