852
16, 2017
UHF Moore Fractal Antennas for Online
GIS PD Detection
Yongqiang Wang, Zhuang Wang, and Jianfang Li, Member, IEEE
AbstractA sensor for a Moore fractal antenna was designed
to detect partial discharge (PD) in gas-insulated substations. This
worked at an ultrahigh frequency. First, the multifrequency char-
acteristics of this antenna were analyzed and ANSYS HFSS was
used to simulate the Moore fractal antenna and the Hilbert fractal
antenna for comparison. The results show that the Moore fractal
antenna had good directivity and omnidirectional radiation fea-
tures. We then developed physical models for them according to
the simulation results. The two antennas were tested using a vector
network analyzer. The results show that the Moore fractal antenna
had more frequency bands than the Hilbert fractal antenna. The
PD was tested in the laboratory and detected by the Moore fractal
antenna and the Hilbert fractal antenna. A comparison of the mea-
sured results showed that the proposed antenna was promising for
online PD detection applications.
Index TermsGas-insulated switchgear (GIS), Hilbert fractal
antenna, Moore fractal antenna, partial discharges (PDs), ultra-
high frequency (UHF).
I. INTRODUCTION
N THE recent years, gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) has
I been put into general, large-scale use in many major
power stations. The statistical data in the CIGRE 23.10 work
team international report [1] show that the main reason for
GIS insulation faults is the partial discharge (PD) caused by
various internal insulation defects. The current pulse generated
by PD may have a very fast rising edge and stimulates the
electromagnetic signals in the ultrahigh frequency range (UHF,
0.33.0 GHz); thus, a UHF test method could be used for the
online detection of PD in GIS.
There are two main types of sensors for the detection of
PD in GIS: internal sensor and external sensor. The internal
sensor [2], [3] has high detection sensitivity, but it is difficult
to install for the GIS devices in service. The external sensor
has the advantages of convenient installation and detection, and
noneffect of the internal electric field. At present, there is a
series of research works on the external antenna sensor, which
mainly include planar spiral antennas sensor [4], dipole antennas
sensor [5], microstrip patch antennas sensor [6], etc. However,
considering the low central frequency of the UHF antennas for
GIS PD, researchers have to increase the size of the antennas to
Manuscript received August 19, 2016; revised September 12, 2016; accepted
September 13, 2016. Date of publication September 15, 2016; date of current
version April 10, 2017.
The authors are with the School of Electrical Engineering, North China
Electric Power University, Baoding 071000, China (e-mail: qianghd@126.com;
1376423936@qq.com; 379094088@qq.com).
Color versions of one or more of the figures in this letter are available online
at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/LAWP.2016.2609916
1536-1225 2016 IEEE. Personal use is permitted, but republication/redistribution requires IEEE permission.
See http://www.ieee.org/publications standards/publications/rights/index.html for more information.
IEEE ANTENNAS AND WIRELESS PROPAGATION LETTERS, VOL.
reduce the resonant frequency, but the larger size is not suitable
for the field detection. A fractal antenna confers the benefits
of miniaturization, multifrequency points, a broad bandwidth,
etc. [7]. The fractal shape helps us to reduce the impact of
the surrounding environment. For that reason, a Moore fractal
antenna was used here to detect the UHF signal from GIS PD.
First of all, the basic principle and performance of a Moore
fractal antenna were introduced, then the modeling simulation
was undertaken for both the Moore fractal antenna and Hilbert
fractal antenna by using ANSYS HFSS 15.0 electromagnetic
simulation software; the actual antennas were made in light of
the simulation results. Finally, two such antennas were used for
detecting the partial signal generated by the GIS needle-plate
defect model. The result proved that the Moore fractal antenna
could detect the UHF signal from GIS PD.
II. MOORE FRACTAL ANTENNA
A. Moore Fractal and Its Dimension Number
Previously, by using the frequency scaling ratio principle in
model measurements, researchers were inspired to investigate
antennas remaining in their original structural forms after trans-
formation at any scale, to find that their electrical performance
was unrelated to the frequency. Using this finding for fractal
antennas, because of the similarity and space-filling features
thereof, allowed antenna design at multiband frequencies and
subsequent miniaturization.
Currently, many researchers are focused on fractal antennas
in forms such as Koch Island, Sierpinski carpet, Hilbert, Peano,
Minkowski, etc. Little research focuses on the Moore fractal
antenna. A Moore fractal curve is a type of Hilbert curve, and
also belongs to the fractal curves that are of space-filling type;
both the Hilbert fractal curve and Moore fractal curve in two to
four orders are shown in Fig. 1.
The dimension number of the Moore fractal can be obtained
from the definition of similar fractal dimension number as
  
ln (4n 1)/ 4n 1 1
D= . (1)
ln [(2n 1)/(2n 1 1)]
From (1), it can be seen that the value range of the Moore
fractal curve dimension number is [1, 2), and with increasing
fractal order number n, the dimension number of the Moore
fractal tends to 2, the length of the curve tends to infinity, and
it rapidly fills the whole plane. From Fig. 1, it can also be seen
that the Moore fractal curve exhibits strict self-similarity and
space-filling features.
WANG et al.: UHF MOORE FRACTAL ANTENNAS FOR ONLINE GIS PD DETECTION 853

being b, then length of both the parallel transmission line and

connecting line shall be d = l/(2n 1), the pairs number of
parallel transmission lines is m = 4n 1 , the total length of
all connecting lines is then s = (22n 1 1)d, and the input
inductive reactance of the parallel transmission lines shall be a
pure inductive reactance
 
 Z0 d
Lin p = tan (2)
2
where Z0 is the characteristic impedance of a pair of paral-
lel transmission lines, Z0 = 0 log (2d/b)/, where 0 is the
impedance of free space, 0 = 0 C0 , 0 is the permeability of
Fig. 1. Second iteration, n = 2, the third iteration, n = 3, and the fourth vacuum, C0 is the speed of light in vacuo, and is the angular
iteration, n = 4, for (a) Hilbert and (b) Moore prefractal curves. frequency = 2f, = 2/.
For antennas length much less than the wavelength of the
desired frequency d < /2, that is |d/2| < /2, the first-order
Taylor formula can be used for the extension of tan(d/2), and
the total input impedance of parallel transmission line pairs is
given by
 
0 d 2d
Lin p = m log . (3)
2 b
The self-inductance of all of the connecting lines can be found
[8] to be
   
0 s 4s
Lin all = log 1 . (4)
2 b
Thus, the total electric inductance of the Moore fractal curve
over n orders is Lin = Lin p + Lin all : For the inductance of a
Fig. 2. Equivalent impedance of the fourth iteration Moore fractal antenna. half-wavelength dipole antenna, it can be expressed as
   
0 4l
B. Multiband Characteristic of a Moore Fractal Antenna Ld = log 1 . (5)
4 b
The self-similarity of the Moore fractal curve determines that When Lin Ld , then all the resonance frequencies of a
the antenna shall have multiple resonant frequencies. Being a Moore fractal antenna can be found as follows:
form of Hilbert fractal curve, the antenna electrical character-    
istics of a Moore fractal curve should have many similarities kc0 log 4kb l 1
f=        (6)
with the Hilbert fractal antenna; therefore, the Moore fractal 2 md log 2d b + s log 4s b 1
antenna, at order n, could be considered equivalent to such
a meandering-line antenna, and its resonance frequency could where k {0, R+ }.
be found through the calculation method of the resonance fre- When the feeding point of the antenna is in another posi-
quency used for meandering-line antennas. tion on the fractal curve, the Moore fractal antenna shall be the
For convenience when studying this problem, and in consider- asymmetric dipole antenna, and usually its impedance and reso-
ation of the actual fractal antenna when miniaturized, the Moore nance characteristics can be analyzed by a whole wave analysis
fractal antenna of order n can be regarded as a combination of method. The input impedance and resonance characteristics of
both the 22(n 1) Moore fractal antennas and 22n 1 1 connect- the antenna could vary upon changing the feeding point po-
ing lines: The input impedance of the 22(n 1) Moore fractal an- sition; thus, through optimal adjustment of the feeding point
tennas, plus the self-induction of intermediary connecting lines position to match the impedance of the feeding line, the input
of length (22n 1 1)d, can be regarded as equivalent to the impedance of the antenna can be set to approximately 50 . This
inductive reactance of the whole meandering-line antenna, i.e., can greatly improve the efficiency of the Moore antennas power
the Moore fractal antenna over n orders. (Fig. 2 shows the equiv- transmission. It could explain why the Moore fractal antennas
alent diagram of the Moore fractal antenna over four orders.) have a good performance in the field detection.
The following detailed analysis was made of the multifre-
quency characteristics of the Moore fractal curve over n orders. III. PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS AND TESTING OF A FRACTAL
Suppose that the feeding position of the antenna is on the ANTENNA
symmetric point of the fractal curve: During that time, the Moore To perform a performance evaluation of a microband antenna
fractal antenna is the dipole antenna, so by setting l as the overall with a fractal structure, in this letter, the microband antenna
dimension of the antenna, with the width of each connecting line model with Moore fractal in four orders was established by
854 IEEE ANTENNAS AND WIRELESS PROPAGATION LETTERS, VOL. 16, 2017

Fig. 3. Three-dimensional radiation pattern: fractal antennas, f = 1 GHz.

(a) Hilbert fractal antenna. (b) Moore fractal antenna. Fig. 4. VSWR curves: Hilbert fractal antenna.

using ANSYS HFSS 15.0 high-frequency electromagnetic sim-

ulation software, and both the Hilbert fractal antenna and Moore
fractal antenna in the same dimension and fractal order numbers
have been selected for comparative analysis; the coaxial feeding
was adopted as a feeding method, which mainly analyzed the
standing-wave ratio, direction diagram, and gain of the antenna;
and fabrication of the antenna according to the simulation model.

A. Gain and Radiation Pattern

The antennas radiation patterns could reflect the radiation Fig. 5. VSWR curves: Moore fractal antenna.
characteristics of the antennas: Generally, the antenna radiation
pattern shows the power of the electromagnetic wave radiated by
the antenna or the distribution pattern of the field intensity in all
directions. Fig. 3 shows the three-dimensional (3-D) radiation
pattern of both the Hilbert fractal antenna and Moore fractal
antenna at 1 GHz, as calculated by ANSYS HFSS.
Fig. 3 shows that the Moore fractal antenna may have good
axial radiation characteristics (in the z-direction) and can receive
an electromagnetic signal from all directions. The directionality
of a Hilbert fractal antenna may not be as good as that of the Fig. 6. Actual images of fractal antennas. (a) Hilbert fractal antenna.
Moore fractal antenna, but its maximum gain is significantly (b) Moore fractal antenna.
higher than that of the latter.
5, the antenna will have five working frequency bands spanning
B. Input Impedance and VSWR a wider range, the standing-wave characteristic was poor below
the frequency band at f < 0.64 GHz, and the antenna could not
The input impedance of antenna is its feeding load impedance
receive the signal as efficiently or as well. The Hilbert fractal an-
that can only be calculated by using the theory under particular
tenna had only three working frequency bands in a wider range,
conditions. The voltage standing-wave ratio (VSWR) reflects
and its standing-wave characteristic was not as good as that of
the matching condition between the antenna and feeding lines in
the Moore fractal antenna below the lower frequency band.
the antenna system. When the VSWR is 1, the matching effect
To print the Hilbert fractal curve and Moore fractal curve
should be optimal; in fact, the matching effect of an antenna
on an FR4 dielectric substrate, with a thickness of 2 mm, in
cannot reach such ideal conditions. In actual communication
the form of microstrip line, with a dielectric constant of 4.4,
systems, it may require VSWR < 2, for the UHF antenna used
and fabricate the electrical feed points thereto by using radio-
in GIS and situated at a shorter distance from the radiation
frequency connector type SMA-KE, both the overall dimensions
source of any electromagnetic wave: The energy of the PD
of the antennas had to be 60 mm, and the widths of the microstrip
signal received thereat may still be strong, while at VWR = 5,
lines were both 2 mm (see Fig. 6).
a UHF antenna can also detect more than 55.6% of the signal
energy. Thus in this research, it was thought that the bandwidth
detected by a fractal antenna was the working frequency IV. FIELD STUDY
bandwidth when VSWR < 5. To verify the performance of the Moore fractal antenna when
Figs. 4 and 5 show the simulated, and detected, standing-wave detecting the UHF PD signal, a test was performed using a
ratio curve diagrams for a Hilbert fractal antenna and a Moore 252-kV GIS PD experimental platform in Fig. 7. In this ex-
fractal antenna, respectively: The frequency scanning range was periment, a metallic spinal protrusion was brought into contact
300 MHz to 3 GHz. The practical detection results show that at with the high-voltage bushing to simulate PD in the needle-
frequencies of 1, 1.2, 1.43, 1.64, and 1.79 GHz, the VSWR of plate model. SF6 gas at 0.3 MPa was used to fill the GIS PD
the Moore fractal antenna was less than 2, while when VSWR < simulation platform, and a comparative test was undertaken on
WANG et al.: UHF MOORE FRACTAL ANTENNAS FOR ONLINE GIS PD DETECTION
Fig. 7. Actual image of a 252-kV GIS PD experimental platform.
Fig. 8. Wiring scheme for a 252-kV GIS PD experimental platform.
Fig. 9. PD detection results. (a) PD signal over 54.3 kV. (b) PD signal over
58.6 kV. (c) PD signal over 62.5 kV. (d) PD signal over 66.1 kV.
both the Moore fractal antenna and the Hilbert fractal antenna.
A Tektronix high-speed digital oscilloscope was used for col-
lecting the PD signal waveform. Both the Moore fractal antenna
and Hilbert fractal antenna were mounted inside the built-in,
100-mm-diameter sensor holes provided in the GIS. The wiring
scheme for this experiment is shown in Fig. 8.
A total of 60-kV GIS devices are widely applied in substa-
tion. Choosing appropriate voltages could help to verify the
performance. While the voltage increased to 54.3, 58.6, 62.5,
and 66.1 kV during the experiment, the PD signal was detected
by both antennas at the same time. Fig. 9 shows the wave shape
of a single discharge detected by the Moore fractal antenna and
the Hilbert fractal antenna.
855
From Fig. 9, it can be seen that both the fractal antennas can
detect the PD signal, with higher a signal-to-noise ratio, and both
of them have a good discriminatory power with regard to both
the PD signal and noise jamming according to the data provided
above. However, the first peak and second peak of each couplers
output are compared to the rise time and fall time of the PD pulse,
respectively. The ratio of second peak to first peak could usually
be applied to judge the rate of responses to the PD signal. The
first peaks of the PD signal detected by the Moore fractal antenna
have the higher amplitude and sharper starting edge. The ratio of
second peak to first peak is lower, which clarifies that the Moore
fractal antenna can satisfy more accurate and quicker responses
to the PD signal. Moreover, the longer decay time of PD signal
detected confirms that the Moore fractal antenna has a better
reception, which was why the standing-wave ratio characteristic
and detection sensitivity of the Hilbert fractal antenna were both
poorer than those of the Moore fractal antenna.
V. CONCLUSION
1) The calculation method used to find the resonance
frequency of a meandering line antenna was used for an-
alyzing the multiple frequency characteristics of a Moore
fractal antenna over n orders; a modeling simulation was
developed for both the Moore fractal antenna and Hilbert
fractal antenna in ANSYS HFSS 15.0 high-frequency
electromagnetic simulation software. The actual fractal
antennas were also produced in light of the results of
these simulations. The dimensions of the Moore fractal
antenna were 65 mm 65 mm 2 mm within a small
antenna volume that could satisfy antenna miniaturization
requirements for the detection of PD, in GIS, at UHFs.
2) The comparative measurements results showed that both
the Moore fractal antenna and Hilbert fractal antenna can
detect the PD signal, but the Moore fractal antenna has
a better reception and higher detection sensitivity. The
Moore fractal antenna can satisfy the requirements for
field detection and PD source positioning even better than
its counterpart antennas.
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