Tracking trends in the chemical composition of systems using chromatic mapping

The application of chromatic methodology has been extended to provide a means of tracking trends in the chemical composition of three different systems. The first system is a high voltage oil filled transformer where unwanted discharge activity may lead to the formation of a range of decomposition products. The second is a waste reduction facility which involves the production of methane. The third examines the recombination of SF₆ gas which is used as an electrical arc quenching medium for fault current interruption on electrical distribution and transmission systems. The chemical composition for the first application is obtained from residual gas analysis and for the second and third applications from mass spectrometers. The results show that for all these cases the chromatic algorithms permits the tracking of trends in the chemical composition and direct interpretation of these chromatic parameters, enabling rapid assessment of the status of the system without being overwhelmed by incumbent data.