System and method for locating sparks in electrostatic precipitators

1. A system comprising:

at least one electromagnetic sensor;

a processing device operable to process data received from the at least one electromagnetic sensor, to estimate an electromagnetic field profile from the processed sensor data, the electromagnetic field profile comprising a mapping of information including a distance of the at least one sensor from a power source mapped against an electromagnetic field intensity transduced at the distance, and to determine a location of a spark within an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) using the estimated electromagnetic field profile.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor comprises a portable sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one electromagnet sensor comprises a plurality of electromagnetic sensors mounted over the ESP.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the electromagnetic sensors are mounted on a roof of a building housing the ESP.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic sensors are mounted adjacent to the ESP.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor comprises a loop antenna.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing device estimates a peak electromagnetic profile using the electromagnetic field profile, the peak electromagnetic profile comprising a mapping of a distance of the at least one sensor from the power source against a peak electromagnetic field.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the processing device determines the location of the spark using the peak electromagnetic field profile.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the peak electromagnetic field is at half the distance between the between the power source and spark.

10. A method comprising:

obtaining electromagnetic field data from above an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) from at least one electromagnetic field sensor;

processing the obtained electromagnetic field data to determine an electromagnetic field profile therefrom, the electromagnetic field profile comprising a mapping of information including a distance of the at least one electromagnetic field sensor from a power source mapped against an electromagnetic field intensity transduced at the distance, and

using the electromagnetic field profile to determine a location of a spark.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising detecting the sparks in the ESP.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein obtaining the electromagnetic field data comprises moving the at least one electromagnetic field sensor across a region above the ESP.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein obtaining the electromagnetic field data comprises moving the at least one electromagnetic field sensor adjacent the ESP.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein obtaining the electromagnetic field data comprises moving the at least one electromagnetic field sensor adjacent the ESP such that there is least electromagnetic field absorption.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein obtaining the electromagnetic field data comprises using a loop antenna.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein obtaining the electromagnetic field data comprises collecting data from a plurality of electromagnetic field sensors situated over a roof of a building housing the ESP.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising processing the electromagnetic field profile to determine a peak electromagnetic field profile, the peak electromagnetic profile comprising a mapping of a distance of the at least one sensor from the power source against a peak electromagnetic field.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein determining the location of the spark comprises using the peak electromagnetic field profile.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the peak electromagnetic field is at half the distance between the current power source and the spark.