In this paper

for the first time

an experimental proof of concept for utilising time reversal (TR) in the acoustic regime to localise partial discharge (PD) sources was presented using a single sensor. To achieve this

an experimental setup comprising a water tank

acoustic transducers for signal transmission and reception

and 2D scanners was developed. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated across various scenarios

encompassing different PD source locations and sensor placements

barriers obstructing the line of sight between the receiving sensor and PD sources

varying levels of noise

and different frequency bandwidths for the PD sources. The experimental results demonstrate a near-zero localisation error in all considered examples. The achieved resolution was approximately half of the minimum wavelength. Furthermore

the acoustic TR method exhibits remarkable precision in source localisation

even when faced with obstacles such as a multi-layered metallic cylinder and in scenarios lacking a direct line of sight between the sensor and the source. The accuracy of acoustic TR's localisation remained robust in the presence of noise

showcasing resilience at signal-to-noise ratio levels as low as −20 dB. Additionally

the performance of the acoustic TR method remained consistent across a broad frequency spectrum

spanning from 60 to 200 kHz.