Partial Discharge Measurement Bootcamp – Event Report
Overview
On Thursday, October 30, 2025, ElectroMentors successfully hosted its first in-person Partial Discharge (PD) Measurement Bootcamp at Manitoba Hydro’s High Voltage Test Facility (HVTF). This event marked an important milestone for ElectroMentors, representing the organization’s first fully in-person technical bootcamp. The program brought together professionals from utilities, equipment manufacturers, and the engineering community for an intensive, hands-on learning experience focused on partial discharge diagnostics and asset reliability in modern power grids.
Objectives
The primary objective of the bootcamp was to provide participants with a practical and in-depth understanding of partial discharge measurement and diagnostics. The program was designed to bridge theory and practice by demonstrating real-world testing methods through live experiments conducted in a high-voltage laboratory environment.
In addition, the bootcamp aimed to facilitate knowledge exchange around asset condition assessment and long-term reliability of both modern and aging grid infrastructure, while also fostering meaningful professional networking among utilities, manufacturers, researchers, and practicing engineers.
Program Highlights
A key highlight of the bootcamp was the hands-on demonstrations conducted at Manitoba Hydro’s HVTF, where participants were able to directly observe partial discharge phenomena under controlled high-voltage conditions. These demonstrations were complemented by technical deep dives into PD diagnostic techniques, interpretation of measurement results, and discussions on how PD data informs insulation health assessment and asset management decisions.
Throughout the day, interactive discussions encouraged participants to share experiences, discuss best practices, and explore common challenges and emerging trends in high-voltage testing and diagnostics.
Speakers and Contributors
ElectroMentors extends its sincere appreciation to Prof. Behzad Kordi of the University of Manitoba for his technical leadership and expert instruction throughout the program, and to Valeria Blaze of Manitoba Hydro’s High Voltage Test Facility for her invaluable on-site expertise and support.
The combination of academic insight and industry experience provided by the speakers was instrumental in delivering a highly effective, engaging, and practice-oriented learning experience.
Outcomes and Impact
The bootcamp was very well received by participants and successfully achieved its learning and engagement objectives. Attendees gained a stronger practical understanding of partial discharge measurement techniques and benefited from direct exposure to high-voltage testing environments and procedures that are rarely accessible in conventional training settings.
The event also enabled meaningful networking and knowledge exchange among professionals across the power and energy sector. Overall, this bootcamp reinforced ElectroMentors’ commitment to delivering high-quality, application-driven technical training that effectively bridges theoretical concepts with real-world practice.
ElectroMentors also extends its sincere thanks to Manitoba Hydro and the High Voltage Test Facility team for generously hosting the bootcamp and providing access to their world-class testing infrastructure, which was essential to the success of this hands-on training event.