At Camlin we’re engineering better futures. We want tomorrow to be better than today. For our customers. For their customers. For our own people. And for the wider world around us.
At Camlin we’re engineering better futures. We want tomorrow to be better than today. For our customers. For their customers. For our own people. And for the wider world around us.
Transformers are subjected to through-fault currents (TFC) during their working life, and although through-faults are external events, they do pose serious challenges to the transformer’s overall health and performance. Through-faults can induce mechanical stresses on the windings with cumulative effects, potentially having long-term or critical impacts on the transformer’s integrity and reliability.
Online monitoring of the transformer provides operators with key data insights and real–time visibility of their assets condition. The integration of TFC monitoring enhances capabilities by enabling operators to identify events external to the transformer, which have an impact on the internal integrity. Correlating TFC information with other key parameters such as DGA and PD strengthens diagnosis, enabling operators to make confident and timely decisions.
This proactive approach not only enhances fault diagnosis but also improves asset reliability and operational efficiency. Let’s explore the key benefits of monitoring through-fault currents.
The key benefits to monitoring through-fault currents
Early Fault Detection TFC monitoring allows operators to discover and accurately locate faults in the network. The availability of remote access to the data – enhances safety whilst saving time and reducing costs. The earlier TFC events can be identified, the sooner remedial action can be implemented to protect the transformer's long-term health and reliability.
Protection for Wider Energy Assets Monitoring through faults helps protect not only transformers, but the wider energy network by identifying and mitigating excessive fault stresses before they lead to failures. The integration of monitoring alongside additional protection like trigger protective devices, can minimize fault impact, reduce stress on transformers, and enhance overall system resilience.
Minimized Downtime Operators can significantly reduce transformer downtime by monitoring through faults. With visibility of fault activity across a fleet of assets operators can understand the overall condition of assets. Operators can then implement targeted condition-based and predictive maintenance strategies maximizing resources efficiencies, reducing O&M costs ensuring a more reliable and resilient grid.
Maximizing Asset Lifespan Transformers are vastly expensive to replace, and due to supply chain issues, current lead times can be anywhere between two to five years. Therefore, it is critically important to create an in-depth maintenance plan across the lifespan of a transformer to reduce the risk of premature aging and maximize the working life of transformers, whilst deferring significant costly capital expenses (CAPEX) in replacement, creating long-term financial savings.
Conclusion
Enhancing transformer monitoring capabilities to include TFC allows operators to analyze the overall health of their transformer fleet and create an in-depth condition-based, maintenance plan.
TFC monitoring enables important early fault detection, that improves safety whilst reducing costs and minimizing stress on transformers. It also supports minimizing downtime through predictive maintenance and optimizing O&M expenditure. This all works together to extend the lifespan of the transformer, preventing premature aging and costly replacements.
Camlin Energy’s TOTUS transformer monitor provides operators with comprehensive monitoring, consolidating critical data from the areas most exposed to risk. This holistic view empowers operators to assess assets health, plan targeted maintenance, helping to maximize operational efficiencies, minimize costs and extend asset life.
If you are interested in finding out more about monitoring through-fault currents in your transformer, download our whitepaper below or get in touch.
Through-Fault Current Monitoring to Plan Proper Maintenance
A leading cause of power transformer failures in the transmission grid has been linked to unpredictable external events, such as over-voltages, lightning strikes, and through fault currents. Through faults are believed to indirectly lead to winding displacement in autotransformers and electrical failures in transformers connecting HV and MV grids.
To learn more about TFC monitoring and the results from a trail performed on a HV/MV transformer simply fill in the form to download the whitepaper.
