Whether in an industrial or utility application, power transformers are among the most critical assets of any power system required to maintain the reliable and efficient flow of electricity. Condition and risk assessment of these valuable assets is needed more than ever. With the average age of a transformer fleet over 40 years and new transformer fleets experiencing a greater than expected failure rate, a proactive approach to transformer monitoring is required. With 52% of transformer failures caused by insulation degradation, aging and electrical abnormalities such as through faults, extending the life of these devices through early detection or even prediction of these failure models has become a top priority.
Advanced protection relays now detect and notify operators of internal or external faults, collect and record electrical data, and perform pre- and post-fault analysis using high accuracy transient records and fault reports. Transducer inputs can be added to measure temperature, pressure, cooling system characteristics, and tap changer positions, among other environmental and mechanical parameters. By combining digital inputs with various other interlocks and alarms, the relay can gather significantly more holistic sensor inputs from the transformer.
Download GE’s white paper, "Power Transformer Management through Integrated Monitoring and Diagnostics in Protection Relays," to discover the value of a new generation of protection relays that employ an integrated approach to power transformer management, and learn how to streamline resources to reduce operational costs, extend transformer life, and optimize maintenance strategies to improve system reliability.
