A team at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is developing a seismic solution to protect critical power infrastructure—specifically, high-voltage transformer bushings, the ceramic components most vulnerable to earthquake damage.

Led by Bjorn Vaagensmith, a 2025 Presidential Early Career Award recipient, the research team is designing a resonance decoupler that reduces the chance of catastrophic failure during seismic events. The device isolates the bushing's resonant frequency from that of the transformer turret to avoid dangerous vibration amplification.

Collaborating with Chandu Bolisetti (INL) and Jon Bender of W. E. Gundy and Associates (WEGAI), the team aims to retrofit transformers with this low-cost, adjustable device. The project is backed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity and its CESER division.

Plans are in place to test the decoupler in 2026 at UC San Diego using a 500,000-pound transformer on the nation’s largest seismic shake table. If successful, the solution could lead to new safety standards in seismic zones, sparing utilities from costly replacements and strengthening grid resilience.

Industry interest is growing following a main stage presentation at the IEEE Power and Energy Society meeting last fall. A patent is currently pending.