Online Transformer Data Comes at a Price, says Leon White, H2scan

In a data-driven world where transformer owners want to have as much data as possible from their transformers, they start by monitoring the top oil temperature, winding temperature, pressure relief device, liquid level, tank pressure, sudden pressure, and various load tap changer (LTC) data, says Leon White, Vice President of Transformer Sales and Business Development at H2scan, for the March edition of our Magazine.

When transformers fail without warning, they realize that more data is necessary.  They then investigate single and multi-gas online dissolved gas analysis (DGA), partial discharge, bushing monitoring, acoustic vibration, etc. Then they build asset health centers and hire data scientists to manage the vast amount of data they didn’t realize would be such a monumental task to manage, but there must be a better way, he argues.

Utilities need affordable solutions that can be installed fleet-wide that can alert them to internal transformer faults prior to failure so potential failures can be managed during the regular workday rather than on overtime. It’s time for utilities to take a step back and look at which data is most useful. 

You can read the entire article here.