Design and Optimisation of Power Transformer Diagnostics
[ 1 ] Instytut Elektroenergetyki, Wydział Inżynierii Środowiska i Energetyki, Politechnika Poznańska | [ P ] employee
PL Projektowanie i optymalizacja diagnostyki transformatorów mocy
2023
editorial
english
- power transformer
- diagnostics
EN From year to year, humanity’s dependence on electricity supplies is growing, which affects virtually all areas that improve the comfort of people’s lives. Electricity is beginning to play a key role in areas that until recently were not associated with it, such as cars, planes, and self-propelled vehicles. It is difficult to imagine the functioning of humanity without electricity supply, and we only realize its importance in the event of a lack of it. A reliable supply of electricity is possible due to the operation of the power system. Power transformers are the most important element of this system. Currently, most power transformers working in the world are approaching or exceeding their technical lifetime, predicted by manufacturers as being 25–30 years. Replacing these transformers with new units is very expensive, because the cost of a new transformer is an expense of up to several million euros. On the other hand, a large number of transformers in operation today were designed at a time when energy companies were a state monopoly in most countries. This means that economic factors did not play such a significant role. As a consequence, transformers were not as optimized in terms of construction and materials as those used today. In other words, a large number of transformers working today are oversized, which naturally extends their safe lifetime. Both of these facts speak in favor of not replacing working transformers with new units too hastily. For these reasons, the intensive development of power transformer diagnostics, whose task it is to extend the life of transformers, is observed. Transformer diagnostics is a field that has been developing for decades. Despite this, scientific centers around the world continue to investigate this topic. Currently, diagnostics do not only subtract the basic measurements of various transformer parameters as part of periodic inspections, as was the case until recently. Many diagnostic methods focus on online measurements. Diagnostics are already thought about during the design stage of transformers. An example of such an approach is the so-called “dielectric windows” mounted in the transformer tank, which are used to measure partial discharges using the UHF (ultra high frequency) method. Diagnostic methods are becoming more and more sophisticated. These methods draw upon the latest knowledge from various fields, such as acoustics, telecommunications, vibro-acoustics, chemistry, and computer science. With high probability, it can be concluded that the diagnostic methods of transformers will always be developed, as is the case with diagnostic methods in medicine. These methods must also take into account the latest requirements for transformers, such as environmental and fire protection requirements, as well as the new operating conditions of the transformer, related to green energy sources in the power system. Some of the above-mentioned aspects are discussed in detail in the articles of this Special Issue.
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article number: 6466
CC BY (attribution alone)
open journal
final published version
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