Preventing Failures in Electrical Transformers

Electric transformers are used to connect the various components of a wind farm. They are a key element in the development of the electric power industry. Thanks to them, it is possible to carry out, in a practical and economical way, transmit electrical energy over long distances. Therefore, preventing failures in electrical transformers is a crucial task within the wind power industry.

Transformers are a cornerstone of power generation, and as such, maintaining their health and performance is critical for everything from keeping the lights on to industrial production. They are also among the most valuable assets in electric power grids, accounting for about 60% of a substation’s capital costs.

Failures in electrical transformers are inevitable. When this occurs, the temperature of the oil inside the transformer rises at the site of the failure. This leads to the formation of gases, the type and quantity of which indicate the nature of the failure, allowing owners or operators to take corrective action. However, there are methods to try to mitigate these failures.

One of the most widely used methods for preventing failures in electrical transformers—and thus for their maintenance—in order to avoid unplanned outages is what is known as dissolved gas analysis, or DGA (Dissolved Gas Analysis). Gas levels in transformer oil can detect a fault at a very early stage, and the rate of change in these levels can be used to determine the severity of the fault.

Antonio Fernández, Area Director at Grupo Álava

The amount of gases dissolved in a transformer’s oil is the primary indicator of electrical or thermal abnormalities in the transformer and its components.

The failure gases in a DGA are hydrogen, methane, ethane, ethylene, acetylene, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.

With more than 25 years of experience, we are a company specializing in predictive maintenance in the wind energy sector using IoT software solutions, and we have extensive experience in engineering and analytics services to improve asset performance and extend their service life.

In addition, we offer an IIoT platform for predictive maintenance and industrial processes, with a focus on the wind energy market. Together with a team of analysts who are experts in maintenance, we harness the power of algorithms and artificial intelligence to reach unimaginable heights. Our goal is to provide you with key insights into your assets to facilitate your decision-making. We want to help you improve your processes so you can save costs.