Thursday 3 November 2016

All You Want To Know About The Maintenance Of Power Transformers

Power transformers are important devices used to transfer current from one circuit to another. You require them to provide high performance and a long functional life. And for that, you need to take every possible care about their maintenance. Different parameters of these power transformers need to be measured and tested so that this costly equipment never turns you down. Certain regular maintenance activities need to be performed to ensure a smooth performance of these transformers – some on a daily basis, some monthly, while some yearly. We will be speaking about all of these maintenance procedures in this blog. Remember that if these regular maintenance procedures are carried out properly, any emergencies and breakdown maintenance can be avoided.

Maintenance of Power Transformers





Daily maintenance of power transformers

There are three important things you must check for in your power transformer every day. These include the colour of the silica gel in the breather to avoid it from becoming pinkish, oil leakage if any, and the reading of Magnetic Oil Gage of the main tank and conservator tank to be up till the specified limit.

Monthly maintenance of power transformers

There are some things you must keep a check on once in a month to ensure the perfect working of a power transformer. The breathing holes in silica gel breather must be properly cleaned for proper breathing. The oil level in the oil cap should be maintained to the specified level if it has gone too low. The oil level inside the oil filled bushing should also be maintained. But, you must note that the entire oil filling should be done under shutdown condition.

Half-yearly maintenance of power transformers

Every six months, the transformer oil must be checked for its water content, sludge content, acidity, dielectric strength, resistivity, flash point, DDA and IFT. Any changes or issue found must be immediately addressed.

Yearly maintenance of power transformers

·        Every year, the bushings need to be cleaned and checked for cracking. Also, all the marshalling boxes, illumination and space heaters should be cleaned and checked for proper functioning.
·        All the terminal connections and wiring must be checked and tightened. Also, all the relays, alarms, control switches and circuits in the R&C panel and RTCC should be checked and cleaned.
·        The oil condition of the OLTC needs to be examined for dielectric strength and moisture content by taking a sample from the drain valve of divertor tank. In case of any issues, the oil must be filtered or replaced.
·        All the items engaged with the cooling system of the transformer must be checked. These include the air fans and oil pumps, of which the auto, remote and manual functioning must be checked.
·        Other essential components that need to be checked include the OTI pockets, WTI pockets, Pressure Release Device and Buchholz Relay.


For purchasing the best transformers, you can get in touch with Miracle Electronics, the leading transformer manufacturer in India, who assures to use the highest quality materials and procedures to construct its equipment. However, even with the best transformer purchase, make sure to regularly check for the above mentioned inspections to ensure an even longer life of your transformers.

SUMMARY

If you want your power transformers to provide high performance and a long functional life, you need to make certain checks on them. Some of these checks may be required every day, while some may be required monthly or yearly. Here is an exhaustive list.

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