Keeping A Lookout For Transformer Bushing Failures

By Author: Adair Sawyer
Total Articles: 421
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Despite the amount of physical damage that can result from transformer bushing failures, the thing that most companies are worried about is really the interruption of power to whichever premises draw their electrical power through that particular transformer. A great many companies lose large amounts of money every time a power outage occurs, and power security is therefore a major source of concern for every company. Transformer bushing failures inevitably result in interruptions in the power supply as failures often cause physical damage to the transformer and, even if no damage is caused, transformers have to be taken offline while the failed bushings are either repaired or replaced. Monitoring transformer bushings is the best method of ensuring that bushing failures do not take place and catching potential problems in their infancy, before they have the chance to become full-blown failures.

Transformer bushing failures are also a big safety hazard, as the amount of physical damage that can be caused by a failed bushing is potentially enormous. Transformers attached to bushings that have failed have been known to burst ...
... into flames. This presents a particular hazard for workers who have to perform their duties in close proximity to those transformers. Workers who service power lines, for example, often have to climb near transformers in order to fix power lines and perform other forms of maintenance work. If a transformer bushing were to fail while a worker were working near it, he or she would probably be severely injured and the shock could even cause the worker to fall to ground, which could result in permanent injury or even death.

The solution to this worrying possibility is monitoring transformer bushings. Instead of simply waiting for problems to occur or only checking transformer bushings every once in awhile, constant monitoring of transformer bushings is the best way to spot problems early. Monitoring transformer bushings can be done through specialized equipment that includes sensors to detect changes that would take place should a problem begin to manifest itself.

One of the most common causes of transformer bushing failures is excessive heat, as the amount of current flowing through the bushing causes a great degree of electrical as well as heat stress. Heat from the environment can also add to the problem, with heat from the sun adding to the heat generated by the electrical current, thereby adding to the stress experience by a bushing. Monitoring transformer bushings is even more important under hot weather conditions because the risk of transformer bushing failures is even higher.

With modern equipment and technology, monitoring transformer bushings can now be done from a distance, and while the bushing is in use and the transformer is operating. Previously, this was impossible due to the high levels of electricity passing through the transformers and the danger inherent in going near a transformer and inspecting it while electricity was still passing through it. By monitoring transformer bushings with sensors that can be read remotely, however, there is no danger to operators and monitoring can therefore be carried out around the clock.

Monitoring transformer bushings is of the utmost importance if you are to avoid transformer bushing failures and there is no better way to accomplish such monitoring than with the state-of-the-art monitoring equipment available from Dynamic Ratings.