Tag: condition monitoring technologies

Switchgear Monitoring: Enhancing Asset Performance and Reducing Risks

Posted on 23 December 2024 | by wesley

In modern industry, where efficiency and risk mitigation are paramount, the monitoring and maintenance of critical assets stand as a cornerstone of operational success. Among these assets, medium to high-voltage switchgear is pivotal, safeguarding essential electrical systems within facilities. Ntokozo Nkosi, the Data Centre Manager at Martec, offers insights into the intricate world of switchgear monitoring and the indispensable role it plays in ensuring operational continuity.

At the heart of Martec’s approach lies a profound understanding of the imperatives driving modern organisations: achieving optimal asset performance while minimising costs and risks. Nkosi elucidates, “To create a real competitive advantage, an organisation must achieve optimum performance from its asset base while reducing costs and risks. Martec understands this uncompromising need and has developed a functionally rich portfolio of solutions for organisations wanting to take up this challenge.”

Switchgear, with its intricate components and critical function, demands meticulous attention. Nkosi delineates the anatomy of switchgear, highlighting its three primary sections: the cable termination points, the circuit breaker compartment, and the bus bar sections. Partial discharge (PD) is particularly concerning, a phenomenon implicated in approximately 85% of switchgear faults. Understanding the nuances of PD is imperative for effective monitoring and maintenance strategies.

Nkosi expounds on the diverse origins of PD within switchgear. Conductive contamination, foreign objects, humidity, and moisture ingress can lead to surface tracking discharges, resulting in electrical treeing and insulation degradation. Contact type discharges or partial arcing, a term coined by Martec, manifest as localised electrical discharges at interfaces within the switchgear. These discharges can stem from various issues, including lousy circuit breaker contacts and inadequate air gaps.

Terminations, crucial connection points within switchgear, are particularly susceptible to PD activity due to installation challenges and environmental factors. Nkosi underscores the importance of meticulous installation, highlighting that it is not just a task but a critical step to prevent internal PD activity and maintain operational integrity.

When PD activity is detected, crucial questions arise, necessitating advanced technologies for accurate diagnosis and remediation. Martec, with its proactive approach, employs the Partial Discharge Frequency System Analyzer (PDFSA), a cutting-edge technology that identifies, locates, and quantifies electrical discharges within switchgear and terminations. This sophisticated tool enables analysts to discern PD activity’s type, location, and severity, facilitating informed decision-making regarding maintenance and repair.

Nkosi sheds light on the intricacies of PDFSA, elucidating its methodology and capabilities. By capturing PD pulses with a wide frequency range of up to 200MHz, PDFSA enables analysts to discern between internal PD, tracking, contact, and corona discharges. Through meticulous analysis of frequency domain spectra, analysts can pinpoint the source of PD activity within the switchgear assembly, empowering proactive maintenance strategies.

In addition to PDFSA, Martec leverages advanced technologies to separate background noise from actual PD patterns, further enhancing diagnostic accuracy and efficacy.

In conclusion, the monitoring and management of switchgear represent a critical imperative for organisations seeking to optimise asset performance and mitigate operational risks. Through deploying advanced technologies and meticulous diagnostic methodologies, Martec stands at the forefront of innovation, empowering organisations to navigate the complexities of switchgear maintenance with confidence and precision.

Unleashing reliability: Overcoming power challenges with transformer condition monitoring and the journey to 100% uptime

Posted on 14 August 2023 | by wesley

In today’s rapidly evolving asset management arena, achieving 100% uptime for critical systems is no longer an unattainable dream but an essential and formidable challenge, especially in regions grappling with adverse infrastructure conditions. In South Africa, engineering managers face the daunting task of maintaining an uninterrupted power supply amidst unreliable infrastructure and frequent power outages. As we build upon our previous article discussing the quest for uptime with switchgear, we now focus on the indispensable role of transformer technologies in delivering stable and efficient power to critical loads. This article will explore the importance of condition monitoring technologies for transformers and how they stand as stalwarts in achieving the elusive 100% uptime. From embracing smart transformers to harnessing advanced predictive maintenance tools, we will delve into the latest trends and best practices in transformer technology. We aim to equip engineering managers with invaluable insights to overcome challenges, stay ahead of the curve, and ensure relentless power reliability in the face of ever-changing conditions.

The evolution of transformer technologies

Over the years, transformers have profoundly evolved from traditional static devices to intelligent, connected assets. The advent of smart transformers has been a game-changer in the power industry by incorporating digital intelligence, enabling intime monitoring, analysis, and control. These smart transformers offer remote monitoring, diagnostics, load management, and other capabilities. Communicating and exchanging data with the grid optimises energy distribution, mitigates faults, and enhances overall system reliability.

The significance of remote monitoring in transformer health

Due to the high cost of replacement, removal from service and repair, remote monitoring has emerged as a cornerstone technology towards achieving 100% uptime with transformers. This approach entails the utilisation of sensors, data analysers, and IoT devices to continuously monitor crucial parameters such as temperature, current, voltage, online partial discharge, dissolved gases and dielectric condition. With intime data collection and analysis, valuable insights are gained into the transformer’s health and performance, allowing prompt detection of anomalies and potential issues. By taking proactive measures through remote monitoring, unplanned downtime can be minimised, and critical systems can be kept operational and reliable.

Leveraging predictive maintenance with data analytics and machine learning

Predictive maintenance strategies have fundamentally altered the management of transformers. We can anticipate potential failures and implement timely maintenance actions by harnessing the power of data analytics, machine learning algorithms, and historical performance data. This approach minimises downtime and extends the equipment’s lifespan, leading to significant cost savings and reduced risk associated with unexpected breakdowns. Predictive maintenance ensures that maintenance efforts are targeted and efficient, maximising transformer uptime, maintenance costs and performance.

Four fundamental condition monitoring technologies for transformers

Dissolved gas analysis (DGA): DGA is a powerful technique to detect and diagnose potential faults within transformers. DGA is a degenerative condition which can provide critical information about incipient faults such as overheating, arcing, and insulation degradation by analysing the gases dissolved in transformer oil. Early detection through DGA allows timely maintenance to be planned proactively, preventing catastrophic failures and ensuring the longevity of the transformer.
Partial discharge (PD) monitoring: PD monitoring is an effective method for assessing the condition of transformer insulation. PD events are precursor indicators of insulation degradation and can lead to catastrophic failures if left unaddressed. By deploying in tank and bushing PD monitoring systems, PD activity can be detected, monitored and analysed, allowing corrective actions before significant damage occurs.
Bushing monitoring: Transformer bushings are vital components that connect the transformer windings to the external network. Monitoring the bushings can help identify issues such as degenerative conditions and insulation breakdown, impacting the transformer’s performance and reliability.
Temperature and hot spot monitoring: Continuous temperature monitoring of critical transformer components, including windings and core, is crucial for early detection of overheating, overloading and insufficient cooling. With an early warning of temperature rise and increased loading, additional cooling being implemented can increase the transformer’s return on investment by reducing the thermal stress placed on the paper insulation system. Engineering managers can set preventive measures to avoid thermal stress and potential failures by monitoring temperature trends and selecting additional cooling earlier to reduce oil/paper insulation system stress.

What risks can remote monitoring avert at a power plant?

By employing remote monitoring technologies, we gain valuable insights into the transformer’s health and performance, mitigating various risks that could compromise the plant’s operations. For instance, temperature sensors are instrumental in detecting hot spots (especially under adverse conditions) within the transformer, which may indicate issues like insulation degradation, overloading, thermal faults, or the collapse of the dielectric fluid. Early detection of these condition-related attributes enables engineers to take engineered decisions and prompt action, such as implementing additional cooling measures, adjusting loading, or evaluating distribution parameters. These measures will prevent further damage and ensure uninterrupted operation. Additionally, remote monitoring through moisture, dielectric strength, gassing and oil condition helps detect a deteriorating internal environment within the transformer. Such anomalies may signal loose connections, winding issues, or impending insulation failures. Timely detection of these issues allows for proactive maintenance, reducing the risk of transformer failures, electrical faults, and unplanned downtime.

With condition monitoring technologies in place, power plant operators can ensure the longevity and reliability of their transformers, enhancing overall power system resilience and minimising potential disruptions.

Staying ahead of the pack

Engineering managers must continuously embrace innovations and best practices towards achieving 100% uptime and staying ahead of the competition. Incorporating redundancy and backup systems, implementing comprehensive testing and training programmes, and adopting cutting-edge condition monitoring technologies are essential to ensuring critical systems remain operational, even in challenging conditions. Staying updated with the latest advancements in transformer technology enables optimised performance, reduced operating costs, and a competitive edge in the industry.

The importance of condition monitoring technologies for transformers cannot be emphasised enough. With the integration of smart transformers, remote monitoring, and advanced predictive maintenance tools, achieving 100% uptime is within reach. The proactive condition monitoring approach ensures critical systems’ smooth and reliable operation and offers significant cost savings and reduced risk of repairs and unplanned downtime. By staying ahead of the curve and leveraging the best condition monitoring technologies, engineering managers can achieve their goal of 100% uptime, securing the success and sustainability of their operations in today’s dynamic power landscape.

Read more about our intime monitoring and analysis service solutions for transformers here.

When transformer failure could set you back R1.4 million an hour – a motivation for online condition monitoring dissolved gas analysis

Posted on 13 July 2023 | by wesley

In the mining industry, the numbers are big. In monetary terms, the consequences of failure on critical assets can quickly run into the millions. Conversely, the value-add of effective online gas analysis monitoring on transformers will have a positive impact and improve the return on investment of critical assets.

We recently completed the installation of the first single DGA (dissolved gas analysis) unit that monitors three transformer tanks at a client in the mining sector – a great milestone for Martec and South Africa, with this being the first installation of MTE’s Hydrocal H1008-3 DGA monitor. In this article, we look at the importance of transformer monitoring and the role and benefit of online DGA.

Comparing offline periodic and online continuous conditioning monitoring DGA

Traditionally a routine oil sample would be drawn and sent to an analysis laboratory for chemical analysis. This process can take up to a month to complete to have results that can be analysed. These samples are normally done annually; thus, there is only one set of data per year to determine the health status of a transformer. One must ask whether this data is enough to diagnose a pending problem. In essence, the answer is no.

Adding to the above, the manual sampling for DGA, a typically short-term health parameter, is often flawed. It takes a trained sampler to follow each step of the tedious process precisely and to take a representative sample using the correct container before taking it to a laboratory that is competent to do the analysis. The diagnosis is only as good as the sample taken.

In this instance, the client would lose approximately R1.4 million an hour if any of the transformers failed, and reliability with an online DGA monitor was paramount.

With online monitoring, the sample is reliably taken, analysed, and results are made available in a comparatively short amount of time (typically down to one or two hours, depending on the unit deployed and the setup of the online unit).

Can you ever have too much data?

When it comes to transformers, the short answer is no. With a DGA online monitor there is far more data to analyse through trends allowing us to identify a developing problem on a transformer. DGA is the best short-term solution for transformer condition monitoring in that other parameters can take months to develop, but DGA can occur in seconds, minutes, hours, or days. From the data derived from the unit, better decisions can be made on the unit’s health, especially when the risk of failure has catastrophic consequences.

Condition monitoring: value

In this case, the MTE Hydrocal unit (H1008-3) installed measures seven of the gases and moisture in the transformer; thus, with this type of unit it is possible to use the data for all of the values that are most desirous in condition monitoring:

Value 1 | Detection – a measured parameter has been exceeded
Value 2 | Monitoring – a trend can be produced to determine the rate at which the parameter is rising
Value 3 | Diagnostic – a combination of the parameters is used to predict a condition or fault that is occurring

All three values allow the Engineering and Maintenance teams time to plan and safely remove the unit from service for inspection and repair.

Transformer fleet risk analysis

Before applying online monitoring, conducting a transformer fleet risk analysis is best to determine which units are suitable for online monitoring. There are numerous criteria that need to be taken into consideration, and the use of the current sample results data to determine the current health status of the units within the fleet. By conducting transformer fleet risk analysis, organisations can make informed decisions about maintenance strategies, investments, and resource allocation to optimise the reliability and performance of their transformer fleet while minimising potential risks and associated costs.

Read more about our transformer monitoring service here.

100% uptime with your switchgear? Impossible dream … or a new reality?

Posted on 1 June 2023 | by wesley

Engineering managers in South Africa have their work cut out for them when it comes to achieving 100% uptime for their MV switchgear. They face a daunting task with an infrastructure that has to withstand unreliable and frequent power outages that play havoc with critical systems. Most MV switchgear systems are designed for long or continuous operation and not for the on /off situation caused by loadshedding. However, various technologies are available to ensure that switchgear remains operational – from remote monitoring to predictive maintenance and backup systems. These tools can become a formidable arsenal to help to keep systems running smoothly, even in the most adverse conditions.

Remote monitoring is one of the most critical technologies for achieving 100% uptime with switchgear. With remote monitoring, you can keep a close eye on systems at all times, allowing quick detection of any issues that arise and taking corrective action before they become serious problems. Remote monitoring can be especially beneficial for plants in remote or hard-to-reach areas.

The power of remote monitoring

Remote switchgear monitoring typically involves sensors, data analysers, IOT monitoring devices and software for realtime data collection and analysis. This technology enables monitoring of critical parameters such as temperature, current, and voltage. More often these days – online partial discharge monitoring of busbar, breakers, cable terminations and cables and receiving alerts when these readings exceed predefined thresholds. In addition, remote monitoring solutions often include advanced analytics capabilities, such as machine learning algorithms, that can detect patterns and anomalies in the data that may indicate potential issues. Leveraging these technologies can proactively identify and address problems before they cause downtime or operational disruption.

A multi-sensory approach

Switchgear can be equipped with various types of sensors to monitor different aspects of its performance. For instance, temperature sensors can detect overheating in circuit breakers, transformers, or other components, indicating potential failures or other issues. Current sensors can measure the electrical current flowing through different switchgear parts, providing valuable energy consumption and performance data. Voltage sensors can monitor the voltage levels at various points in the system, helping to identify any irregularities that could lead to malfunctions or damage. Other types of sensors used in switchgear include partial discharge gas pressure (SF6), humidity, and gas sensors, which can detect leaks or other abnormalities that could pose safety risks to staff or compromise the reliability of the equipment.

Typical switchgear failures and the technologies used to prevent them

Partial discharge / Arcing and tracking: Cause significant damage to switchgear components and increase the fire risk and safety to staff in the substation environment. Technologies used: ultrasonic monitoring, infrared thermography, partial discharge analysis/monitoring.
Contacts erosion: Contacts in switchgear can wear out over time, leading to increased resistance and decreased performance. Technologies used: partial discharge monitoring, ultrasonic monitoring, resistance monitoring.
Insulation breakdown: Insulation breakdown can cause damage to switchgear components and increase the risk of electrical faults. Technologies used: partial discharge monitoring, insulation resistance monitoring, ultrasonic monitoring, thermal imaging.
Corrosion: Causes damage to switchgear components and increases the risk of electrical faults. Technologies used: ultrasonic monitoring, visual inspection, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and corrosion monitoring sensors.
Mechanical failures: Occur on switchgear components leading to reduced performance and increased downtime. Mechanical failures can be prevented by monitoring the condition of switchgear components, detecting issues early on, and performing maintenance to extend the life of switchgear components.

A comprehensive view of the switchgear’s condition is obtained using these tools and technologies, and predictive maintenance comes to the fore. Thus, we can prevent failures before they occur with proactive steps to optimise performance, minimise downtime, improve equipment reliability and minimise the risks associated with equipment failure.

Predictive maintenance strategies

In addition to these technologies, several other strategies come into play to achieve that elusive 100% uptime with switchgear. For example, one can implement redundancy and backup systems to ensure critical systems remain operational even if one component fails. Comprehensive testing and training programmes can be implemented to ensure staff can quickly and effectively respond to any issues. For example, we consider what risks condition monitoring can avert in a power plant.

What risks can remote monitoring avert at a power plant?

Condition monitoring is critical for ensuring safe and reliable switchgear operation at a power plant. For example, temperature sensors can detect hot spots in the switchgear that could lead to equipment damage or fire. By detecting these hot spots early on, one can implement measures such as cooling or rerouting the circuits to prevent further damage. Similarly, PD scanners, ultrasound, or vibration sensors can detect abnormal vibrations on external parts of the switchgear. These vibrations may indicate loose connections or faulty components, which could lead to arcing or other electrical faults. By addressing these issues promptly, the risk of electrical faults, outages, and other disruptions that could compromise the safety and reliability of the power plant is reduced. Overall, condition monitoring ensures smooth and safe switchgear operation at a power plant.

Do you have a significant edge over your competition?

In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive business landscape, achieving 100% uptime with switchgear is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Adopting a comprehensive approach incorporating cutting-edge technologies, practical strategies, and best practices ensures that your critical systems remain operational and reliable. Whether you’re operating in the mining, manufacturing, or energy sectors, leveraging the latest tools and techniques can give you a significant edge over the competition and help you stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving industry. With the right approach, achieving 100% uptime with switchgear is not only possible but essential for the success and sustainability of your operations.

While achieving 100% uptime with switchgear is critical, it is only one part of ensuring critical systems’ safe and reliable operation. Another vital component is transformer technologies, which are crucial in maintaining stable and efficient power delivery to critical loads.

In our next article, we will unpack the current transformer technologies and explore how they can be leveraged to achieve 100% uptime. From smart transformers to predictive maintenance tools, we will examine the latest trends and best practices in transformer technology and offer insights on staying ahead of the curve in this ever-changing field.

Move over downtime – hello uptime

Posted on 14 March 2023 | by wesley

The face of maintenance management is constantly evolving. For decades we ticked the “it is functional again box” after an equipment breakdown – and we were okay with it. Today, technology makes it possible to foresee when an asset will fail and what we can do to prevent it – often in realtime.

The traditional definition of uptime is: “the percentage of time that your critical equipment is 100% operational”. Is this doable or pie in the sky? Some would say if all the stars align and you are lucky to work with new equipment, it might be the case.

Our condition monitoring experts say that it is doable. Cosmic stars aside, the condition monitoring field has several star performers that can work in tandem with an asset management strategy, maintenance tactics and proper work management processes to make reliability your reality.

To help you move from a defensive to an offensive strategy, we shed some light on condition monitoring’s value as a preventive maintenance tactic.

Condition-based maintenance is a maintenance tactic consisting of a set of tasks where an inspection or test task (condition monitoring task) is performed to verify the condition of the equipment. This leads to corrective follow-up work if the condition is approaching an unacceptable state.

Identifying potential failures with a wide range of technologies

The asset condition can be monitored using a variety of technologies, such as:

vibration analysis
oil analysis
ultrasound technology
infrared thermography
partial discharge detection

Simplistically, these technologies are a data gathering technique to assess asset health and identify potential failures before they develop into functional failures. Their core purpose is to attempt to create the largest possible potential to functional failure (P-F) interval in which maintenance can be scheduled and completed.

As condition monitoring technologies evolve and equipment becomes more intelligent, more technologies continue to come to the fore supporting condition-based maintenance.

What are the benefits of using condition monitoring technologies?

As we’ve discovered, condition monitoring technologies can play a crucial role in providing realtime data about the condition of assets, helping to identify potential problems before they become serious issues, helping to optimise maintenance activities, and ultimately enabling organisations to achieve their AM goals while improving the performance of their assets, such as:

Early detection of issues: Condition monitoring technologies can detect problems with assets before they become serious issues. This allows timely interventions to prevent downtime, reduce maintenance costs, and improve equipment reliability.
Equipment optimisation: Condition monitoring technologies can provide valuable insights into the performance of assets, which can be used to optimise equipment operations. For example, data from vibration analysis can detect imbalance, vibration, bearing failure and resonance conditions before they cause catastrophic failure and determine the best operating conditions for equipment, helping reduce wear and tear and improve performance.
Cost reduction: By detecting problems early and optimising equipment performance, condition monitoring technologies can help to reduce maintenance costs and minimise downtime. This leads to further cost savings associated with lost production and emergency repairs and improves return on investment.
Improved equipment reliability: By identifying potential problems and performing maintenance before they become serious issues, condition monitoring technologies improve the reliability of assets. This leads to improved equipment availability and reduces the risk of unplanned downtime.
Increased equipment life: By performing maintenance at the right time, condition monitoring can help extend the assets’ life. This reduces the frequency of replacement, leading to further cost savings.

The benefit of deploying condition monitoring technologies goes further. As an example, we consider what risks condition monitoring can avert in a power plant.

What risks can condition monitoring avert at a power plant?

Safety risks: Power plants are dangerous places, and equipment failure can result in serious safety risks to personnel, such as electrical shocks and burns, boiler fires and explosions, and contact with hazardous chemicals. By detecting problems early and performing maintenance before they become serious issues, condition monitoring technologies help to reduce the risk of injuries or even fatalities.
Environmental risks: Oil spills resulting in water and soil pollution and the release of toxic chemicals as air and water pollution are huge environmental threats. Condition monitoring technologies help to prevent equipment failure and reduce the risk of such environmental incidents.
Financial risks: Power plants are expensive assets, and equipment failure can result in significant financial losses. By reducing downtime and improving equipment reliability, condition monitoring technologies can help to reduce the financial risks associated with equipment failure.
Reputation risks: Power plants are often in the public eye, and equipment failure can damage the organisation’s reputation. By improving equipment reliability and reducing downtime, condition monitoring technologies can help to minimise the risk of damage to the organisation’s reputation.

Condition monitoring technologies will add significant value if correctly used as part of your maintenance strategy. Downtime on your selected critical assets can be a thing of the past.

Look out for our next edition, where we unpack the use of specific technologies to secure that elusive 100% uptime with switchgear.