Chromatic acoustic condition monitoring of transformers
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an approach for continuous acoustic condition monitoring of transformers based on chromatic principles for abstracting information on individual acoustic events as well as secondary trends in the behaviour of the events.
Design/methodology/approach
The potential benefits of condition monitoring of high-value transformer equipment are explored, and an approach based on chromatic information abstraction is illustrated and discussed.
Findings
Tracking of large numbers of complex and variable individual acoustic events over time using a chromatic approach appears to offer a means for remote operators to evaluate mechanical transformer tap changer condition in a traceable manner.
Originality/value
The condition monitoring is retrofittable and non-intrusive, and the approach may be applied generically for combining condition indicators for overall health-checking. A complex system behaviour may be operationally simplified without discarding the complexity.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to the Electricity North West plc and Western Power Distribution plc within the UK Innovation Funding Incentive of the Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets and the EPSRC Supergen V, UK Energy Infrastructure (AMPerES) grant for supporting this work.
Citation
G. Deakin, A., H. Smith, D., W. Spencer, J., Jones, D. and Johnson, N. (2014), "Chromatic acoustic condition monitoring of transformers", Sensor Review, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 291-296. https://doi.org/10.1108/SR-04-2013-663
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited