Condition Monitoring of Breather for Transformer Health Assessment

Abstract

Distribution Grid is considered to be a blind spot in power system network. The complex nature of the Distribution Grid makes it difficult to monitor and control. Power and Distribution Transformers are the major nodes in Distribution network and it is an equipment of potential importance in the Distribution Grid. Its failure monitoring and diagnosis are important for a reliable power system since it is the connecting link between consumers and utility. The additional attachments namely breather, cooling fan, bushing, differential relay, Buchholz relay are synchronized with the transformer operation. The operating condition of transformer are changes fast or decrease of oil temperature because of step change in the electrical loads and the cyclic heating and cooling of the oil due to the natural loading of the transformer, hence breather filled with silica gel plays very important role in transformer health assessment by absorbing moisture content. The actual data has collected from Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited substation and model is developed from these data. This paper present, a fuzzy logic technique for on-line condition diagnostics of transformer oil on the basis of leakage current flows through silica gel of breather and changes in color of silica gel.