Advanced measuring solutions for power sector

Power sector plays a very crucial role in the industry, be it public or private sector. And in these days of continuous advancements where continuity and precision have become so important, one cannot afford to experience a shut down or higher lead time of the power plants as it directly infects the overall governing of the system.

We often find the maintenance engineers and facility inspectors trying their best to ensure uninterrupted service. Many a times they encounter problems like power losses, system failures and at worse even accidents, which are uninvited and unforeseen. Continuous inspection becomes a mandate and when the responsibilities are huge you must be well equipped to tackle such situations. That’s where Testo extends its support and expertise to the power industry and its users.

Testo Thermal imagers are an ideal partner for efficient maintenance. One of the most critical operations that governs the entire economics of any country is dependent on ‘power generation’. A small lapse in preventive and predictive maintenance can lead to highly unsafe conditions and thus results in loss of huge revenue and system breakdown, which can be easily corrected with equipment like Testo Thermal Imagers. Thermography is used for the analysis of thermal anomalies in electrical installations or cables, inspection of transmission lines, switchyards & sub-stations.

Example: Evaluation of the heat status of low, medium and high-voltage systems
A malfunction or interruption of the electrical grid is often preceded by thermal warming caused by electrical resistance.This must be localised, evaluated and if required, the timeframe for a repair determined. Using the thermal imagers from Testo, thermal warming can be tested without contactand from a safe distance, without endangering the user or needing to shut down the system.

The challenge
Most symptoms of wear, material fatigue or cable rupture in the transmission of electrical current are preceded by thermal warming due to increased resistance. If this resistance becomes too high, the heat development destroys thecomponent, with the possible result of a power cut.

A further challenge lies in the cooling oil of the transformers.Due to eroded insulation, slurry can occur here, which is deposited in the cooling ribs. The blockage of the throughflow in the affected cooling ribs initially compromises the cooling, and in the worst case can result in the failure of the complete cooling function of the transformer.

The solution
The objectiveof maintenance work is to obtain an overview of the switchgear, which is comprehensive as well as detailed – including all circuit breakers and power switches, converters, insulators, screw fittings, cables or other connections. With the high-resolution thermal images, the sesources of malfunction can be quickly and precisely identified before they become serious problems endangering the reliability of supply.

Testo Thermal imagers facilitate evaluation of the heat status of low, medium and high-voltage systems. You can use them to identify electrical components or connections with thermal anomalies and to implement the necessary measures. This prevents dangerous fire risks and costly production downtimes.

I. Low Voltage Systems: 
Switch cabinets
The technology of thermography is particularly useful in the maintenance of switch cabinets, as the measurements can be carried out non-contact and at a safe distance. Anomalies can therefore be detected and countermeasures can be easily implemented.

II. Medium Voltage Systems: 
Transformers
Depending on the type of insulation, the connections, cores or insulation in components of medium-voltage installations such as transformers can be inspected for thermal irregularities

III. High Voltage Systems: 
Overhead power lines
The electrical connection points and insulators for overhead power lines in substations or the overhead power lines of high-voltage systems can be checked for maintenance purposes. Typically, these locations are difficult to access, also anomalies, like hotspots, are not visible. Lots of locations can be inspected thermographically using a super telephoto lens with correspondingly high resolution, conveniently from the ground or efficiently by helicopter.

Depending upon the application in the power sector testo has a wide range of thermal imagers starting from testo 872 bluetooth and WiFi enabled camera to the high-end models such as testo 885 and testo 890 with features like

• Transfer of live images from thermal imagers to smart phones or tab through Bluetooth
• Free thermography app for on-site report generation.
• High resolution image quality with wide angle lens & focus free imaging
• Infrared resolution upto 640X480 pixels
• Availability of super tele photo lens & flexible fold out rotatable display
• Easy determination of hot spots, over-heating, circuit breakdown, component rupture and etc.

For more details, visit:
www.testo.com