Trending analysis of transformer’s functional operations for efficient supply infrastructure

Increasing installation of renewable energy plants, mini power generation and micro power generation plants will reduce the burden on the transmission lines.

Divyansh Kohli, Director, NDL Power Limited in an interaction with Megha Iyer of EPR discusses how conditional monitoring, and putting up mini and micro smart grid will aid in ensuring an efficient supply in the distribution transformers.

Market heading towards the power supply
I think the market is heading towards the power supply, as today’s power generation is a much diversified field with the several streams of renewable energy coming in. The installations of solar power plants across the country is vastly increasing the generation capacity and location/geographical availability, whereas, transmission and supply is something where the industry itself is working for. On the other hand, with the evolution of smart grids, there is a significant burden on the industry to reduce the technical and commercial losses of the transmission distribution system.

Curbing the technical and commercial losses for improving power tariffs
The power tariff can be improved only when the technical and commercial losses are addressed. There are two essential points in it; first is the increasing burden on the generation capacities which can be reduced through a diverse portfolio of conventional and renewable energy sources. Several hydro projects are being initiated in the Eastern and North-eastern India, installation of solar plants in the remote locations, among others. These advancements will further result in generation of additional power and will subsequently decrease the generation cost.

Secondly, the generation location; earlier, our thermal plants were usually located in isolated locations; primarily dependent on conventional logistics and availability of fuel; where power transmission was a challenge. But the increasing installation of renewable energy plants, mini power generation and micro power generation plants will further reduce the burden on the transmission lines.

Coming to the transmission part, the commercial and technical losses still remains a challenge. Commercial losses are basically the power theft, accountability of power usage which can be reduced by busing the smart grid systems whereas, for the technical losses, one has to be conscious about the kind of transformers and switchgears being used in the system.

The issue of cyber attacks
Honestly, we are still at the nascent stage and are yet to reach at a considerable ranking amidst the leaders. We’re still following traditional and conventional methods, and are operating from the grass root level. Although cyber attack has its own repercussions and aftermaths, but I don’t see any wider opportunity where the cyber attack can breach or affect the distribution and transmission industry at large. However, the prominent areas which can be compromised are the billing and payment statistics of the consumers or power purchase payments and chances of data theft. Also, there are initiatives which will soon be initiating smart grid projects in pilot locations, and then will move towards the Tier I and Tier II cities and states, only then we will be able to analyse the ratio of cyber attack and the responses, and act accordingly.

Condition monitoring of transformers for instant rectifying issues
The essential infrastructure for an efficient power supply is intense conditional monitoring and trending analysis of transformer’s functional operations and management of these assets which is highly critical and recommended. The power transmission and distribution line majorly consists of static equipment; one can’t find any mechanic or panelist parts in it, as there are huge chances of degradation of life due to situations following environmental affects and overloading. Apart from these aspects, if the transformers assets are thoroughly conditional monitored and are very well managed, then it is possible to resolve and even avert such incidents at the inception level and can be rectified instantaneously. Thorough conditional monitoring of transformers is very critical as it is very effective particularly through oil testing, non-destructive analysis, and the available stake to control the fault, and prevent it from generating further trouble to the transformers.

With active condition monitoring and analysis, although there are outages, they are planned and controlled quite well and will also cut down the chances and amount of damages that can be caused due to these faults. Moreover, with planned outages, we can have a better power supply and can give the biggest benefit to the companies owning capital assets, because this will reduce the cost of downtime and the loss of capital assets. It has a high RoI and I think as far as the DISCOMs and consumers are concerned, we should be investing on these technologies.

Energy efficient transformers’ contribution towards distribution
There are three challenges in distribution; breakdown in outages, the technical losses which are basically the low load losses taking place towards the transformers, and the commercial losses caused due to the unaccountability of the operations. The energy efficient transformers can widely manage the technical losses in a distribution transformer further reducing the load losses and providing a better efficiency in the flow. Whereas, the smart grids and the smart systems will contribute to the first part, wherein, they can perform planned outages via thorough conditional monitoring. But if we are talking only about the energy efficient transformers, there is a significant reduction in the technical losses.

Divyansh Kohli, Director, NDL Power