1. How do I cost justify this product? (Click for answer.)

    2. This product is easy to cost justify. Different utilities have taken very different approaches. Please contact us and we can send you the cost justification model that will best fit your specific application.

  2. Can I eliminate other equipment? (Click for answer.)

    3. Yes, you can significantly simplify your transformer control scheme when utilizing the features of a Dynamic Ratings system.

    • A typical transformer will have the following equipment installed:

      1. Top Oil Temperature:
        • Gauge
        • Thermal well with sensor
      2. Winding temperature:
        • Gauge
        • Heated thermal well with sensor.
        • Bushing CT to power the heated thermal well.
        • Tuning resistor in the control cabinet for the gauge.
      3. Annunciator
      4. LTC Control (only on transformers with an on-load LTC):
        • LTC Control device
        • Back-up relay
        • Bushing CT for LDC
      5. RTU or PLC
        • Some customers use an RTU or PLC to consolidate the information on the trasformer and to provide additional control capabilities.

    • A transformer system that fully utilizes the Dynamic Ratings system capabilities wil have the following:

      1. Top Oil Temperature via digital display: (eliminating the top oil temperature gauge.)
        • Thermal well with sensor.
      2. Winding temperature via digital display: (eleiminating the heated thermal well, tuning resistor and winding temperature gauge.)
        • Bushing CT
      3. Annunciator Function: (eliminating the annunciator.)
        • The Dynamic Ratings display provides display of alarm popints to replace the need for the annunciator, and also provides display of all temperature and LTC values and settings.
      4. LTC Control: (eliminating the LDC CT and backup relay)
        • The optional voltage card within the Dynamic Ratings system provides voltage monitoring and the control output module provides the control output. There is no need for a separate CT for LDC (we use the winding CT above.) The backup relay functions are also built into the DR so there is no need for a separate backup relay.
      5. RTU and PLC: (eliminating the need for an RTU or PLC)
        • The Dynamic Ratings system will provide all of these additional features and function.

     

  3. Do I have to give up my existing temperature and LTC control devices to use the Dynamic Ratings system? (Click for answer.)

    4. No, you do not need to give up your gauges or LTC control. Many of our installations are designed to provide monitoring only and do not provide control. Other installations may have cooling control output wired in parallel with your gauges to provide a fully redundant cooling control system. The flexibility of our system allows you to use it in a wide variety of ways.

  4. Is the Dynamic Ratings transformer monitoring system used more often on new transformers or added as a retrofit to existing transformers? (Click for answer.)

    5. Every customer has a different logic behind their answer to this question. We have a lot of customers who specify this on their new transformers because it is a relatively small percentage of the transformer cost and it will arrive on site preengineered and ready for their use. Other customers specify it on their older transformers because those are the ones they are most concerned about. We certainly think you should put it on all your transformers, new and existing.

  5. What size transformer would typically use the Dynamic Ratings transformer monitoring system? (Click for answer.)

    6. The modular nature of the Dynamic Ratings system makes it cost effective on the smallest of your circular winding transformers. With the addition of more modules, the system can easily be scaled up to meet the monitoring needs of your most valuable transformer assests. By using the same hardware platform, your field technicians will be able to support the one platform as it can be common for both large power transformers and medium power transformers.

  6. How do I keep track of the aging if I add this as a retrofit to an existing transformer? (Click for answer.)

    7. You can take an oil sample and conduct a Furan test. This test will provide you an approximate condition of the insulation. This condition can be used to establish the initial age of the insulation and our insulation loss-of-life algorithm will accumulate, adding to this initial value.

  7. What are the factory insallation requirements if this is purchased on a new transformer? (Click for answer.)

    8. The installation of a Dynamic Ratings system is not significantly different than the older discrete devices which provide temperature or LTC control. The details of the installation will certainly depend on the scope of monitoring and control needed. For a more detailed description of the installation requirements appropriate for you application, please contact us.

  8. What is entailed in the process of adding this to an existing transformer as a retrofit? (Click for answer.)

    9. We typically would not disrupt any of the existing wiring on the transformer and all the control logic would remain unchanged.
    • Top oil temperature measurement is preferably done using a Pt100 RTD in a thermal well as this is more accurate and reliable than other methods. If a spare thermal well is not available, we may replace the existing top oil temperature sensor and gauge with our own probe or we can provide a new top oil temperature gauge with an analog output which will provide both a visual analog indication and input to the Dynamic Ratings device.
    • We will typically monitor the transformer load using an interposing CT that is installed over one of your existing CT circuits.
    • We will typically wire the cooling control output in parallel with the existing winding temperature control (providing a fully redundant control scheme).
    • If the Dynamic Ratings system is being used for LTC control, the existing LTC control equipment will be removed or a control switch will be installed to allow selection between the control devices.

  9. Are there any options that cannot be added as part of a retrofit? (Click for answer.)

    10. All of our monitoring options can be used on either new or retrofit applications with the exception of direct fiber optic winding temperature monitoring.

  10. Where is the control installed? (Click for answer.)

    11. The Dynamic Ratings control unit (the CU) is installed on the transformer, either inside the transformer control cabinet or in a separate cabinet. The user interface unit (the IU) will be mounted inside the same cabinet, on a swing panel or inside the control room, or in both locations.

  11. How do I communicate to the device? (Click for answer.)

    • We support both serial and ethernet connections.
    • We offer physical connections utilizing fiber, RS-485, RS-232, wireless or CAT5 ethernet connections.
    • We can support most of the common communication protocols including DNP3, Modbus and others. Please contact us to confirm compatibility with other protocols.

  12. Will it work with my other transformer sensors? (Click for answer.)

    13. Yes, we provide communication to many different transformer sensors used for dissolved gas in oil, moisture in oil, bushing monitoring etc. Please see our links page for more information.

  13. Do I need software? (Click for answer.)

    14. No, you you do not need any software from Dynamic Ratings to access our data, operate the system or even to make programming revisions. This is a significant advantage as there are no software licensing fees that you need to pay and you don't have to worry about future compatibility with any software tools. Please contact us for more details regarding our "software free" solution.

  14. How do I select what options to include in my transformer monitoring system? (Click for answer.)

    15. We have experience with a wide variety of different transformer monitoring technologies. Please contact us for more etails regarding which options would be most appropriate for your application.

  15. Do you have a recommended control specification? (Click for answer.)

    16. Yes, we have a specification which we will tailor to your specific application. Please contact us and we will assist you with the development of a specification tailored to your specific needs.
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