The Problem
After many years in service, a U.S. utility determined that their transformer fleet was aging. They knew transformers were their most critical asset in order to maintain system reliability. They also knew that replacement of these critical pieces would be a substantial investment.
They knew monitoring was their best option to extend the useful life of their transformers. They wanted to use monitoring technology to measure the performance and condition of the equipment to make better maintenance decisions. However, they needed a collaborative partner with significant experience that could commit to a multiple year program and assist with an aggressive installation and roll out plan: over 300 transformers system-wide dispersed over a large service territory. They wanted ONE vendor who was able to provide transformer monitoring and turnkey installations over a five year period.
The Solution
Dynamic Ratings experienced LIFESTREAM™ Support Services Team was a natural selection for this utility. An implementation plan was put together:
- The first phase was a turn-key installation which would create a standard template for monitor design and uniform construction standards. Dynamic Ratings provided a comprehensive solution including hardware planning, field installation and commissioning services.
- For phase two, Dynamic Ratings provided the programming, training support, project management and coordination of product delivery.
- As time went on, asset data was brought back to a central location and stored using a data historian which allowed staff access for fleet assessment planning.
This system provided operational awareness, analysis tools and context rating of transformer assets for the utility.