Condition monitoring in power transformers

Condition monitoring is a technique which may be adopted to reduce nonplanned downtime and increase plant availability. To be successful it must be self sufficient and not require manual intervention or detailed analysis. It must be capable of detecting gradual or sudden deterioration and trends and have predictive capabilities to permit alarming in sufficient time to allow appropriate action to be taken and avoid major failure. It must be reliable and not reduce the integrity of the system, it must not require undue maintenance itself and must be a cost effective solution. The authors briefly discuss transformer integrity, winding stability, insulation strength and oil quality, operating temperature, and monitoring systems