Fault Diagnosis of Power Transformers for Hydropower Generation

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Veresen Inc. is a large energy infrastructure company based in Calgary, Alberta. It has main businesses in pipelines, natural gas and power generation, with three hydropower projects operating in British Columbia. Hydropower is an important source of renewable energy, and plays an important role in all provinces in Canada, particularly in British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec. Power transformers are critical components in electricity generation and transmission systems. It is important to ensure the reliable operation of transformers, and their failures will lead to very expensive downtime. An important way to improve transformer reliability is performing health condition monitoring and diagnosis via periodic inspections. In this project, we will develop advanced methods and tools for transformer fault diagnosis and prediction based on artificial intelligence techniques, by fully utilizing the transformer data at Veresen, such as the dissolved gas analysis (DGA) data and oil quality data. The methods and tools to be developed will also be validated using field data. This project will help to improve the system reliability and safety, and reduce the overall operations and maintenance cost at Veresen's hydropower generation plants in Canada. The generated knowledge and tools can potentially benefit the hydropower industry, as well as other engineering systems, such as power networks, renewable energy systems and manufacturing systems.