Development, Testing and Calibration of a Low-Cost Sensor for Monitoring of Dissolved Hydrogen Gas in Transformer Oil

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Renewables continue to stand out as the fastest growing energy market. Solar panels and wind turbines do not produce greenhouse gases or other emissions and, as technology matures, equipment costs continue to drop. Increasing penetration of wind and solar power requires installation of large numbers of transformers, which are necessary to step up the low voltage renewable electricity to high voltage levels required by the distribution grid. In oil-filled transformers, thermal decomposition of the oil can lead to the generation of a number of combustible gases including methane, ethylene, acetylene and hydrogen. This process can lead to a number of undesirable and potentially dangerous conditions and, ultimately, explosion. Therefore, quantification and transient analysis of dissolved gases in transformer oil is necessary for proper transformer operation and safety. Iris Power LP is excited to collaborate with Prof. David Simakov, University of Waterloo, in order to develop, test and calibrate a low-cost sensor for continuous monitoring of dissolved hydrogen in transformer oil for renewable energy applications. The aim of this Collaborative Research & Development Program is to complete the development of the dissolved hydrogen sensor, which will be commercialized by the company upon the program completion.