Dr Paulina Nieves is head of the transformer oil laboratory at Electrical Oil Services (EOS) in Hamburg, Germany. As an experienced chemist with extensive knowledge of laboratory management, she greatly appreciates the benefits of the EOS® transformer database, which enables optimal and professional documentation and maintenance control. Plant operators can use the database to gain an insight into the condition of their transformers, plan predictive maintenance measures and ultimately maximise the efficiency and service life of their equipment. Read more about the EOS® transformer database in this interview.
"Our customers can rely on us to provide well-founded recommendations for action and make their decisions based on data. Our EOS® transformer database ensures this. We store all important information on transformers in this database and supplement it with insulating oil data from the maintenance intervals. This is how we support our customers in optimising their asset management."
Dr Nieves, you are responsible for the insulating oil analyses at EOS®. How good or how accurate are the statements about the oil quality and therefore also the condition of the transformers?
The insulating oil analyses that we carry out regularly help us to assess the condition of the transformers very well. We work with certified and regularly calibrated devices with which we can certify our results. We also document all results in the EOS® transformer database.
Our customers can rely on our well-founded recommendations for action and make their decisions based on data. We store all important information on transformers in our transformer database and supplement this with insulating oil data from the maintenance intervals. This is how we support our customers in optimising their asset management.
You are talking about data-based decisions. How can operators of power transformers use the EOS® transformer database?
The data we enter is ideally prepared in the EOS® transformer database. Our customers have access to the database on request and can set their visualisation of the available and desired information using drag-and-drop. Our test reports are digitised and can be shared and commented on. Important parameters can be recognised at a glance - for example, the condition of the transformers is classified using a traffic light system.
Our customers can therefore see immediately whether something needs to be done immediately with a transformer (red), whether an insulating oil sample is recommended within a shorter period of time (orange) or whether a transformer is not due for an insulating oil sample until a later date, for example (green).
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How do you obtain the insulating oil data recorded in the EOS® transformer database?
As soon as an insulating oil sample is taken by an EOS® team member, a form is always filled out. With this form, and of course with the completed label on the bottle of the insulating oil sample, the sample can be assigned to the correct transformer. In this way, important information for both the analysis and the subsequent documentation ends up in the transformer database.
For each insulating oil sample taken, the form records the transformer's make, year of manufacture, output and location, when the sample was taken and the temperature of the insulating oil when the sample was taken. It also states which analyses are required, the reason for the analysis and whether there is a previous history. A sample number is also always assigned, which is important for enquiries.
In the EOS® laboratory, we then examine and analyse the insulating oil samples as specified or requested by the customer and enter the data obtained into our transformer database.
Which data is particularly important for the documentation of insulating oil samples in the EOS® transformer database?
The more data we know about a transformer, the more accurately we can make statements and predictions. This is why an efficient transformer database includes a large number of parameters. They are essential for the management of transformers, there is data relating to the design and location, historical operating data and diagnostic measurement and evaluation data.
Important parameters for the EOS® transformer database are, for example
- Age of the transformer (year)
- Oil type in the transformer
- Date of oil sampling
- Data on the load
- Data on the rated power
- Data on the ambient temperature
- Information on the design
- Information on exceptional events
- Data on service intervals
- Test results, e.g. VDE, DGA, PCB etc.
All tests carried out by us are recorded in the EOS® transformer database. Both routine tests in accordance with IEC 60422 and customised analyses. We do the same with furfural analyses and analyses to determine paper thickness. As already mentioned - the better and more comprehensive the data, the more meaningful our recommendations for action.
Find out here about other IEC and DIN analyses and what makes the services of the EOS® laboratory and the EOS® transformer database so special:
- EOS® Laboratory Check: How our laboratory tests the quality of your insulating oil
- EOS® Transformer Database: Sound decisions in transformer management - Interview
Conclusion
The EOS® transformer database includes a wide range of parameters. In addition to the transformer ID, information on the design, manufacturer and year of manufacture is important, as well as the rated power, rated voltage and frequency. Data on the oil quality and all previous and current test results are also stored. Together with information on service intervals and maintenance history, these parameters form a comprehensive picture of the condition of all transformers in a fleet. By consolidating this information in the EOS® transformer database, operators and EOS® customers can identify patterns in the performance and condition of their transformers at a glance, plan and budget for predictive maintenance and ultimately maximise the efficiency and service life of their equipment.
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