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Power station makes use of HYDAC transformer care unit (TCU) to maintain critical transformer availability.
A peaking power station in Queensland uses two gas turbines to provide peaking power.
“A peaking power station generally only runs to provide electricity during peak demand,” HYDAC Fluid Power Engineer Albert Dobis points out.
“Typically, peaking power stations run gas turbines or diesel fuel turbines because they are easy to quickly start and run when needed and turn off when no longer needed.
“In this case the station has two gas turbines, with each generating unit supplying power to the grid via two critical 190MVA ABB transformers, which were manufactured and commissioned
in 1999.”
Mr Dobis explains that the transformers are “oil submerged”, meaning that the insulating paper inside the transformer is fully submerged in oil.
“There are in fact 45,000L litres of insulating oil in each transformer, and what happens over time is that the insulating paper in the transformer degrades with the degradation of the oil,” he says.
“Transformer insulating oil has some gases in it, typically up to 10%, which contribute to the oil ageing and the insulating paper degrading over time.
“Therefore, it’s important to keep the oil clean and free from contaminants such as gases and moisture to increase the life of that insulating paper.”
According to Mr Dobis, the power station approached HYDAC to assist it to slow the oil ageing process down to a minimum
by reducing oxygen and moisture levels and thereby increase the remaining cellulose’s lifespan.
“Reducing oil changes to a minimum and increasing the safety and availability of transformers by reducing the gas and moisture in the oil and thereby maintaining or increasing dielectric strength and reducing risk of failure were of significant importance to the station,” Mr Dobis emphasises.
HYDAC’s solution was to connect a TCU to the transformer to assist with the removal of gases, moisture, and particulate.
“Particulate in closed transformers is often not too much of a problem because it’s a closed system that’s well sealed from the environment,” Mr Dobis points out.
“Therefore, there’s not much of particulate that can get into the system, but the gases and moisture from condensation are an issue. It’s here that the TCU shows itself as a great product from HYDAC.”
Mr Dobis explains that the TCU operates via a vacuum chamber that removes all the gases and moisture in the oil.
