Customer shipping begins for unique in-oil condition monitoring probe that provides critical early warning information to track transformer faults.
VAISALA CORPORATION
Vaisala, a global leader in environmental and industrial measurement, has shipped the first customer orders for a new Moisture, Hydrogen, and Temperature Transmitter -MHT410 – designed to help power and energy utilities minimize transformer-related downtime and, in doing so, address a significant energy bottleneck.
High voltage transformers are a critical component in the generation and transmission of electricity worldwide. For all key energy sectors, transformers remain a key point of vulnerability. This is because any downtime experienced will prevent the export of electricity, leading to substantial financial losses for asset owners and operators and energy shortfalls for national grids. Lead times for transformer repairs and replacements can be several months, greatly exacerbating associated business interruption costs.
MHT410 Gives Early Warning Information to Diagnose and Resolve Issues
Efficient condition monitoring is one of the only recognized means of proactively mitigating the risk of transformer downtime and its associated costs. Measuring the
hydrogen content in transformer oil and the speed of its formation allows a utility to detect and assess the severity of a fault situation, while monitoring moisture content is an important indication of the condition of transformer insulation paper as well the oil’s ability to act as an insulator.
However, conventional solutions often fall short when it comes to providing accurate measurements and reliable real-time data.
Vaisala’s Moisture, Hydrogen and Temperature Transmitter (MHT410) continuously monitors changes in high-voltage transformer insulating oil, providing accurate real-time measurements and online trend data to facilitate reliable early decision making. The MHT410 swiftly recognizes transformer fault conditions,allowing Vaisala’s customers to diagnose and resolve potential problems before any further damage is done. This data subsequently allows operators to conduct thorough predictive maintenance planning to minimize expensive service shutdowns and outages.
Unlike conventional measurement devices, the MHT410 benefits from a unique adjustable probe design that’s installed in the transformer oil. This places its sensors in direct contact with representative oil in the transformer providing measurements and data with unparalleled accuracy. Information collected by the probe is instantly available to project operators and is designed to integrate seamlessly with most data acquisition systems.
While many devices available on the market incorporate complex pumps, hoses,batteries and other consumable parts, the MHT410 is built to last and has no service or replacement needs that may affect the reliable long-term performance of the probe. Maintenance-free, with no calibration or adjustment required after installation, the MHT410 fits into a variety of transformer valves and can be installed and ready to use within minutes – as experienced by a number of beta clients.
Beta Customers Happy to Use MHT410 as Key Part of Long-Term Maintenance Strategy
Maintenance Engineer Mikko Piironen from Vantaa Energy Electricity Networks Ltd says: "With Vaisala’s MHT410 transmitter we have an altogether more practical and reliable means of monitoring transformer performance. It allows us to optimize the technical life cycle of our transformers and react to potential faults in the very early phase of their development – avoiding costly interruptions to production.
The reliability and long-lasting nature of the MHT410’s technology make it a key part of our long-term maintenance strategy, helping to extend the lifetimes of our transformers."
Vantaa Energy Electricity Networks Ltd is one of Finland’s largest urban energy companies, producing and selling electricity and district heating. The company is responsible for the construction and maintenance of district heating networks in Vantaa, Finland.
About Vaisala
Vaisala is a global leader in environmental and industrial measurement. Building on 79 years of experience, Vaisala contributes to a better quality of life by providing a comprehensive range of innovative observation and measurement products and services for chosen weather-related and industrial markets. Headquartered in Finland, Vaisala employs approximately 1500 professionals worldwide and is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki stock exchange.
The MHT410 is now available to purchase. For more product details, please visit our product page.