TRAFCOM, aka ABB Ability™ Asset Manager for Transformers, enables key operational performance data and real time trends for each transformer to be accessed via the cloud. The technology works with any type, make or age of transformer by measuring sounds, vibrations, temperatures and magnetic fields to enable real-time, remote condition and performance monitoring, with no asset downtime or redundancy.
“We operate both dry and oil transformers, which require regular monitoring and inspection,” says Jari-Pekka Korhonen, Operations Manager for Helsinki University Hospital. “For the oil transformers, this required a complete shutdown to take samples – a massive challenge in a busy hospital performing 87 000 surgical procedures every year and with many patients on life-support.”
“We have transformers scattered across this massive site,” notes Korhonen. “My team can’t physically be everywhere, so we needed to be able to monitor and supervise remotely.”
According to ABB, “in less than an hour”, Helsinki University Hospital switched from physical inspection of its transformers to the cloud-based digital solution.
This has not only reduced the requirement for time-consuming physical inspections, and costly shutdowns but also provided the hospital’s management team with a wealth of actionable data around the performance and efficiency of the transformers.
“We are now getting uninterrupted real time data on the transformers, which wasn’t possible with visual inspections that could only tell if there was a leak or change in either the temperature of the unit or the sound it’s making,” adds Korhonen. “We can monitor the transformers 24/7 and are immediately aware of any issues that may require our attention.”
Sixten Holm, Business Development Manager, ABB Electrification Service said: “We have significantly reduced the number of physical inspections required and limited the need to perform oil analysis. Crucial data regarding the health of the electrical system is now readily accessible, enabling early fault detection and improved condition-based maintenance.
“There are many electrical network transformers in the market, which are challenging to monitor without physical intervention and possible shutdown. Some have never been monitored in 15-20 years, due to the high costs and complexity. ABB Ability Asset Manager for Transformers overcomes these barriers as a simple and cost-effective way to modernise the grid.”
ABB says its TRAFCOM next generation transformer sensor is quick and easy to fit, requiring no screws or tooling for installation. Instead, the TRAFCOM sensor can be mounted magnetically onto the transformer within 15 minutes, transmitting data to the cloud almost immediately, significantly reducing the need for any maintenance downtime. It enables users to benefit from real-time monitoring capabilities all within a single, unified interface as part of an end-to-end asset management system.
TRAFCOM offers what ABB describes as a ”4-in-1 proposition”, measuring temperature and humidity, surface temperature, magnetic field, vibration, acoustics, and partial electrical discharges, enabling early detection of anomalies and avoidance of failures, while optimising and planning for maintenance intervals.
This ”seamless switch up to digitalisation” brings all the associated benefits of optimising safety and efficiency of aging equipment, says ABB, including reducing asset CO2 emissions and delivering higher power performance, stability, and availability.
