Services |
- Power transformers and shunt reactors prophylaxis
- Switchgear apparatus prophylaxis (circuit breakers)
- Instrument transformers prophylaxis
- Surge arresters prophylaxis
- Switchgear apparatus prophylaxis (medium voltage prefabricated substations)
- Switchgear apparatus prophylaxis (disconnectors)
- Power system grounding analysis
- Infrared thermography
- System for mechanical condition assessment of power transformers using frequency response analysis – ARF method –
- System for mechanical condition assessment of power transformers using low voltage impulse method – IJT method –
- Renewable energy sources
Infrared thermography
Preventive and predictive maintenance
Infrared thermography is a non-destructive investigation technique extremely efficient in locating electric faults that produce excess heat (mainly imperfect contacts, loose or corroded), or other kinds of faults, manifested also by excess and dangerous overheating such as:
- faulty dimensioning of the current path in the electrical networks;
- faulty dimensioning of equipment main parameters (such as distribution transformers having rated power;
- less than the one requested by consumers);
- excessive stray fluxes in the tank walls of the power transformers;
- excessive Foucault currents in the low voltage bushings area, at the set power transformers;
- damages of the thermal protection envelope of some systems (those envelopes are meant to limit the energy losses or to thermally protect the operating personal), etc.
Statistics show that the incidence of such faults is rather low in high voltage installations (about 1%), but rise steeply to 8-10% in medium and low voltage ones.
At the large transformers with rated power over 100 MVA and rated voltage between 110 and 750 kV, international statistics show that about 5 % of the annually faults are due only to the excess overheating of the bushings contacts.
The thermographic inspection makes possible a quick and precise location of the faults, keeping equipment in operation. It also allows the evaluation of the faults gravity, their urgency and repair priority, based on the measured overheating.
Every electrical equipment (transformer, circuit-breakers, switchgear, fuse, motor, etc.) or every industrially installation can be thermographically investigated, directly or indirectly.
Using infrared thermography for the industrial installations diagnosis, as part of the maintenance activity, early faults can be detected and corrected at a proper moment, long time before causing failures.
The duration of the activity interruption can be reduced, by eliminating unplanned outages of the installations and by optimizing planned repairs. That has a direct effect on the total costs, due to energy, repair and insurance costs major diminish. The equipment availability and the work safety are also improved.
NOVA INDUSTRIAL S.A. experts, using a special equipment, can perform thermographic investigations for a quick and precise location of the faults, maintaining installations in operation.
These investigations results are analyzed and interpreted by our specialists. Based on them, they evaluate the faults severity, their urgency and repair priority and they recommend the operation measures required by the current state of the examined utilities.