By Chris Rutledge

"Due to their relatively low cost, network transformers pose a unique challenge when attempting to quantify return on investment of online monitoring and justify the expense associated with it."

While the application of online monitoring has become common for most big-ticket substation items, from large power transformers to high voltage circuit breakers, little attention has been given to equipment outside the fence, as the relatively low cost of distribution equipment makes it difficult to justify the expense associated with online monitoring.

However, network transformers pose a unique challenge when attempting to quantify this return on investment. Low voltage secondary network systems are used to increase reliability in the downtown areas of most major cities across the world, requiring these transformers to serve highly critical infrastructures such as hospitals and large office buildings, placing them in close proximity to large segments of the general public.

These factors significantly increase the need to observe the why when considering the implementation of online monitoring on network transformers.

To read the full article, log in to your account and click the Download button or subscribe.

{TT_PDF_ARTICLE why-monitor-network-transformers}

This article was originally published in the December 2019 issue of the Critical Failure: Modes & Prevention magazine.

View Magazine