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Intellix BMT 330
Bushing Monitoring and Partial Discharge Detection for Transformers

Bushings account for a large proportion of High Voltage (HV) substation failures, often causing severe and costly damages. Preventive maintenance, early replacement and regular off-line testing have been employed to address this issue in the past. Now, technology exists that enables asset owners to detect impending failures and reduce their maintenance costs.

GE’s advanced Intellix™ BMT 330 is an on-line system that continuously monitors the condition of the bushings and can also detect developing partial discharge (PD) activity in the transformer main tank. It will alert personnel of fault conditions at an early stage and provide vital health information on the bushings and the transformer.

The Intellix BMT 330 can be utilized as a standalone system to monitor bushing insulation and partial discharge activity, or as an integrated, one-sourced solution with GE’s Kelman TRANSFIX Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) multigas analyzer and Perception Fleet software to provide a more in-depth view of the transformer's condition and root cause of major transformer failures.

 


Key benefits The BMT 330 bushing solution Integrated Solutions

Key Benefits
  • Comprehensive monitoring of transformer bushings and PD activity on a bank of single phase transformers
  • One product combining advanced on-line continuous bushing monitoring and partial discharge activity in the transformer main tank using the same bushing adapter
  • One diagnostic software, GE's Perception™, used for bushing information, PD activity and DGA data analysis, resulting in familiar easy-to-use information
  • One supplier installing, servicing, ensuring proper communication and minimizing administrative burden in order to lower the total cost of ownership of your transformer

Integrated Solution
  • Monitors bushing conditions and detects PD activity in the main tank
  • Can monitor 2 sets of 3 bushings (single phase and three phase transformers)
  • One-source provider that installs and services the entire solution
  • Can be stand-alone or easily integrated with GE's Kelman family of DGA multi-gas units
  • Provides a more comprehensive view of the transformer's condition

Minimal False Alarms
  • Compensation for actual bushing temperature using oil and ambient temperature sensors
  • Discrimination against factors affecting and causing the same effect on all bushings
  • PD to humidity correlation factor using included humidity sensor

Bushing Adapter Protection
  • Bushing analysis and PD detection data obtained using a single sensor
  • Marine-grade aluminum to withstand extreme environmental conditions
  • Redundant resistors ensure the bushing tapping points remain grounded
  • Voltage and surge suppression circuit to always limit voltage from adapters

Intuitive Software
  • Familiar Perception software included for download and visualization of data
  • Easy-to-use individual transformer software that can be upgraded to simultaneously monitor multiple transformers
  • Flexible database/server options to accommodate user requirements

 

Substation
The Intellix BMT 330 Bushing Solution

The Intellix BMT 330 continuously monitors the condition of bushings in real-time and provides end users with the information they are used to receiving from off-line tests, namely changes in capacitance and power factor (tan delta), to assess the bushing dielectric efficiency and insulation integrity.

Using custom made adapters connected at the bushing tapping points, the Intellix BMT 330 measures:

  • The change in bushing leakage current compared with the original values calculated from the bushing nameplate information.
  • The timing differences between the 3 bushing current phases, which translate to phase angle differences relative to each other.

The Intellix BMT 330 measures both oil and ambient temperature. It correlates capacitance changes linked to thermal expansion of the bushing and compensates for the measurements being made at actual bushing operating temperature compared with nameplate values obtained off-line.

Partial Discharge (PD) Detection

PD is a localized breakdown of a small portion of a solid or fluid electrical insulation system that is under high voltage stress, which does not completely bridge the space between two conductors. PD results in localized gradual erosion of the insulation system that eventually leads to failure of the critical insulation between transformer windings. Using the same bushing adapters, the Intellix BMT 330 offers the added advantage of measuring high frequency signals in order to monitor PD activity, giving an added level of protection for the main tank of the transformer.

The amplitude of the PD pulses, as well as the number of pulses, are recorded and used to calculate an overall measure of PD activity. Several methods are used to discriminate between internal PD and external noise (corona discharge).

 

Example of GE's Intellix BMT 330 solution installed on a three-phase transformer
GE's Integrated Solution

Intellix BMT 330 with Kelman TRANSFIX DGA
The Intellix BMT 330 can easily be integrated with GE's Kelman DGA analyzer, giving the end user a unique all-in-one solution that provides a more comprehensive view of the transformer's overall condition, from bushing diagnostics and PD, to complete main tank monitoring.

Increased Asset Reliability
Having an all-in-one integrated solution from GE will significantly increase the ability to detect potential transformer problems at an early stage. The system will provide status on:
  • Deterioration of the bushing insulation
  • Partial discharge activity
  • Moisture content in oil
  • Developing key fault gases H2, CO, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, CO2 and CH4

This helps to decrease the risk of unplanned downtime and improve network reliability.

Perception Software
GE's Perception software allows an operator to easily download and visualize the data available from a critical transformer and use it to make better, more informed decisions. The software is an upgradeable tool, allowing users to view all relevant transformer data from one centralized point .

One-Source Solution Provider
Having a one-source provider for complete transformer monitoring activities can effectively lower installation costs, as well as reduce the administrative burden of coordinating various maintenance crews. GE has extensive experience and worldwide resources available to deliver integrated monitoring solutions and assist customers with transformer challenges, including installations, commissioning, training and on-going technical support.

Substation Automation Example
The application below showcases an integrated solution for bushing and transformer main tank monitoring utilizing the Intellix BMT 330, the Kelman DGA analyzer and the Perception software for data analysis.

bmt330 app examples