Schneider Electric launches IoT and software analytics platform to extend lifespan of oil transformers

Schneider Electric has unveiled its EcoStruxure Transformer Expert in the UK and Ireland, aiming to enhance the longevity of oil transformers and minimise downtime.

The digital monitoring solution, both easy to deploy and cost-effective, utilises IoT sensors and software analytics to extend oil transformers’ lifespan.

As a subscription-based service, it monitors oil transformers’ health, offering data, insights into aging, and risk assessment to guide maintenance, repair, and replacement decisions.

CERN has implemented the solution across eight transformers to observe behaviour, assess risk, and refine asset management strategies.

Schneider Electric, a pioneer in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has made its EcoStruxure Transformer Expert service accessible to companies in the UK and Ireland.

This service, designed to prolong the service life of oil transformers and ensure compliance with regulations, employs IoT sensors and sophisticated software analytics for monitoring transformer health. The comprehensive, straightforward solution offers Cloud-based analysis from real-time data, providing insights into aging, risk assessment, alongside expert advice and consultation.

Transformers are pivotal in energy networks, facilitating electrical generation, consumption, and industry power. Downtime can significantly impact businesses, with transformer replacement being notably costly. To maximise uptime and avoid unnecessary expenditure, organisations must monitor their transformers’ health and status in real-time, a legal mandate in the UK and Ireland.

EcoStruxure Transformer Expert alleviates these concerns through IoT monitoring and online health analysis, along with real-time insights into heat, oil temperature, presence of water, noise, and vibrations. This visibility enables medium to large organisations to make informed decisions regarding their transformers’ performance, maintenance, and lifespan.

EcoStruxure Transformer Expert stands out as an all-encompassing, cost-effective, and easily deployed monitoring system for oil transformers. Its features encompass:

Predictive analytics: Utilising real-time monitoring data, Schneider Electric’s experts can anticipate issues before they arise, facilitating more efficient maintenance scheduling. Advanced monitoring tools and automated online analysis track operating states and trends against safe limits.

Reliability: Knowledge of an asset’s health enhances its reliability and reduces downtime risks by enabling maintenance to be scheduled based on actual need. Companies can evaluate short and long-term risks with industry-standard recommendations.

Safety: early detection of potential problems increases transformer safety.

Data-driven decision-making: Real-time data aids in making informed maintenance and asset replacement decisions.

Economic benefits: Increasing asset life expectancy reduces costly replacements, improved maintenance planning lowers maintenance costs, and reduced downtime saves money.

EcoStruxure transformer expert at CERN

CERN, a leading scientific research centre, has adopted EcoStruxure Transformer Expert to enhance monitoring, risk assessment, and asset management for eight transformers. With an annual electricity consumption of 1.3 terawatt-hours, CERN needed a solution to predict its aging transformers’ remaining lifespan for smooth replacements and prioritise upgrades. EcoStruxure Transformer Expert has enabled CERN to maintain these essential assets and plan replacements with minimal operational risk.

David Pownall, Vice President, Services, Schneider Electric UK and Ireland, commented: “Working with CERN to address their transformer challenges has been a point of pride. This project exemplifies our solution’s real-world application and illustrates how our collaboration with clients addresses their unique challenges. Extending the lifespan of equipment is crucial for reducing companies’ carbon footprint. Through EcoStruxure Transformer Expert, companies can optimise their transformers’ lifespan, resulting in reduced waste.”

Schneider Electric is broadening its transformer monitoring solutions portfolio for greater flexibility.

The company offers monitoring services through a software-as-a-service model and a software-only option for overseeing transformer fleets. Here, customers can upload offline dissolved-gas analysis (DGA) reports for initial insights and analytics about their transformers, identifying high-risk equipment for more detailed monitoring and planning replacements, if necessary. Additionally, Schneider Electric provides integration with an EcoCare membership, where it conducts advanced condition-based monitoring for clients, offering insights to enhance transformer and core electrical distribution equipment performance within a customer’s installation.

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