Contribution to Fault Analysis and Transformer Protection Using Symmetrical Components

Power transformers are generally very reliable, with a life expectancy of between 20 and 35 years. However, any failure of a transformer is potentially costly to repair or replace with another. In practice, it can be up to 60 years with proper maintenance and operation. Continuous or exceptional operation in an overload regime to supply a large population can lead to premature ageing and shorten the life of the transformer, considerably increasing the risk of failure. Failures are usually initiated by severe conditions, such as lightning strikes, network switching, short circuits, or other incidents. The aim of the proposed study is to develop new techniques for monitoring, digital protection, maintenance, surveillance and diagnostics of power transformers. This will enable us, subsequently, to deal with faults and maintain an acceptable level of performance by reconfiguring the power transformer monitoring laws.