Automated Transformer Bund Wall Drainage System to Mitigate Climate Change Risks

In the age of the digital transformation and all the potential benefits and modernized proposals that it promises, it is important for power utilities to begin implementation of these proposed benefits rather than wait for a ‘step-change’ that may never come. To clarify this, an automated transformer bund wall drainage system has been proposed in this paper. This system would replace the manual intervention that is presently required to periodically drain the transformer bund of accumulated rainwater. The proposed Internet of Things (IoT) based system would be required to autonomously detect the level of rainwater, drain it when required to ensure adequate containment of transformer oil in the event of a leak and also to ensure that transformer oil would not release into the environment. With the anticipated increase in precipitation due to climate change this system would eliminate the increased environmental risk and also save maintenance costs by reducing the need for human intervention and labour.