Transformer Monitoring via Humidity Sensor Data Filtering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for monitoring transformers, especially outdoor ones, face challenges in providing reliable long-term data due to environmental influences like moisture and dust, which can falsify measurements and delay error detection.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves acquiring transformer measurement data and humidity readings using a moisture sensor, where the evaluation circuit generates a monitoring result by disregarding data points affected by humidity, ensuring only plausible readings are considered, thus avoiding measurement falsification and enabling reliable long-term monitoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If transformer measurement information is continuously monitored over time, then long-term monitoring capability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to environmental influences like moisture and dust

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring durationVSAvoidmeasurement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

A humidity sensor is introduced as an intermediary device to detect environmental humidity levels. The sensor provides humidity measurement information that serves as a mediator to identify when environmental conditions are affecting transformer measurements, allowing the system to distinguish between valid measurement changes and environmentally-induced distortions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system monitors humidity as an additional parameter alongside transformer electrical properties. By tracking changes in humidity levels over time, the system can correlate humidity variations with measurement anomalies and adjust the interpretation of transformer data based on environmental parameter changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If measurement values are averaged over time to compensate for environmental influences, then reliability of compensation is improved, but loss of information occurs as potential faults become apparent only later

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompensation reliabilityVSAvoidfault detection timeliness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by continuously comparing humidity measurement information with transformer measurement information. When humidity levels indicate environmental interference, the system provides feedback to exclude affected measurements from averaging calculations, maintaining compensation reliability while preserving timely fault detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The averaging window dynamically adjusts based on humidity conditions. When high humidity is detected, the system reduces or excludes measurements taken during those periods from the average, making the compensation process dynamic rather than static, thereby preventing both over-compensation and loss of critical fault information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If transformer measurement information is averaged including all data points, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to distorted values from moisture

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata processing simplicityVSAvoidmonitoring result precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The humidity sensor acts as an intermediary that automatically identifies which measurements are distorted by moisture. This eliminates the need for manual inspection and selection of valid data points, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring only precise measurements are included in the average.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by automatically filtering out distorted measurements based on humidity data without requiring external intervention. The evaluation circuit autonomously determines which measurements to include or exclude, preserving operational simplicity while improving precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach ensures accurate and reliable monitoring results by filtering out data influenced by moisture, improving the quality and reliability of transformer condition assessments over time.

Implementation Method 1

additionally acquiring humidity measurement information with a humidity sensor, wherein the humidity measurement information indicates a presence of moisture at the location of the transformer device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHumidity sensing: Hygrometer

Data Source

PatentEP4016102B1Automatic monitoring of a transformer device
Publication Date: 2023.07.05 OMICRON ENERGY SOLUTIONS GMBH
  • EP4016102B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4016102B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4016102B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for automatically monitoring a transformer device (10). A transformer measurement value, indicating an electrical property of the transformer device (10) to be monitored, is acquired by a measuring device (21). A humidity measurement value is acquired by a humidity sensor (26, 27, 28). The humidity measurement value indicates the presence of moisture at the location of the transformer device (10). An evaluation circuit (22) generates a monitoring result for the transformer device (10) based on the transformer measurement value and the humidity measurement value.