H2scan TM Catalog 2025 - Flipbook - Page 50
Background
The utility was looking for a solution that would
provide visibility to its distribution network and
that could easily integrate into its current SCADA
(Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system.
The utility needed a cost-effective solution that could
be deployed across multiple transformers to allow
crews to better plan maintenance and repairs due
to greater insight and predictability of asset life span
and performance.
The utility’s standard practices for testing were based
on a 12-month cycle. Testing methods involved using
a portable dissolved gas analysis (DGA) machine or
extracting oil from the transformer and sending it for
testing to an internal lab. However, the utility found
that the data supplied by previous methods was slow,
inconsistent and unreliable. It was searching for an
alternative that was:
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Affordable
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Easy to implement
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Supplied reliable and actionable data
Beta Testing H2scan Sensors
In 2023, the utility decided to beta test the H2scan
GRIDSCAN™ 5000 Multi-Sense Monitor on a 30MVA
(mega-volt ampere), 115kV class distribution
transformer, manufactured in 1997. Not only was
the transformer representative of the utility’s aging
infrastructure, but maintenance and operations
staff were also concerned about potential failure
based on previously acquired DGA data. Distribution
transformers typically are not monitored, either in
the U.S. or in Latin America.
In March 2024, a speci昀椀c incident highlighted the
utility’s vulnerability while illustrating the value of the
H2scan monitor. A line fault tripped a switch causing
the transformer to emit gas. The event caused a
through-fault in the transformer, overheating the liquid
insulation and causing the production of hydrogen gas.
Once the utility realized the sensor detected hydrogen
gas, it sent out a crew to make repairs.
Without early detection and the remediation efforts
of the repair crew, this incident could have disrupted
service for the 3,225 users served in this area by
this transformer. This would have cut electrical
service not only to homes and businesses, but also
to hospitals and pumping stations. Moreover, the
downed line could pose serious safety risks to
passersby or create a 昀椀re hazard.
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The Solution
The performance of the H2scan GRIDSCAN 5000
Multi-Sense Monitor in this crisis showcased
its key features. Its early detection capability
provided a timely warning, allowing the utility
to quickly identify and locate the problem.
Unlike the periodic testing it previously relied on,
H2scan’s solution offers continuous, real-time
data, ensuring that issues are caught as they
arise. This real-time monitoring is seamlessly
integrated with the utility’s existing SCADA
systems, making adoption straightforward.
Moreover, the H2scan solution addresses two
critical concerns for utilities: cost and scalability.
Priced at half the cost of competitors’ low-end
options, it offers advanced technology without
straining budgets. This affordability, combined
with its ease of deployment, makes it ideal for
widespread use across multiple transformers
in a distribution network.
Essentially, the H2scan GRIDSCAN 5000 MultiSense Monitor ful昀椀lled the checklist the utility
had developed while seeking a solution to
better track its 昀氀eet of transformers.
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Affordable — The H2scan monitor was half
the cost of other options the utility explored.
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Easy to implement — The GRIDSCAN 5000
Multi-Sense Monitor carries a 10-year
warranty on the sensing element, for a set-itand-forget-it solution that eliminated the need
for the portable DGA monitor or lab testing.
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Reliable, actionable data — The H2scan
sensor supplies continuous monitoring with
real-time data, enabling utility crews to take
swift action to investigate the situation.
pg.50
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