Condition Monitoring

Transformer Testing

A power transformer is a critical high value piece of equipment requiring thorough inspection and testing during manufacturing, installation, and commissioning stages. Electrical testing can reveal a range of manufacturing and design defects, internal deficiencies, damage from transportation and on-site assembly. Factory testing and on-site acceptance establishes base line data for future testing and asset life management. Our transformer testing programmes include:

• Field testing
• Commissioning testing
• Periodic (Condition Monitoring) Testing
• Fault Testing
• High Voltage AC Testing
• Separate Source Overvoltage Test
• Induced Overvoltage Testing at Elevated Frequency
• Induced Overvoltage Testing at 50Hz
• Partial Discharge – Inception and Extinction points

Case Study – Fault Investigation on Power Transformers

Non-Invasive Testing

Select Solutions offer a wide range of in-service condition assessment techniques to help support asset management and on-going maintenance programmes. Tailored non-invasive assessment programmes are designed for specific types of electrical plant to best manage the asset life based on age, loading and operational history. Effective assessment programmes allow asset managers to ascertain potential problems and implement corrective action before an outage or failure occurs. The range of non-invasive asset condition assessment services includes:

• Thermographic Inspections
• Corona surveys
• RF and ultrasonic scanning
• TEV (Transient Earth Voltage) assessment
• EMF measurements
• Visual Inspection

Corrosion Protection

Corrosion protection systems are designed, monitored, and maintained as a cost effective means of preserving and controlling maintenance and replacement costs on underground metallic structures. Select Solutions is highly experienced in the design, installation, and commissioning of cathodic protection systems from sacrificial galvanic anodes to more complex auto-controlled impressed current systems. Correct system selection requires consideration of many factors including type of coatings, presence of stray currents, soil resistivity, proximity to nearby metallic structures, the availability of power supply and the economics of implementing the system. Our corrosion protection services include:

• Protection Level Monitoring
• Corrosion Protection Fault Surveys
• Coating Defect Surveys
• Electrolysis Testing
• Electrical Surge Protection

 

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Calibration & Electrical Testing

The Select Solutions Calibration & Testing group have held NATA Accreditation for over 45 years, proudly boasting a number of staff with more than 35 years individual service. Our services include:

• Calibration of test equipment from hand held digital multimeters to high speed meters
• Current and voltage transformers
• Impulse testing to 160kV
• Acceptance testing on elevating test platforms (ETP) 275kV
• Calibration of very low frequency high voltage test sets (0.1tlzts)
• Calabration of portable high voltage test sets
• Onsite calibration of instrumentation
• Earthgrid testing
  • Earthgrid resistance
  • Potential rise
  • Step and touch potential
  • EPR contors
  • Soil resistivity

Chemical Analysis

The Select Solutions laboratory offers a comprehensive range of oil and gas chemical analysis services. Our services cover a wide variety of both routine and non-routine analyses. All of these tests form an integral part of diagnostic testing and condition monitoring programmes in maintaining HV electrical plant and equipment.

In essence, a comprehensive condition monitoring programme provides a window into the internal workings of your critical electrical plant and equipment, chemical analysis is your most valuable asset management tool for the early detection of insulation deterioration and potential failure modes.

Select Solutions has been undertaking chemical analysis for the utility and manufacturing industries for over 20 years and we place great value in the integrity of our historical asset database. This history is integral to our analytical experience and the interpretation of your test results.

Some of the analyses we perform are:

• Dissolved Gas Analysis (Headspace DGA)
• Oil Colour and Appearance, Water Content and Acidity
• Interfacial tension; Sediment and Sludge
• Dielectric Dissipation Factor, Volume Resistivity and Electric
• Breakdown Voltage
• Monitoring of Inhibited oils
• Particle Profile
• Furan and Passivator Analysis (including Estimated DPv)
• Degree of Polymerisation of paper samples.
• SF6 Gas Analysis

SCADA (Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition)

Select Solutions have developed an extensive capability across a range of SCADA, telemetry, instrumentation, process control and communication technologies applicable to the latest start-of-the-art control systems. As a result, our engineers & technicians have extensive expertise in all facets of control systems, specialising in field based SCADA equipment and telemetry.

The technology and services required for these sophisticated and highly accurate systems are provided by our dedicated SCADA group. The team has extensive experience stemming from our own internal need to have robust and reliable SCADA systems on our Electricity Transmission Network, Electricity Distribution Network (Eastern Victoria) and our Gas Distribution Network (Western Victoria). Select Solutions also has a number of external works contracts managing, maintaining and upgrading similar distributed SCADA & communications systems. Some of the services we offer are:

• Business case analysis, development and functional specifications
• SCADA strategic planning and lifecycle management
• Design and implementation of communications and telemetry systems
• Commissioning and support of utility and real-time control technologies such as DCS, PLC, RTU, Communications and other field devices
• Project management, implementation management, upgrades and migrations of SCADA/Technology systems
• SCADA system support services and augmentations
• SCADA system risk assessment, management and mitigation

 

Cable Testing

Select Solutions offer leading edge testing services for power cables and underground cable systems. The testing services include field commissioning, condition assessment and fault investigation. Field commissioning is highly recommended to guarantee the designed cable life expectancy. This ensures that the cables and their accessories are delivered on site in good condition, correctly assembled and installed as per customer specifications. Select Solutions diagnostic testing services provide condition assessment of aged cable systems and help customers to establish a strategic planning on asset life management.

Our range of cable testing services includes:

• Field Testing
• Installation Testing (Pre-commissioning)
• High Voltage AC Testing (50 Hz or Variable Frequency)
• Partial Discharge Testing
• Tan δ and Capacitance Measurement
• VLF (Very Low Frequency) Testing
• OWTS (Oscillating Wave Test System)
• FDS (Frequency Domain Spectroscopy)
• TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry)