DNV provides independent assessment of substation equipment covering current condition and future lifetime

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Substation equipment such as transformers, reactors, circuit breakers and cables represents a major capital investment in power stations and grids. Adequate condition and remaining life assessment enables you to determine effective operation, maintenance and replacement strategies and procedures, while controlling risk, costs and quality.

Independent reporting and recommendations
DNV supports you in making these assessments based on an integral method that starts with data analysis at system level and goes down to specific equipment and (sub) components. With this independent condition and lifetime information plus expert recommendations, you can make substantiated operational and business decisions.

Tailored to your needs
Our specialists bring global experience and a thorough understanding of both technical and business processes in this field. Together with you, we select a cost-effective approach that best meets your needs – and we determine the diagnostics and interpretation models to be used.

The approach chosen may focus on detailed condition and remaining life assessment of individual components, or extend to complete populations and fleets. And it can be tailored to specific challenges, such as:

• assessing degradation in specific suspect components
• identifying risky components
• improving maintenance programs
• establishing budgets and a detailed planning for maintenance, replacement or refurbishment.

Analysis data and techniques
Typically, our analyses make use of in-depth knowledge of all types of component, databases with reference data, condition assessment techniques, diagnostic measurement tools and techniques, knowledge rules for diagnostic parameters, risk analysis, Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRAs), and remaining lifetime models.

A full analysis may include:

• desktop analysis of available data
• condition scans of populations, fleets or substations based on visual inspection and online diagnostic techniques
  • partial discharge detection, infrared thermography and oil analysis
• detailed diagnostics of transformers and tap changers, switchgear, cables and their terminations
• lifetime analysis based on a combination of diagnostic techniques and lifetime modelling
  • e.g for transformers, a combination of furfural analysis and loading guide models
• health & risk index modelling to provide a management dashboard.

For users of computerised maintenance management software such as Cascade, we also support implementation of analysis and interpretation knowledge in software algorithms and criteria.