Improvement of a tap changer condition-monitoring approach for predictive maintenance purposes

Tap changers are used in power transformers and reactors for voltage regulation purposes, which is key as networks have become large and interconnected. The recent CIGRE study [1] on transformers reliability confirmed that tap changers are still part of the top three leading causes of transformer failures. Every equipment end-user has a desire to detect defects and prevent failures before a catastrophic eventuality can be experienced. For transformers, and tapchangers in particular, there exist traditional methods of monitoring and predicting failures.