Tata Power patents tech that it claims may help reduce power outages

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), the power distribution company (discom) which supplies electricity to north and northwest Delhi, on Monday said that it had received a patent for a “self-regenerating transformer breather” — a device it claims will help reduce moisture absorption by transformers and increase their longevity. This, officials said, will lead to fewer power outages.

TPDDL currently has more than 31,000 distribution transformers in its jurisdiction, and plans to install this device on most of them in the next five years.

“Due to design limitations, retrofitting will not be possible for certain transformer designs. But for the remaining transformers the installation of self-generating breather will be completed within the next five years,” a TPDDL spokesperson said.

The technology uses waste heat from the top plate of the transformer to minimise moisture content in the air inlet to the Distribution Transformer (DT) Breather, the official explained. TPDDL said that the number of man days required for maintenance is also expected to reduce, with fewer checks required for replacement of silica gel, which is used to protect transformers from moisture damage.

“With the new technology, silica gel will be required to be checked or replaced only during the transformer maintenance schedule, which is generally once in two years. In contrast, in the conventional design, silica gel needs to be replaced four to six times in a maintenance schedule of two years..” the spokesperson added.

The device was manufactured in December 2015, with the power utility carrying out a pilot test in 20 transformers in 2016-17 to positive results, it said.