Vibration monitoring on power transformer

Nowadays electrical utilities or industries are trying to monitor their electrical apparatus with online monitoring, without shutting the apparatus down. We are in PLN has taken this monitoring concept by applying vibration monitoring. This vibration monitoring has been applied to some of the transformers as a pilot project in PLN Region Jakarta and Banten. As voltage applied to the transformer, vibration is produced. This vibration level depends on the transformer construction and design. Vibration level shall increased by through fault current, phase. to ground or phase to phase fault. This electrical fault will change the transformer core or winding construction by mechanical force produced. The effect of the fault can be found by measuring the vibration level before and after several faults on low voltage side. In this method, vibration level is measured by putting twelve magnetic vibration sensors on the transformer's body in the same height, six sensors on each side. By using this configuration, the transformer vibration can be measured confidently from different sides. Further investigation is still needed to determine the transformer condition by measuring the vibration level after fault on low voltage side.