Transformer Watchman is the R&D 100 winner of the day

Developer: National Energy Technology Lab
Co-Developer: University of Pittsburgh Sensible Photonics
The Transformer Watchman is a simple-to-use and integrated measurement system that monitors large power and distribution transformers and reports on the health of these critical components. It is an optical fiber-based sensor system with several key measuring devices to check transformer health in real time. Transformers fail when overheating or when insulating oil degrades, so temperature monitoring and dissolved gas analysis (DGA) for the insulating oil are critical for transformer health monitoring. With Transformer Watchman, system operators have real-time distributed temperature measurements, vibration data, and most importantly, dissolved gas concentrations in real-time. The system’s AI-driven data engine then reports on the current health of the transformer system.