How to maintain the GE Hydran 201Ti (Mark IV) transformer monitoring equipment?

How to maintain the GE Hydran 201Ti (Mark IV) transformer monitoring equipment?

Equipment Overview

Hydran ™  201Ti is a small and easy to set up continuous dissolved gas analysis (DGA) monitor for oil, which can provide IEEE ®  The basic information used in standard C57.104 can serve as an important first line of defense for transformers, providing early warning of fault situations and reducing the risk of unplanned power outages. It adopts fuel cell technology (referred to as fixed instrument method 3 in the standard) and has two gas sensors to choose from: the world-renowned "Hydran composite gas" sensor (100% responsive to hydrogen and sensitive to carbon monoxide, acetylene, and ethylene) and the more basic "hydrogen only" sensor (focused solely on hydrogen production). This monitoring unit is installed on a single valve and uses dynamic oil sampling, without the need for pumps or additional pipelines to connect to different valves. Due to its simple function and easy to understand information, it has been one of the preferred monitoring devices for many years and ranks among the top in terms of installation volume among all DGA monitoring devices.

Main advantages

Continuously measure critical fault gases to understand the condition of the transformer.

Gas sensors can be selected: traditional "composite gas" sensors or more basic "hydrogen only" sensors.

Remote transmission of gas ppm and gas change rate values to avoid on-site visits and achieve remote monitoring.

The fourth generation design, which has undergone continuous improvement, has sold over 25000 units worldwide.

Application scenarios

Power company: Provide simple and effective solutions for less important transformers, focusing on and prioritizing asset replacement strategies.

Industrial factories: Reduce the risk of process interruptions caused by power failures and minimize costly production downtime.

Convenient asset supervision: permanently installed on a single transformer oil valve, without the need for additional pipelines or pumps; The "composite gas" sensor responds 100% to hydrogen gas (a common fault gas) and is sensitive to carbon monoxide (paper overheating), acetylene (arc), and ethylene (oil overheating), thus covering the main root cause of the fault; The 'hydrogen only' gas sensor is simpler and only responds 100% to general faulty gas hydrogen.

Configurable alarms

An alarm is triggered when abnormal levels of faulty gas are detected.

Two alert levels can be set (one for warning and one for alert) to display an increase in severity.

The alarm can be set at the gas ppm level or the hourly or daily gas change rate (ROC).

Automatic self check every 15 days, if a fault is detected (including power failure, oil valve closure, sensor or battery replacement), a service alarm will be triggered.

HMI

Backlit LCD display screen shows gas information.

A keyboard used to stop devices and confirm alarms.

GE's highly acclaimed Perception ™ Software compatibility, downloadable, trend analysis, and analysis of transformer data.

Mark IV improvements

A thorough overhaul was conducted to improve the durability of the sensor, and new electronic boards and power supplies were used to comply with RoHS standards, while also enhancing the reliability and performance of the equipment.

Equipped with a local USB port, replacing the RS-232 port that is no longer available on most on-site laptops.

Adopting Modbus through isolated RS-485 ®  Protocol communication realizes the digital output of registers.

Controller

Hydran 201Ti can be connected to optional controllers to facilitate communication with multiple units and create local networks.

Ci-1 controller: a single channel controller that can replicate some human-machine interface functions (gas value display, alarm button). It is ideal when the 201Ti is installed in a difficult to reach position on the upper valve of the transformer. It can also lead out alarm relay contacts and analog outputs for easy wiring.

Ci-C controller: capable of receiving up to four 201Ti gas ppm data, providing a single communication point for all four monitoring instruments, without alarm relays or analog outputs, ideal for protecting 3 single-phase transformers and 1 backup transformer.

Through its RS-485 port, up to 32 controllers or 201Ti can be daisy chained, with a maximum chain length (total of all cables) of 1200 meters (4000 feet). All 201Ti connected to any daisy chained controller can be accessed through any controller in the local network, making communication easier, such as by installing only one RS-232 modem.

Technical specifications

Measurement: The fuel cell type sensor is located behind the breathable membrane in contact with the transformer insulation oil, with a measurement range of 25-2000 ppm (volume/volume, hydrogen equivalent), an accuracy of ± 10% reading ± 25 ppm (hydrogen equivalent), and a response time of 10 minutes (90% step change). The "composite gas" sensor has a 100% response to hydrogen gas and varying degrees of sensitivity to carbon monoxide, acetylene, and ethylene, with a repeatability of ± 5% of readings or the larger of ± 5 ppm; The "hydrogen only" sensor only responds 100% to hydrogen, with interference from carbon monoxide, acetylene, and ethylene at concentrations less than 3%, and a repeatability of ± 5% of readings or the larger of ± 10 ppm.