The fire that brought the authority at Heathrow Airport earlier this year was more than one time disturbance; It was a warning. Behind the power outages lies a less clear issue and a system that suffers from airports, logistical corridors, and critical infrastructure around the world: aging transformers work with slim or non -actual time monitoring.
The accident, which caused the cancellation of more than 100 flights and shipping flows at one of the most busy international airports in the world, has prompted the audit of the reliability of the electrical network. But according to Dave Myers, CEO of H2Scan, the leader in gas sensing technology, the electric power in Heathrow was not unfortunate. It was expected.
“Many of the assets of transformers in the United Kingdom and the United States are more than 40 or 50 years,” Maeers explained. “With the progress of these assets, the risk of internal failure increases. If you do not have continuous monitoring, this is similar to the blind flying.”
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A hidden threat to the reliability of goods
In air conditions and logistical services, the reliability of energy is often assumed, until it disappears. One adapter failure can extend through charging, loading, scanning, cooling, safety systems, and digital infrastructure. However, the health of transformers that operate these systems is rarely examined until the failure occurs.
Historically, the monitoring of transformers relied on taking periodic hand oil, and often every six to 48 months. These samples are analyzed in a laboratory for dissolved gases, such as hydrogen, methane and astelin, which indicate internal errors such as high temperature or bending.
“The problem is that serious mistakes can develop between samples,” Mayers said. “It is like your verification Blood pressure once a year if you are in danger and I hope you do not have a heart attack between them. “
Hydrogen, in particular, is a decisive early indicator. This is the first gas that is launched with high temperatures inside an adapter – sometimes weeks or even months before failure. Therefore, the actual hydrogen sensor provides a possible warning of trouble.
“Hydrogen is the first defense line,” Mayers said. “If you see it at a height, you can take action before the situation becomes disastrous.”
According to the Heathrow fire, by a transformer error that was not discovered at a sub -station that serves air traffic control systems at the airport. While investigations are still ongoing, the economic impact is already clear. Industry analysts estimate the cost of the disturbance, which is more than 100 million pounds, or approximately 6 to 7 million pounds per hour in the revenue of the lost passengers and gospels.
“We have seen the costs of stopping work within half a million dollars per hour in other industrial sites,” Meers. “For the main airport, this number is highly higher.”
In addition to financial losses, the failure of the environmental and regulatory safety transformers and risks. The leaked oil from failed units near rivers or coastal centers can lead to costly cleaning. Hospitals, data centers, and cold chain warehouses are exposed to the same, especially since the temperatures fluctuate on a wider scale and the electrification increases the demand for old assets.
Until recently, continuous monitoring was a dedicated luxury for the most valuable or important transformers. DGA gas analysis systems (DGA) cost tens of thousands of dollars and requires a closure of installation. This barrier is now collapsing.
“We can now install hydrogen sensors in less than two hours, without taking the converter without contact,” explained Maires. “Airports or data centers can quickly adjust the aging units and start receiving data in an actual time immediately.”
This cost -effective approach acquires strength, not only among asset operators but also insurance companies, who are increasingly providing distinct discounts for monitored equipment. “Insurance companies have become the first engine,” Mayers said. “They motivate monitoring as a strategy to relieve risk.”
International standards such as IEEE and Cigré write monitoring requirements in new guidelines, while fire safety organizations such as NFPA raise the image of prevention of electrical fires through better diagnoses.
However, the transformation is not universal. The facilities sector remains conservative, and it often gives priority to stability for innovation. But Maires sees the signs of transition.
“It is not realistic to adjust each adapter in a short period,” he confessed. “The key is to set priorities. Start with the most important assets-those associated with passenger operations, charging the cold chain, air traffic systems-and building from there.”
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Use cases from the field
Myers shared many cases in the real world that prevented the monitoring of hydrogen failure. In one case, the increasing trend in hydrogen levels discovered a loose connection within a large adapter – a problem, was not discovered, which would have ended in the interruption. In another case, operators used data to determine transit nails associated with temporary errors, and avoid costly and unnecessary interventions.
“It is not only a matter of discovery,” Mayers said. “It comes to understanding the behavior of your assets. This allows you to avoid wrong warnings, determine maintenance priorities, and to extend the age of assets in the end.”
AI and machine learning started playing a role here as well, with predictive models built from continuous sensor data, not just periodic samples. The more data is collected in real time, the more accurate the future failure predictions can become.
For airports that work increasingly as logistical centers, with e -commerce, damage, medicines, and electronics that flow up to 24/7, the electrical infrastructure flexibility behind the scenes raises the priority list. With an electrification speed, it will be, especially in ground processes, processing of goods, network stability and monitoring an institution for operational continuity.
Mayer concluded that “the monitoring of transformers is no longer just a source of engineering anxiety.” “It is a work continuity strategy, a fire safety scale, and environmental commitment in one.”
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