Services

Diagnostic, Predictive and Prescriptive Analysis
Experience and Data Driven Operational and Financial Decisions

Performance Scrutiny

Performance Scrutiny is a series of online and offline tests to establish the performance of an asset under normal or fault conditions. Performance Scrutiny has proven for decades to be a valuable tool but requires expert diagnostics through sound engineering theory and extensive experience. The conclusions draw from the test results must provide a condition of the asset and not merely indicating Pass or Fail.

Our technical team have established a database of thousands of assets within the African continent. This has proven to be effective tool in understanding asset failure modes within our local conditions and providing the optimum solution to customers. Congru Solutions relies on our tried and tested five (5) step approach for Performance Scrutiny.

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Test Data Analytics (Interpretation of Test Data)
(based a diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive outcomes)

Accurate and confident analysis of test results (data) requires both experience and a sound understanding of the asset in equal quantities for an effective assessment. Sadly, most analytics of data is not based on the condition indicators of the asset but more on a pass or fail criteria. The pass or fail criteria:
  • does not provide suitable information that can be used for example in the development of a suitable Health/Risk Indices
  • does not provide predictive and prescriptive information for the customer
  • are based on antiquated guideline numbers or guideline that do not take into consideration our local conditions
  • does not take into consideration historical data

Analysis is also performed by a very few test equipment manufacturers. However, the drawback is that:

  • the analysis is subject to using their test equipment,
  • the test data is typically sent to Europe or US for analysis which results in delays
  • this may not be a free service and can be expensive

Congru Solutions eliminates these challenges faced by customers by providing a comprehensive data analytics solution. Firstly, our Engineers provides analytic services to customers irrespective of the test equipment used. We are based in South Africa which ensures no delay and no high foreign service costs. Over the last few decades Congru’s engineers have fine tuned their test data analytics to produce diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive outcomes. During this period, they also developed a Health Indices/Risk Indices for Transformer Fleet Management for local transformer by focusing on the condition indicates. As part of this development process our technical team has established a database of thousands of assets within the African continent. This has proven to be an effective tool were benchmarking test results and understanding asset failure modes within our local conditions. In this way providing the optimum solution to customers. For examples of this process please read our case studies by clicking on the button below.

 

Transformer Condition Assessment Strategy
(with Health Indices/Risk Indices for Transformer Fleet Management)

Fleet Appraisal is the technical appraisal performed by a transformer specialist on readily available information (such as DGA, Oil Quality and Furans. The fleet is also compared to our database of transformers to identify weaknesses from sister units. The transformers are then ranked and assigned a risk index based on their condition indicators

Fleet Survey are activities within Fleet Appraisal accompanied by online diagnostic tests. No outage is required to perform Partial Discharge and IR scans. The Transformer specialist takes into consideration these online tests and assigns a risk index and ranking of the transformer based on their condition indicators.

Fleet Scrutiny is typically performed on transformers that have been identified with a poor score from Fleet Appraisal or Fleet Survey. Further investigation would require offline electrical testing. The Transformer specialist performs a very detailed and thorough analysis of each transformer and then assigns each transformer a risk index and in so doing creates a ranking based on condition indicators.

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Substation
Circuit
Serial
OEM
Year
Voltage
MVA
Condition
Action
Overall
Dielectric
Thermal
Mechanical
Comments
Morningside
T1
287
A
1987
132/11
30
Healthy
None
3
1
1
1
Windemere
T2
726
A
1987
400/275/22
500
Healthy
None
3
1
1
1
Pinetown
T1
870
B
1981
132/11
40
Impaired
Drying techniques and repair of oil leaks
42
40
1
1
High moisture (35ppm)
Bluff
T2
115
E
1972
275/132/11
315
Healthy
None
3
1
1
1
City
T1
210
A
1967
33/11
15
Unfit
Oil regeneration and electrical testing
102
100
1
1
High acidity (0.12). PD detected
Overport
T1
266
A
1974
132/11
40
Suspect
Perform SFRA after short circuit event
7
1
1
5
Known to be prone to hoop buckling
Chatsworth
T2
629
A
1974
132/11
30
Healthy
None
3
1
1
1
Umlazi
T2
210
A
1967
132/11
30
Neglected
Oil analysis required (DGA and quality)
21
10
10
1
DGA not current taken 18 months ago
Cleremount
T1
699
P
1980
33/11
25
Unfit
Repair or replace
201
100
100
1
Thermal fault invloving paper insulation
Klaarwater
T2
809
D
1981
400/275/22
500
Healthy
Repeat DGA Measurments
3
1
1
1
Abnormal Methane values
Hillcrest
T1
748
B
1977
275/132/11
315
Impaired
Perform DGA every 3 months
52
1
50
1
Developing bare metal thermal fault



Advisory Service

"Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience. You need experience to gain wisdom.” Albert Einstein

Providing a highly experienced technical team to the electrical industry is one of Congru Solution’s hallmarks. It is obvious that the more experience we have, the more accurate the outcomes of our decision. Decision making is informed by situation awareness. Situation awareness is understanding the past, creating an understanding of what is going on now and then projecting into the future of what is likely to happen this is what experience teaches. Leveraging our unmatched experience, we offer the following advisory services:

  • Technical specification
  • Life management of plant
  • Condition assessment strategy
  • Selection of test equipment
  • Selection of overhead line insulators
  • High Voltage laboratory testing
  • Selection of online monitoring




Contact us with any questions: