Tata Power-DDL receives patent for transformer life-enhancing device

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Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd on Monday said it has received a patent for self-regenerating transformer breather for 20 years.

The 'Self-Regenerating Breather' is a device protecting a transformer from moisture ingress and thus, increases the longevity of electric transformers, the company said in a statement.

According to the statement, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (Tata Power-DDL), a leading power utility supplying electricity to over 2 million customers in North Delhi, has been granted the patent for its unique self-regenerating transformer breather for a term of 20 years.

The patented technology is also expected to reduce the maintenance man-days for replacement of Silica gel in a transformer's breather to protect it from moisture damage, the statement said.

With the new technology, Silica gel will be required to be checked or replaced only during the transformer maintenance schedule, which is generally once in two years. In contrast, in the conventional design, Silica gel needs to be replaced 4-6 times before a maintenance schedule of 2 years, it said.

Tata Power DDL's Engineering team developed and successfully tested the 'self-regenerating breather' in December 2015, it said.

The pilot installation of 20 breathers was done in 2016-17, which showed remarkable results. The company filed for a patent of 'self-regenerating breather' technology in 2016.

The moisture in the air can cause outages and shorten the life of a transformer. The new technology utilises waste heat from the top plate of the transformer to minimise moisture content in the air inlet to the distribution transformer (DT) Breather.

Tata Power-DDL Chief Executive Officer Gajanan S Kale said in the statement, "This patent is yet another example of our tech edge, which will make our power supply infra ready for difficult weather conditions.