Determining Healthiness of Shunt Reactor through Signature Analysis - A Case Study

Sweep frequency response analysis (SFRA) is an analytical means of comparing signatures during the normal and faulty condition to confirm the healthiness of a transformer or reactor. It is one of the most prominent tools for confirming the deformities in core, winding and the lower tapering portion of the bushing and also helps us to detect the fault due to both electrical and mechanical cause. In other words the complete healthiness of the transformer or reactor inside the oil tank can be visualized with the help of this testing. Though many case studies have been undertaken to emphasize the helpfulness of SFRA in the transformer, a few of them have demonstrated its usefulness in ascertaining the healthiness of the shunt reactor. In this paper a case study has been demonstrated to depict the usefulness of SFRA in detecting the mechanical and electrical healthiness of a shunt reactor after a severe fault. This paper will help the utilities to accentuate more in the utilization of this test to access the healthiness of a shunt reactor and in turn increase its lifespan and reliability.