Need and Objectives

This project addresses the need of the power transformer community represented in CENELEC TC 14 “Power Transformers” for metrology research on more accurate and reliable loss measurements of high-voltage power transformers and reactors.

Improved energy efficiency is one of the three targets of the EU 2020 Energy Strategy and a crucial theme in the whole energy chain from electricity generation, transmission, and distribution to the end user. Even small improvements in efficiency can have a large impact, for example when they are made in devices that convert large amounts of energy such as grid power transformers. Therefore, the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC per 1 July 2015 requires all power transformer manufacturers to unambiguously prove that their products comply with specific efficiency requirements.

Presently available industrial loss measurement systems (LMS) are limited in accuracy to 100 – 300 µW/VA, which is insufficient to cover the requirements of the EU regulation. Building on the results of the ELPOW project, the consortium will address this by developing new measurement systems for transformer and reactor loss measurements with an uncertainty of 50 µW/VA or better, together with reference setups required for the calibration of these systems.

Driven by the expressed need of CENELEC/TC 14, the specific objectives of the project are:

To develop improved measurement techniques and prototypes for highly accurate measuring systems used for loss measurements of power transformers and reactors at very low power factor. The target accuracy is better than 50 µW/VA, at voltage levels of up to at least 230 kV, and current levels of up to at least 2 kA.
To develop reference calibration facilities capable of validating the outputs from objective 1. The goal is to generate and measure active loss power at very low power factors under laboratory and industrial conditions, to enable validation of the system performance. The target accuracy is better than 20 µW/VA, at voltage levels of up to at least 230 kV, and current levels of up to at least 2 kA.
To study the effects of using non-sinusoidal test signals on the final accuracy of loss measurements and to produce guidelines for evaluating the complex measurement uncertainties associated with loss measurements of high-power, high-efficiency power transformers and large reactors, in order to ensure an EU-wide common and correct approach.

To facilitate the take up of methods, technology and measurement infrastructure developed in the project by the standards developing organisations such as IEC TC 14 and CENELEC TC 14. To ensure that the outputs of the project are aligned with their need, communicated quickly to those developing the standards and to those who will use them, and in a form that can be incorporated into the standards at the earliest opportunity. In addition, to disseminate the outputs of the project to MSA, and ensure their take up by instrument and power transformer manufacturers.