Providing transformer testing services as part of HV commissioning works at Collector Wind Farm, NSW.
Background:
The Collector Wind Farm is a NSW Government granted development for a wind farm, located around 4km from Collector. The wind farm is one of the first in Australia to use the 4.2MW V117 Vestas turbines.
The 54 wind turbines generate an average of 528GWh of power—an equivalent of 80,000 homes’ annual power consumption.
In accordance with the utilities requirements for newly installed electrical distribution equipment, a High Voltage testing portion of commissioning works was done for the Collector Wind Farm transformers.
Solution:
We deployed a team of HV Diagnostic Technicians and a fleet of service vehicles including its 200kV Test Unit to site as part of the commissioning plan.
HV commissioning works for the Collector Substation involved the testing of two 145MVA 330/132kV transformers.
Outcome:
Our task was to test the transformers to confirm both manufacturing and installation specifications conform to relevant standards.
The testing included Applied Voltage and Induced Overvoltage Withstand tests, Partial Discharge, Insulation Resistance, Capacitance and Dielectric Dissipation Factor measurement, Frequency Domain Spectroscopy (FDS)/Polarisation Depolarisation Current (PDC) and Frequency Response Analysis.
