New Director appointed

Head of department Professor Arthur Lowery takes great pleasure in announcing that Dr Dan Martin is the new acting Centre Director. Dr Martin has been promoted internally, having held the position of Research Fellow since 2007. Before then he conducted research into the use of vegetable oils and synthetic esters as replacements for power transformers at the University of Manchester in the UK, where he was awarded his Doctorate of Philosophy. He has also held the positions of Hardware Design Engineer and Design Quality Engineer at Thales in the UK.

Professor Lowery welcomes Dr Martin to his new position and thanks Dr Davydov for this past contributions.

Power Transformer Management: Replace or Repair?

A large number of power transformers that have been in operation for fifty to sixty years are becoming increasingly overloaded.

As a result, transformer breakdowns are becoming more frequent, with statistics that point to a significant increase in transformer explosions in the USA since the mid 1990s.

However, transformer breakdowns and explosions can now be prevented by timely applying new methods of diagnostics and new devices reducing explosion risk.

Power Transformer Research for End Users

Historically there is very little research infrastructure linking power transformer manufacturers to end users.

This may be because, for commercial reasons, transformer producers and electricity utilities conduct separate research and do not openly share their results.

Transformer Monitoring, Diagnostics and Life Management

The Centre for Power Transformer Monitoring, Diagnostics and Life Management (CPTM) is a research organisation that conducts applied research for oil-immersed transformers performed independently for the benefit of both manufacturers and users.

The CPTM, located in the Clayton Campus of Monash University (Melbourne, Australia), is also involved in testing and assessing new monitoring and diagnostic technology. Using its world-class research facility, the CPTM is devoted to the development of new and enhanced knowledge, techniques, products and intellectual property for the electrical industry with the emphasis on power transformers.