Services > Quality Assurance > Balance of System (BOS) > Power Transformers

Quality Control and Testing for Power Transformers

BOS — Transformers

Proactively prevent critical transformer failures

As one of the most critical and costly elements of any renewable energy project, the Main Power Transformer (MPT) is critical for reliable and predictable long term project performance. Malfunctioning or failed transformers may result in operational fault and failure of the whole power system.

Transformers may fail for a range of possible reasons such as:

Unqualified or incorrect raw materials used in production
Misalignment between parameters and requirements
Inadequate incoming quality control procedures
Short-circuit current mechanical force
High temperature rises

Intertek CEA’s customized Quality Assurance services for various transformer products is designed to cover the entire production lifetime that can be applied to any technical processes to minimize defect risk.

Pre-production transformer factory audit and document review

Intertek CEA’s factory audits and technical document reviews provide industry-leading insights into production processes and quality standards at any power transformer factory globally using a 400+ point checklist. Every finding is recorded and classified according to its risk potential, and Intertek CEA follows up with the supplier on all issues that are not immediately solved.

Technical document audits can identify various issues such as material and testing certification non-conformance, issues with internal QA records, design drawing mistakes, and mislabeled installation steps.

Intertek CEA’s Factory Audits include:

Administrative Policies and Practices
Quality and Reliability Policies and Practices
Facility Certifications Audit
Management and Employee Training Audit
Production Process and Materials Management Audit
Finished Product Loading and Logistics Management Audit
In-House Testing Laboratory Management Audit
Factory And Supplier Processes and Documentation

Inline production monitoring: on-site monitoring and verification of all transformer production processes

Intertek CEA’s inline production process monitoring identifies issues during production and before the final product is packed to proactively identify issues, replace faulty component, implement stricter production controls, and reduce the likelihood of defects being shipped.

Proactively catching and preventing quality issues in your equipment optimizes the transformer performance and extends the lifetime of your products and power system. Intertek CEA’s Inline Production Process Monitoring covers:

Incoming Materials Quality Control and Inspection
Equipment and Production Line Maintenance and Calibration
Inline Quality Control Monitoring
Packaging and Warehouse Inspections

Factory acceptance testing: comprehensive FAT witnessing of power transformers

Functional and technical issues are a regular occurrence during the transformer production process. Some of these defects are merely cosmetic and may not affect the overall system performance, but other defects pose safety risks and can negatively impact the overall performance and life of the finished products.

Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) are conducted for MPT’s to test end-use performance requirements. Intertek CEA’s third-party FAT oversight identifies issues during the testing process and ensures all issues are resolved before the product is delivered to the client.

FAT Inspections include:

Winding ratio tests
Measurement of voltage ratio and phase displacement checking
Dielectric loss (tgQ) tests of the insulation system capacitances
No-Loading tests (current, loss)
Measurement of zero-sequence impedance on three-phase transformer
Short-circuit impedance and load loss tests
On-load tap switch/changers tests
Sweep frequency response analysis tests
Safety tests
Visual inspections

Container Loading Monitoring (CLM)

Inadequate loading practices by the factory can result in damaged finished products either during loading of the containers or at some point during transportation. Further, finished products that were previously rejected by Intertek CEA or that were not inspected by a third party altogether may end up getting shipped without oversight.

Intertek CEA’s container loading monitoring oversees the loading of the finished product to ensure conformance with packaging and loading specifications and to ensure the boxes/pallets loaded into the shipping container come exclusively from the inspected and approved lots.

Our engineers confirm the final products are safely loaded without damage, secured, sealed, and accurately recorded on the Bill of Lading. Intertek CEA’s container loading monitoring reports include comprehensive details covering every container, seal, and pallet number with accompanying photos.

Logistics management and shipment tracking

When working with overseas manufacturers on large PV projects, shipment and container tracking can quickly get complicated once the product has left the factory grounds.

Intertek CEA’s logistic management services help our customers capture baseline shipping schedules per the manufacturers and report on shipment progress to final destination on key milestones, including: