Industrial Transformer DGA Monitoring

DGA Monitoring for Industrial Transformers

Industrial transformers operate under conditions no utility transformer experiences: 100% duty cycles, aggressive load swings from large motor starts, conductive dust contamination, and the harsh reality that a transformer failure stops production — not just power delivery. In heavy industry, the cost of lost production typically exceeds the transformer replacement cost by an order of magnitude.

Steel Mills & Arc Furnaces

Electric arc furnace (EAF) transformers are the most severely stressed transformers in any industry. Each 45-minute heat cycle subjects the transformer to a 0–100%–0% load swing with severe 2nd and 3rd harmonic content. Thermal cycling at this frequency accelerates insulation aging 3–5× compared to steady-state operation. The DGA-200 hydrogen monitor on each furnace transformer — combined with a DGA-900 on the main substation transformer — provides complete coverage. Read how one steel mill saved $2.3M →

Mining Operations

Mine site transformers combine remote location, conductive dust, and extreme mechanical vibration from blasting and heavy equipment. IP65-rated DGA-500 monitors with LoRa wireless eliminate the need for communication cables across the mine site. For dragline and shovel-mounted transformers, the DGA-500’s aluminum enclosure withstands vibration that would destroy electrochemical sensors.

Chemical & Petrochemical Plants

In hazardous-area environments, the solid-state design of PAS DGA monitors provides inherent safety advantages: no carrier gas bottles, no flame ionization detector, no heated columns. The DGA-200 with 4–20 mA output integrates directly into the plant DCS for continuous monitoring of process-critical transformers. For plants handling hydrogen-rich process gases, the palladium thin-film sensor’s selectivity (no false H₂ from external atmosphere) is a critical advantage over TCD-based sensors.

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