Modern substation controls and communications systems make troubleshooting malfunctions easier, but not all operations have the latest, state-of-the-art equipment. When it comes to the hundreds of thousands of systems with legacy equipment, technicians face a greater challenge in troubleshooting system faults and malfunctions.
In a recent NETA World article, Mose Ramieh, vice president of business development at CBS Field Services, shares three stories about identifying and correcting issues in systems without the benefits of modern equipment, highlighting that the simplest solutions can often be the hardest to find.
In the first story, Ramieh explores the impacts that outside factors, like ambient temperature changes, can have on an electrical system, telling the story of a transformer that was tripped by drastic temperature changes. In the second, he showcases how weather, along with damaged wiring insulation and/or device connectors, can combine to cause false trips. Finally, the third story outlines the process for identifying a legitimate differential fault resulting from poor commissioning of a decade-old system.
