TANGEDCO’s innovation gets patent

Chennai: An innovation by the research and development division of the Tamil Nadu Power Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), ‘Flexible External Bellow for Transformer Insulation Preservation and Drying,’ has been granted a patent by the Union Government’s Patent Office.

Patent No: 531159, issued on 30.03.2024 for the concept, would be valid for a period of 20 years from April 16, 2015, a press release from TANGEDCO said on Friday.

Since moisture was one of the degrading agents to the life of the Transformer, conventional procedures employed to reduce moisture were inadequate, costly and complex, the release said.

‘In this invention, a sealed expandable bellow is connected after the silica gel breather of the Transformer. The conservator air space is filled with dry Nitrogen.  When Transformer oil expands, Nitrogen gas in the conservator is pushed into the bellow. The reverse action happens at low loads,’ the release explained.

The size of the bellow could be decided based on the capacity of the Transformer and the system would make a Transformer a  sealed type, providing complete immunity from external moisture and oxygen, reducing Transformer maintenance cost, time and also failures, it added.