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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing the Impact of Weak and Moderate Geomagnetic Storms on UK Power Station Transformers
AU - Lewis, Zoe
AU - Wild, Jim
AU - Allcock, Matthew
AU - Walach, Maria
PY - 2022/4/1
Y1 - 2022/4/1
N2 - It is well documented that space weather can impact electricity infrastructure, and several incidents have been observed in recent decades and directly linked to large geomagnetic storms (e.g., the Hydro Québec incident in 1989). However, less is understood about the impact of lower-level geomagnetically induced currents on the health of transformers in the long term. In this study, the long term impact of geomagnetic activity on 13 power station transformers in the UK is investigated. Dissolved gas measurements from 2010 to 2015 were used to look for evidence of a link between degradation of the transformer and heightened levels of the global SYM-H index and dB/dt as measured at Eskdalemuir magnetometer station in southern Scotland. First, case studies of the most significant storms in this time period were examined using dissolved gas analysis methods, specifically the Low Energy Degradation Triangle. These case studies were then augmented with a statistical survey, including Superposed Epoch Analysis of multiple storm events. No evidence of a systematic space weather impact can be found during this time period, likely owing to the relatively quiet nature of the Sun during this epoch and the modernity of the transformers studied.
AB - It is well documented that space weather can impact electricity infrastructure, and several incidents have been observed in recent decades and directly linked to large geomagnetic storms (e.g., the Hydro Québec incident in 1989). However, less is understood about the impact of lower-level geomagnetically induced currents on the health of transformers in the long term. In this study, the long term impact of geomagnetic activity on 13 power station transformers in the UK is investigated. Dissolved gas measurements from 2010 to 2015 were used to look for evidence of a link between degradation of the transformer and heightened levels of the global SYM-H index and dB/dt as measured at Eskdalemuir magnetometer station in southern Scotland. First, case studies of the most significant storms in this time period were examined using dissolved gas analysis methods, specifically the Low Energy Degradation Triangle. These case studies were then augmented with a statistical survey, including Superposed Epoch Analysis of multiple storm events. No evidence of a systematic space weather impact can be found during this time period, likely owing to the relatively quiet nature of the Sun during this epoch and the modernity of the transformers studied.
KW - GIC
KW - infrastructure
KW - transformer
KW - storm
KW - hazard
U2 - 10.1029/2021SW003021
DO - 10.1029/2021SW003021
M3 - Journal article
VL - 20
JO - Space Weather
JF - Space Weather
SN - 1542-7390
IS - 4
M1 - e2021SW003021
ER -