Seismic performance

Earthquakes have the potential to wreak great havoc, including loss of human life, and cause extensive damage to infrastructure. Besides the actual damage caused to utility installations, the time taken to reestablish normal operation translates into further costs in terms of lost opportunities and productivity. Just as construction technology is continuously making progress and buildings are becoming more and more earthquakeproof, electrical equipment is also being designed to survive such events unscathed. Making power products earthquake-proof is no easy task. A large transformer including its foundations, tank, bushings, top-plate and connections is too large to fit on a shake-table, and the individual testing of these components is not necessarily representative of their performance when assembled as a system. Furthermore looking at these components together is still insufficient as the liquid inside the system will further modify overall seismic performance. ABB has developed a sophisticated combination of testing and different simulation methods leading to a better understanding of the seismic performance of the combination, permitting the development of transformers ready to survive the next earthquake.