Power Transformers Live Online Forum
Power Transformer Technologies
Monitoring, Materials, and Maintenance
Live Online Event Hosted By Electricity Today T&D Magazine.
This Electricity Today Magazine Live Online Forum highlights the essential role of power system reliability in ensuring the continuous, safe and efficient delivery of electricity. As grid demands rise and new challenges emerge, utilities are turning to advanced monitoring, predictive maintenance, renewable energy integration and digitalization to strengthen system resilience and improve overall network performance. This session explores the latest strategies, technologies and best practices that help utilities identify vulnerabilities, enhance reliability and support the development of more flexible and sustainable power grids.
Designed for utility professionals, engineers and industry leaders, this free event features a series of 45 minute, non-commercial technical presentations. Attendees will gain practical insights from real-world case studies, emerging trends and expert perspectives on the innovations shaping the next generation of reliable power systems.
After you register, you will receive access to the recording link and presentation PDF for convenient on-demand learning.
Agenda
45 minutes presentation includes 10 minutes of Q&A.
1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
FLIR
Pinpointing High-Voltage Faults with Ultrasonic Precision
Acoustic imaging cameras enable precise detection of partial discharge by visualising ultrasonic emissions, allowing engineers to locate faults, classify discharge types, and assess severity across power generation, transmission, and distribution assets. The presentation highlights how this technology improves reliability, reduces downtime, and supports proactive maintenance strategies.
1:45 pm - 2:30 pm
Dynamic Ratings
Metadata: The Key to Understanding the Condition of Your Assets
This session explores structural METADATA as a framework for understanding monitoring data quality, evaluated across six dimensions: completeness, timeliness, validity, consistency, accuracy, and uniqueness. Real-world examples will illustrate how applying this approach helps identify limiting factors and supports better asset management decisions.
2:30 pm - 3:15 pm
Zensol
Vibroacoustic: A Rapid Diagnostic Approach for On-Load Tap Changers
On-Load Tap Changers (OLTCs) are essential to transformer operation, yet studies show that 40–50% of transformer failures are linked to tap changers, many caused by mechanical issues.
But how can utilities detect problems early before they lead to failures?
In this session, Dr. Fouad Brikci from Zensol will introduce vibro-acoustic diagnostics, a fast and intuitive way to assess the mechanical condition of OLTCs. By analyzing the vibration signatures generated during tap changer operations, engineers can gain valuable insight into what is happening inside the equipment.
Presenters
Darrell Taylor
Business Development Director
FLIR
Darrell Taylor is the Business Development Director for Condition Monitoring in the EMEA region. Darrell’s career began in Product Management in the automotive industry, before switching to work in the petrochemical industry Product management, and later Global Marketing roles. Darrell joined the Marketing team FLIR at the beginning of 2022, gaining ITC Cat 1, 2 and Level 3 in Thermography and Cat 1 and 2 in Ultrasound, moving into Business Development in 2025.
Brian Sparling
Senior Transformer Technical Advisor
Dynamic Ratings
Brian Sparling, a Life Senior member of IEEE, is the Senior Transformer Technical Advisor with Kinectrics of Toronto. Brian has over 20 years of experience in the field of power and distribution transformers. For the past 32 years, he has been involved in all aspects of monitoring, diagnostics, and condition assessment of power transformers. He has authored and co-authored more than 37 technical papers on various topics dealing with monitoring and diagnostics of transformers. He has contributed to many guides and standards with the Canadian Electricity Association, IEEE Transformers Committee, and the Cigré A2 Transformers Committee.
Fouad Brikci, Ph.D.
President
Zensol Automation Inc.
Fouad Brikci obtained a Doctorate in Electronics in 1977 and a master’s degree in Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Automation in 1975 both from the University of Bordeaux, France. During his 40 years and more of experience, he was a lecturer at the Ecole Polytechnique inmAlgiers, Algeria and a researcher at CNRS-LAAS, Toulouse, France. Moreover, he has mainly developed his skills in electronics, automation, and industrial computing. Fouad Brikci was the first to introduce the concept of computer-aided testing in the extremely noisy environment of high-voltage substations in 1992. Among his many accomplishments, he has designed test systems for the research and development (R&D) laboratories of power companies such as Hydro-Quebec and for large manufacturers of high voltage circuit breakers for their R&D laboratories, quality control departments and maintenance services. He is currently the President of Zensol Automation, Inc., a company founded in 1990 and located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Zensol is a world leader in the field of acoustic diagnostics for circuit breakers and on-line tap changers (OLTC). Zensol also has extensive expertise in conventional maintenance testing applied to high-voltage circuit breakers and transformers.
