2021 Life of a Transformer Seminar Speaker Spotlight: Mark Lachman, Doble
Our Speaker Spotlight series gives you the chance to meet some of the talented speakers and moderators for this year’s virtual Life of a Transformer™ Seminar (February 15-18). We sat down with Mark Lachman, director of diagnostic analyses at Doble, to learn about his experience in the industry and to get a preview of his educational session on factory testing of transformers and a panel discussion he’s moderating on transformer manufacturing remote inspections.
Our conversation has been edited for clarity.
Q: Could you share a bit about your background in the power industry?
A: I’ve been with the power industry for over 40 years, most of them with Doble, developing off-line and on-line diagnostics of power apparatus. The experience also includes the factory testing of power transformers gained during my tenure with a manufacturer. All my years at Doble have been with the Client Service Engineering group, supporting my colleagues in diagnostic data interpretation.
Q: You’re presenting a tutorial, Understanding Transformer Factory Test Data, on the second day of the seminar. Tell us about it.
A: This session is for anyone in the industry who may be new to factory testing. It will briefly cover the key electrical production tests, followed by the discussion of all power tests. For each test we will cover the objective, explain test setup, review the physics of the process unfolding during the test and the acceptance criteria. It is a useful introduction to those interested in a more detailed two-day class Doble offers in San Carlos, California at a transformer factory. That class is a combination of witnessing in real-time testing of the actual production transformer along with the relevant tutorial presentation.
Q: What are some of the key takeaways from this session?
A: The 90-minute tutorial will allow attendees to understand why each factory test is performed and the significance of the data – what the data actually tells them and why it’s important. This course allows those with experience in other areas of the transformer lifecycle to understand the role of factory testing, further building the foundation for exploring the topic, either in the classroom or in the field.
Q: You’re also leading a panel discussion on Remote Transformer Manufacturing Inspection User Experiences. Why did you feel it was important to include this panel in the Life of a Transformer program?
A: The transformer manufacturing remote inspections is a relatively new concept, which gained interest as a result of the global pandemic. While some types of inspections, like design reviews are more easily accomplished, others, such as inspecting the core and coil assembly require a certain level of expertise and appropriate technology.
We wanted to share firsthand experiences from some of the leading North American utilities to help the industry understand the value of remote inspections and how to structure these activities such that they are effective and thorough. We’ll discuss their timing and the duration and panel members will share successes and how to overcome some of the challenges. And we’ve left plenty of time for audience questions.
For more details on these and other sessions, or to register, visit our site dedicated to the Life of a Transformer Seminar.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- Agenda: 2021 Life of a Transformer Seminar
- Blog: Top Five Reasons to Attend the Reimagined Life of a Transformer Seminar
