CESER and Idaho National Laboratory are Testing Power Transformers Against Earthquakes

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) and Office of Electricity (OE) have partnered with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to conduct the first ever seismic testing on an operational 230-kV power transformer. Testing will take place at the University of California San Diego’s Large High-Performance Outdoor Shake Table (LHPOST)—the world's most powerful earthquake simulator.

CESER and OE’s seismic testing work aligns with President Trump’s executive order on “Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness,” which highlights making U.S. infrastructure, communities, and economy resilient to global and dynamic threats and hazards. Critical infrastructure can be impacted when earthquakes hit, and among the most vital and vulnerable components of the U.S. electric grid are large power transformers. Replacing a damaged full-scale transformer can take five years or more. If several transformers are damaged during an earthquake, entire communities could be left without power for months, immobilizing hospitals, water supply systems, and emergency response.

“Securing the U.S. electric grid against all hazards, including extreme seismic events, is fundamental to national security,” said CESER Director Andrew McClure. “This pioneering research will allow us to strengthen transformer design, mitigate vulnerabilities, and ensure our critical energy systems can endure major earthquakes.”

INL’s seismic testing will provide insight into how transformers behave during an earthquake:

• Seismic testing will allow INL to observe an operational transformer during earthquake conditions. Engineers can then accurately model and predict an earthquake event, allowing them to optimize future designs and update seismic specifications for high-risk zones.
• Bushings, critical insulators that carry electrical connections through the transformer, are the most common transformer component damaged during an earthquake. Seismic testing will enable INL to evaluate a new decoupler retrofit designed to relieve stress on bushings during an earthquake.
• Evidence suggests base isolation can significantly reduce seismic risk across vulnerable components; however, it has never been tested on a transformer. Seismic testing will put this concept to the test under real-world scale and weight constraints.

Seismic testing data will inform the Simulated Ground Motion Database (SGMD), which provides public access to important earthquake simulation data. Testing results will also play a significant role in guiding grid equipment designs and strengthening earthquake mitigation strategies. 

Visit INL’s website to learn more about this project.