Transformer explosion at CWL substation cuts power to 1,200 customers

What happened

On a Thursday evening in Jonesboro, Arkansas, a potential transformer (PT transformer) at a City Water and Light (CWL) electrical substation adjacent to a Chuck E. Cheese near Turtle Creek failed and exploded. The explosion was captured on a Jonesboro Police Department dash camera as an officer was conducting a nearby traffic stop. The failure interrupted electricity to approximately 1,200 CWL customers. Utility crews rerouted power through other circuits and restored service to all affected customers within about 30 minutes.

The transformer forms part of substation equipment that steps down voltage from CWL's 69-kilovolt transmission system for distribution to homes and businesses. The cause of the failure remained under investigation, with the utility noting that extreme heat on the day of the incident could have been a contributing factor, though this was not confirmed.

Contributing factors

CWL stated that high temperatures on the day of the incident could potentially have been a factor in the transformer failure, though the utility could not confirm this as the direct cause. The cause remained under investigation at the time of reporting.

Lessons learned

1. A PT transformer at a 69 kV substation can fail and explode, so operators should check thermal monitoring on voltage step-down units during sustained high temperatures.
2. After a substation transformer failure, rapid rerouting through alternate circuits limits outages to about 30 minutes.

More lessons on detection and monitoring, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Exact cause of the transformer failure
• PT transformer model and age
• Cost of the damage and repairs

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

jonesbororightnow.com