Kris Vollmer

INL, W.E. Gundy & Associates Inc. (WEGAI) Research, UC San Diego and project partners are conducting industry engagement around a full-scale HVPT shake table test. The program addresses seismic vulnerabilities and outage risk from large power transformer failure through full-scale seismic testing, advanced instrumentation and emerging resilience technologies. The Base Isolation Test covers final isolation sequences, conclusion of experimental runs and site cleanup, and is described as the nation’s first large-scale isolated transformer shake table test. The program also addresses transformer seismic response, mitigation technologies, standards, grid resilience and deployment pathways, with multi-directional, 6-degrees-of-freedom earthquake motions, a low-cost retrofittable bushing protection system, base-isolation evaluation and high-fidelity instrumentation. The intended audience includes utilities, transformer owners, manufacturers, researchers, emergency preparedness stakeholders and standards leaders. Test data will support resilient grid infrastructure in seismic regions.