Buchholz Relay in Transformer – Key Components and Working Explained Transformers are one of the most vital and expensive pieces of equipment in a power system. Any fault inside a transformer can lead to severe damage, long outages, and even fire hazards. To detect internal faults at an early stage, Buchholz Relay is widely used in oil-immersed transformers. It is considered the most common and effective protective device for transformers above 500 kVA. This article explains the construction, working principle, operation, advantages, limitations, and applications of the Buchholz Relay. What is a Buchholz Relay? The Buchholz Relay is a gas-actuated protection device used in oil-filled transformers. It is installed in the pipe between the transformer’s main tank and the conservator. It operates whenever an internal fault occurs, such as: Insulation breakdown Winding short circuit Core heating Oil leakage or decomposition The fault causes heating and gas b...