Review Of Modern Diagnostic Techniques For Assessing Insulation Condition In Aged Transformers

Cellulosic paper and oil insulation in a transformer degrade at higher operating temperatures. Degradation is accelerated in the presence of oxygen and moisture. Power transformers being expensive items need to be carefully monitored throughout its operation. Well established time-based maintenance and conservative replacement planning is not feasible in a current market driven electricity industry. Condition based maintenance and online monitoring are now gaining importance. Currently there are varieties of chemical and electrical diagnostic techniques available for insulation condition monitoring of power transformers. This paper presents a description of commonly used chemical diagnostics techniques along with their interpretation schemes. A number of new chemical techniques are also described in this paper. In recent times a number of electrical diagnostic techniques have gained exceptional importance to the utility professionals. Among these techniques, polarisation/depolarisation current measurement, return voltage measurement and frequency domain dielectric spectroscopy at low frequencies are the most widely used. This paper describes analyses and interpretation of these techniques for transformer insulation condition assessment

Investigating the influence of moisture on the 2FAL generation rate of transformers: A new model to estimate the DP of cellulosic insulation

ABSTRACT: The analysis of the concentration of furanic compounds in oil has been accepted as one of the most reliable methods to obtain information about the condition of the transformer's cellulosic insulation. In this paper, the relation between the moisture content of the paper and the rate of generation of 2-furfuraldehidyde (2FAL) is studied. A statistical study is carried out to determine if transformers with higher moisture contents in oil tend to present higher contents of 2FAL, and, to this end, a database with more than 20,000 historical records of transformers is utilized. This study is completed with a set of accelerated ageing tests of transformer cellulosic insulation pieces, conditioned with different moisture contents. The impact of the moisture content of paper on the relation between the degree of polymerization (DP) and the 2FAL concentration is determined, and a correction factor has been proposed to include this variable in a model.This work was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain through the projects DPI2012-35819 and DPI2015-71219-C2-2-R, and by CEIS.Publicad

Detection of Power Transformer Bushing Faults and Oil Degradation using Frequency Response Analysis

Frequency response analysis (FRA) has been globally accepted as a reliable tool to detect mechanical deformation within power transformers. However, because of its reliance on graphical analysis, interpretation of FRA signature is still a challenging area that calls for skilled personnel, as so far, there is no widely accepted reliable standard code for FRA signature identification and quantification. While several papers investigating the impact of various mechanical winding deformations on the transformer FRA signature can be found in the literature, no attention was given to investigate the impact of various bushing faults and transformer oil degradation on the FRA signature. This paper introduces a detailed simulation and practical analyses to elaborate the impact of bushing faults as well as transformer oil degradation on the transformer FRA signature. In this regard, the physical geometrical dimension of a three phase power transformer is simulated using 3D finite element analysis to emulate the real transformer operation. Various bushing faults have been emulated on the studied model and oil degradation is implemented through changing oil permittivity. Practical FRA test is conducted on a three phase 132kV, 35MVA power transformer to validate the simulation results. Results show that bushing faults and oil degradation can be visibly detected through FRA signature

Characterization of Power Transformer Frequency Response Signature using Finite Element Analysis

Power transformers are a vital link in electrical transmission and distribution networks. Monitoring and diagnostic techniques are essential to decrease maintenance and improve the reliability of the equipment.This research has developed a novel, versatile, reliable and robust technique for modelling high frequency power transformers. The purpose of this modelling is to enable engineers to conduct sensitivity analyses of FRA in the course of evaluating mechanical defects of power transformer windings. The importance of this new development is that it can be applied successfully to industry transformers of real geometries

FAULT DETECTION USING FRA IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE AGING MODEL OF POWER TRANSFORMER

Power transformers are constantly exposed to mechanical, thermal and electrical stresses during operation. In this paper, the authors propose an improved aging model of power transformers by adding the impact of mechanical deteriorations. In the current practice, the mechanical deformation and dislocation of the windings and core are not sufficiently distinguished as components that influence the aging of the transformer. Hence, the current aging model was expanded with a functional block that contains several typical failures in order to emphasize their impact on the lifetime of transformers and their aging as well.  The authors used the Frequency Response Analysis (FRA) method for the fault detection and location of the mechanical deformations of its active parts. The correlation function is used to determine the level of the detected failure. All presented test results are obtained in real exploitation conditions

Impact of Power Transformer Insulating Mineral Oil Degradation on FRA Polar Plot

Frequency response analysis (FRA) has been employed as an effective tool for the detection of various mechanical winding and core deformations within electrical power transformer. Traditional FRA signature interpretation relies on the magnitude of the FRA plot although all practical frequency response analyzers are able to provide both magnitude and angle of the FRA signal in wide frequency range. Moreover, no attention has been given to the impact of power transformer insulating oil degradation on the FRA signature. This paper presents is aimed at introducing a new interpretation approach of the FRA signature using polar plot which is obtained by incorporating FRA signature magnitude and phase into one plot. The paper also investigates the impact of insulating mineral oil degradation on the proposed polar plot signature. Digital image processing (DIP) technique is developed to automate the interpretation process. In this regard, the physical geometrical dimension of a single-phase transformer filled with insulating mineral oil is simulated using three-dimensional finite element analysis to emulate real transformer operation. FRA polar plot signatures are measured and analyzed for various health conditions of the mineral oil. Results show that insulating mineral oil degradation has an impact on the transformer FRA polar plot signature. The proposed FRA polar plot technique is easy to implement within any frequency response analyzer

UHF diagnostic monitoring techniques for power transformers

This paper initially gives an introduction to ultra-high frequency (UHF) partial discharge monitoring techniques and their application to gas insulated substations. Recent advances in the technique, covering its application to power transformers, are then discussed and illustrated by means of four site trials. Mounting and installation of the UHF sensors is described and measurements of electrical discharges inside transformers are presented in a range of formats, demonstrating the potential of the UHF method. A procedure for locating sources of electrical discharge is described and demonstrated by means of a practical example where a source of sparking on a tap changer lead was located to within 15 cm. Progress with the development of a prototype on-line monitoring and diagnostic system is reviewed and possible approaches to its utilization are discussed. New concepts for enhancing the capabilities of the UHF technique are presented, including the possibility of monitoring the internal mechanical integrity of plant. The research presented provides sufficient evidence to justify the installation of robust UHF sensors on transformer tanks to facilitate their monitoring if and when required during the service lifetime

Furan measurement in transformer oil by UV-Vis spectroscopy using fuzzy logic approach

An Ultraviolet to Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopic analysis based on fuzzy logic approach has been developed for furan content measurement in transformer oil. Following the successful identification and quantification of furan derivatives in transformer oil by ASTM D5837 standard, the new approach is able to approximate the furan content more conveniently and economically. As furan concentration level would determine the absorption intensity in UV-Vis spectral range, the fuzzy logic software model developed would exploit this characteristic to aggregate the furans content level in transformer oil. The UV-Vis spectral response at other ambient temperature is also studied. The proposed technique provides a convenient alternative to conventional method of furan measurement by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) or Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) in ASTM D5837 Standard