ANNEXURE-1: GUIDELINES FOR INSTALLING TRANSFORMERS

When your transformer arrives on site, various procedures should be carried out to assure successful operation. The successful operation of a transformer is dependent on proper installation as well as on good design and manufacture. The instructions mentioned in the manufacturer manual or in Standards shall be followed to ensure adequate safety to personnel and equipment. This section will provide general guidelines for installing and testing both dry-type and liquid-filled transformers for placement into service.
Standard transformer tests performed for each unit include the following:

Ratio, for voltage relationship; Polarity for single- and 3-phase units (because single-phase transformers are sometimes connected in parallel and sometimes in a 3-phase bank); Phase relationship for 3-phase units (important when two or more transformers are operated in parallel); Excitation current, which relates to efficiency and verifies that core design is correct; No-load core loss, which also relates to efficiency and correct core design; Resistance, for calculating winding temperature Impedance (via short circuit testing), which provides information needed for breaker and/or fuse sizing and interrupting rating and for coordinating relaying schemes; Load loss, which again directly relates to the transformer's efficiency; Regulation, which determines voltage drop when load is applied; and Applied and induced potentials, which verify dielectric strength.

There are additional tests that may be applicable, depending upon how and where the transformer will be used. The additional tests that can be conducted include the following:

Impulse (where lightning and switching surges are prevalent); Sound (important for applications in residential and office areas and that can be used as comparison with future sound tests to reveal any core problems); Temperature rise of the coils, which helps ensure that design limits will not be exceeded; Corona for medium voltage (MV) and high-voltage (HV) units, which helps determine if the insulation system is functioning properly; Insulation resistance (meg-ohmmeter testing), which determines dryness of insulation and is often done after delivery to serve as a benchmark for comparison against future readings; and Insulation power factor, which is done at initial installation and every few years thereafter to help determine the aging process of the insulation.

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