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Moisture measurement
electrical-engineering-portal.com/what-to-do-if-transformer-has-an-excessive-moisture-content
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What to do if transformer has an excessive moisture content

The term moisture in the transformer industry is commonly used to indicate water which is absorbed in the
paper or dissolved in the oil. Occasionally, the terms water or water content are used as an alternative way to
describe the same substance.
Water in transformers can be found in different parts of the insulation system. It can accumulate in solid insulation, be
dissolved in oil, or be found in the form of liquid water at the core or bottom of a transformer.
If it has been determined that a transformer has an excessive moisture content, either through water-in-oil analysis
or dew-point analysis, the transformer should be dried out. Otherwise, the presence of moisture in the kraft paper
will definitely shorten the life due to chemical decomposition through oxidation of the cellulose.
Drying out a transformer can be accomplished by untanking the core and coil assembly and drying it in an oven,
but this would be both expensive and inconvenient. Fortunately, there are methods that can be applied in the field
that are very effective in drying out a transformer.

Simple hot oil flush //

A simple hot oil flush is one method, although it is fairly slow. Oil is pumped through a filter press, which contains
paper filter elements, and then heated and sprayed onto the core and coils. The hot oil has a greater affinity for
moisture than cold oil and will pick up some moisture from the core and coil insulation.

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Running the oil through a filter press allows the filter elements to remove some of the moisture in
the oil. Cooling the oil before it goes through the filter press will enhance the removal of moisture from
the oil.

To spray hot oil //

A better method is to spray hot oil into the transformer under vacuum. The combination of the heat from the hot oil
and the vacuum will cause the moisture in the insulation to flash off and dry the transformer. A cold trap can
enhance the action of a mechanical vacuum pump. Once the mechanical pump removes all the air from the
transformer tank, the only gas left in this space is H2O.
A cold trap using a dry ice and acetone jacket will instantly freeze any water vapor with the low-temperature ice
having a very low vapor pressure.

The cold trap thus acts like an auxiliary vacuum pump. The ice provides a direct measurement of
the amount of moisture removed from the cellulose.

Online Power Transformer Moisture Removal System (VIDEO)

Cant see this video? Click here to watch it on Youtube.

Power Transformer Drying (VIDEO)

Cant see this video? Click here to watch it on Youtube.

The research conducted at Monash University has shown that, for the accurate moisture assessment of
transformer insulation, the continuous monitoring of a number of parameters, including transformer load,
temperature and oil relative saturation, is required. The measurement of water solubility characteristic of oil in the
transformer is also required.
A utility may operate tens or even hundreds of transformers. However, not all of the transformers require continuous
monitoring.
How is it possible to identify a transformer with moisture concerns for further monitoring? There is a demand for a
classification procedure, which would rank transformers by moisture levels.
References //
Power Transformers Principles and Applications John J. Winders, Jr. (Amazon)

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Moisture assessment in power transformers V. G. Davydov, O. Roizman

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