5/1/2017 DryTypeTransformerTestingOpenElectrical

DryTypeTransformerTesting
FromOpenElectrical

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Testing
2.1 InsulationResistanceTests
2.2 DielectricLossAngleMeasurementTests
2.3 PartialDischargeTests
2.4 FrequencyResponseAnalysis
2.5 AcousticEmissionTests
2.6 ThermographicSurveys
3 References

Introduction
Theprimaryconcernwithalltransformers(andalsothekeyindicatoroflifeexpectancy)istheconditionofthe
insulationsystem.

Fordrytypetransformers,theinsulationsystemconsistsofthecastresinwindingandcoreinsulationandthe
terminationsysteminsulation(e.g.bushings).Thestructuralstrengthandinsulatingpropertiesofmaterialsusedfor
theseinsulationsystemsdegradeovertimethroughnormalageing.Theycanalsodegradeprematurelyasaresult
ofoverheatingandmechanicalandelectricalstresses(e.g.faults,overvoltages,inrushcurrents,etc).

Theinitialbreakdownofinsulationaroundthewindingscanresultininterturnfaults,especiallyonthehigh
voltagewindingswheretheelectricfieldstrengthishighenoughtoioniseairgapsandcausecoronaactivity.Inter
turnfaultsareshortcircuitsbetweencoilturnsonasinglewinding.Furtherdegradationoftheinsulationcouldsee
interturnfaultsdevelopintomoreseriousfaultssuchasinterwindingandearthfaults.

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Testing
Themostfrequentmodeoffailurefordrytypetransformersisinsulationbreakdownresultingininterturnfaults
whichleadstomoreseverefaultssuchasphasetophasewindingorearthfaults.Theinsulationconditionof
componentpartsofthetransformer(i.e.windings,core,bushings,etc)canbedeterminedbyasuiteoftests.

Dissolvedgasanalysisisthemostcommonlyusedmethodfordeterminingwindinginsulationconditioninoiltype
transformers,butisnotpossiblefordrytypetransformers.

Thefollowingtestsarediscussedfurther:

Insulationresistance/polarisationindextests
Dielectriclossanglemeasurementtests
Partialdischargetests
Frequencyresponseanalysis
Acousticemissiontests(inconjunctionwithpartialdischargetests)
Thermographicsurveys

InsulationResistanceTests

Insulationresistance,measuredbyapplicationofanimpressedDCvoltage(i.e.Megger),givesageneralindication
oftheinsulationconditionbetweenthephasewindingsandearth.Themeasurementsaretypicallytakenovertime
(i.e.1minuteintervalsover10minutes)togenerateacurve,calledtheDielectricAbsorptioncurve.

ThePolarisationIndexisthesteepnessofthecurveatagiventemperatureandisdefinedasperthefollowing
equation[1]:

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R 10
PI =
R1

Where

R10=megohmsinsulationresistanceat10minutes
R1=megohmsinsulationresistanceat1minute

ThePolarisationIndexindicatestherelativedrynessandlevelofmoistureingressintotheinsulation.

DielectricLossAngleMeasurementTests

Dielectriclossangletests,alsocalleddissipationfactor,powerfactorortandeltatests,determinetheinsulation
dielectricpowerlossbymeasurementofthepoweranglebetweenanappliedACvoltageandtheresultantcurrent.
Intheidealinsulator,thepoweranglewouldbe90Casitispurelycapacitiveandnonconducting.Howeverin
realinsulators,thereissomeleakagecurrentandresistivelossesthroughthedielectric.

Relativeincreasesindielectricpowerlossesareindicativeofinsulationdeteriorationandmayfurtheraccelerate
degradationduetoincreasedheating.Notethatdielectricpowerlossdoesnottranslatetodielectricstrength,
thoughthereareoftencommoncausesforincreasesinpowerlossanddecreasesindielectricstrength.

Thecosineofthepowerangle()iscalledthepowerfactor.Thecomplementofisdenotedasshowninthe
diagramabove.Thepowerfactorcanbepracticallyapproximatedbytakingthetangentof(hencethenametan
delta).Thisapproximationiscalledthedissipationfactorandisroughlyequaltothepowerfactorbetweenvalues
of0and0.08,whichcoversthemajorityoftests.

Thedissipationfactorisessentiallytheratiobetweentheresistiveandcapacitivecomponentsoftheinsulationand
canbemeasureddirectly(viaacapacitancebridgecircuit).Thelowerthequalityoftheinsulationcondition,the
moreresistiveitwillappearandthemorepowerlosswillbedissipatedthroughit(intheformofheat).

Theincreaseinthedissipationfactorvaluesasthetestvoltageisincreasediscalledthe"tipup".

Thetechnicalliteratureonthissubjecthasnotedthatthistestisusefulfordetectingmoistureingressinthe
bushingsandwindings.About90%ofbushingfailuresmaybeattributedtomoistureingressevidencedbyan
increasingpowerfactorfromdielectriclossangletestingonascheduledbasis.

PartialDischargeTests

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Partialdischargesarelocalisedincipientelectricaldischargesthatonlypartiallybridgetheinsulationbetween
conductors.Partialdischargescanoccurinanylocationwherethelocalelectricalfieldstrengthissufficientto
breakdownthatportionofthedielectricmaterial(whetheritbedeterioratedinsulationorair).Indrytype
transformerstheycanoccurwithinairfilledvoidswherethesolidinsulationhasdegraded.

Partialdischargetestingcandetectthepresenceandlocationofpartialdischargeactivityinatransformer.Partial
dischargesintransformersaretypicallymeasuredbyapplyingaprespecifiedvoltagetothetransformerwindings
andmeasuringinducedchargesviaacouplingdevice(e.g.couplingcapacitors).

AS60076.11andAS60270setouttherequirements,procedure,equipmentandacceptancelevelsforpartial
dischargetesting[3][4].ItshouldbenotedthatthepartialdischargetestsspecifiedinAS60076.11areintendedas
routinetestsfornewtransformers.Thisinvolvesapplyingaprestressvoltageof1.8timesratedvoltagetothe
windings.Thismaybeexcessivefortransformersalreadyinserviceforover20years.

Analysisofthepartialdischargemeasurementsgathered(i.e.pulsewaveforms,magnitude,durationandintervals
betweenpulses)canbeusedasaguideregardingtheconditionoftheinsulation.Theresultscanbetrendedtochart
therateofinsulationdegradationbetweenconsecutivetests.

FrequencyResponseAnalysis

Frequencyresponseanalysisisadiagnostictestingtechniquethatmeasurestheimpedanceofthetransformer
windingsoverawiderangeoffrequencies.Themeasurementsarecomparedwithareferencesetandthe
differencesarehighlighted.Thedifferencesmayindicatemechanicaldamagetothewindings(e.g.winding
displacementorloosewinding)andelectricalfaults(e.g.interturnfaults).

Frequencyresponseanalysiscanbeachievedbyeitherinjectingalowvoltageimpulseintothewinding(i.e.
impulseresponsemethod)orbymakingafrequencysweepusingasinusoidalsignal(i.e.sweptfrequency
method).

Forfrequencyresponseanalysistobeuseful,abaselinereferencesetofmeasurementsneedtobedeterminedand
periodictestsneedtobeconductedtocomparethedifferences.

RefertoresearchbyS.TenbohlenetalattheUniversityofStuttgart[5].

AcousticEmissionTests

Partialdischargesintransformerscanalsobedetectedandlocalisedviaacousticemissiontesting.Acoustic
emissiontestingisbasedontheacousticdetectionofthepartialdischargepulsesandconversiontoanelectrical
signal.Sensorsarecoupledtothesurfaceofthetransformerandduringoperationofthetransformer,theoutputof
thesensorsarefedintoanelectronicmodule.Thesignalsarefilteredtoremovenoiseandprocessedtodetermine
thepresenceandlocationofanypartialdischargesinthetransformer.

ThermographicSurveys

Infraredthermographyiscommonlyusedinpreventativemaintenancetodetecthotspots,especiallyatjointsand
terminations.IRThermographycamerasmeasuresurfacetemperaturesandtheresultingthermalimagecanbeused
toidentifyoverheatingatthetransformerterminations.

Forthermographicsurveystobeconducted,thermographicwindowsneedtobeinstalledlookingatthe
terminationsandwindings.

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References
1.FacilitiesInstruction,StandardsandTechniquesVolume31,TestingSolidInsulationofElectrical
Equipment,U.SDepartmentoftheInterior,ReclamationBranch,December1991(http://www.usbr.gov/po
wer/data/fist/fist3_1/vol31.pdf)
2.FacilitiesInstruction,StandardsandTechniquesVolume331,TransformerDiagnostics,U.SDepartment
oftheInterior,ReclamationBranch,June2003(http://www.usbr.gov/power/data/fist/fist3_31/fist331.pdf)
3.AS60076.11,PowertransformersPart11:Drytypetransformers,2006
4.AS60270,HighvoltagetesttechniquesPartialdischargemeasurements,2001
5.ResearchatUniversityofStuttgart(includingTenbohlen'spapers)(http://www.unistuttgart.de/ieh/forschun
g/veroeffentlichungen/index.html)

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