Transformer Diagnostic Testing by Frequency Response Analysis (computer simulation and diagnosis expert system) Since the end

of 1980s, experts and engineers from North China Electric Power Research Institute (NCEPRI) have been endeavoured in measuring transformer winding deformation through the method of FRA. The method was promoted by a Poland engineer in the middle 1980s first but there have been few people interested since then. After huge quantity of practices, this method was proved efficient in detecting the deformation of transformer winding. As a result, three institute began to produce their own products for transformer winding deformation measurement and now, there are probably more then 100 set of equipment in service around China. Thousands of transformers have been tested or measured for their winding deformation and of them, many pieces have been found dangerous for continuous service. Every transformer engineer knows that it is very easy for an impact to reach a transformer. There are many kinds of impacts i.e. transporting impacts, short circuit current impacts, installation impacts etc. Some impacts could result in dangerous damages to transformers. The most common and direct damages are deformation of the windings. Once a winding was deformed, the insulation will be affected. The extend of insulation damage depends on the extend of deformation. Even if the insulation is not damaged seriously, a mechanically unstable winding is apt to be damaged by the next short circuit impact. It is possible too that a winding with deformation will cause failure by only normal electric-dynamic forces. That is the importance of transformer windings deformation. As we know, there is not any traditional method efficient enough to detect the deformation. Maybe induced overvoltage proof test can be helpful. But it is harmful to transformers itself and it costs a lot of time and manpower. Because of its special position and extension, which is not a thorough damage, winding deformation is impossible to be found through insulation resistance test, loss tangent test and so on. The most efficient method is sending people in to the oil tank or, as an alternative, hanging up the oil tank if the free space in the transformer is too small. From this point of view, a winding deformation detector provides engineers eyes through the transformer tanks. Once the problem is revealed, it is a good beginning. In on sentence, we want to see the construction of transformer windings through the oil tank, which is not transparent. If it is too difficult for engineers, we can lower our requisition. Just see the change of the construction. As what we have learned from circuit fundamentals, there are several good measures fit for such problems. The best one and, at the same time, the simplest one should be frequency response analysis. This method is valid for linear time-invariant (LTI) systems. It has been use as a powerful analysis tool for circuit and control systems since the end of last century and has found important applications in diverse problems of engineering and physical sciences of the 20th century. The fundamental theory of the measurement is very simple. When high frequency signals are imposed between a winding terminal and earth terminal, a transformer can be simplified to a 4-terminal (or 2-port) network made of resistors, reactors and capacitors (RLC). The resistances and reactors are that of the winding. The capacitors, which are stray ones, include both those between each couple of coils and those between coils and earth terminal, i.e. the earthen core and oil tank. The space dispositions of a winding, including its own structure, the distance between the winding and the shell and core of a transformer which are earthen, decide the distribution of dispersal inductance and capacitance directly. That means that each transformer has its own frequency response characteristics. Once any part of the inner structure of a winding was changed, the transfer function of it would change definitely. The winding deformation can be discovered through the analysis and comparison to the frequency response characteristics of the winding. Simulation test was made on a transformer, whose type is SJL7-3500/35. Sensitively, the FRA method found out a reduction of 0.25 mm in the distance between two neighbouring discs, not to speak of the condition when one turn of the winding was short-circuited. Three-phase transformers are very widely equipped in electric power system. The frequency response characteristics of three windings of same voltage level theoretically should not differ from each other apparently. The differences of frequency response characteristics can indicate the differences of the structures of the three tested windings. If the differences are big enough, it can be determined that at least one of the three windings is deformed. Though the principal is easy to explain with few sentences, the judgement of the winding deformation from the result of FRA measurement is difficult very much. Almost all the conclusions are from huge quantity of experiments and valuable experiences up till now. There are still some problems left by now.

First of all, in which frequency range should the measurement be carried out? The answer is to try. After huge quantity of experiments, the frequency range was set from 10kHz through 1MHz. In the range lower, the results are all the same for about all windings and in the range above 1MHz, because of the apparent influence from outside stray capacitors, even the results of the same winding can differ a lot. Second, How to describe the difference between two FRA measurements results, which are two curves? There are several alternatives, relationship coefficient, RMS difference, absolute difference and so on. We adopted RMS difference as the describe of difference between two curves. As we know from the above introduction, different frequency ranges should have different roles. So some other methods which can cope with different coefficient will be better choice. Third, As we know, each winding has it own manufacture background, including materials used, the winding machine to bent wire to winding, the shape of core in the winding, the distance between windings and that between winding and tank. So, as a result, each winding has it own FRA test result. It seems too difficult to find out detailed relationship between a winding and test result curve. That is to say that you can not give a curve about a given winding now. But in fact, similar windings have similar result curves. How far can we go in deciding the test result curve of a winding? In the practice, it means to tell a accurate deformation from the test result curve, by both studying the curve itself and comparing it with history record or neighbourhood result. Deformation types are various, for example sticking out of the turn, longitudinal move, radial deformation, short circuit between two turns etc. It has been discovered that the type of deformation will affect the differences between FRA test results of a winding. As the engineering purpose has been achieved, though not sophisticated, the thorough analysis on this subject stopped. Engineers pay much more attention to the extension of deformation then the type. Till now, experience results have been concluded through huge quantity of site measurement. But the results are only primary conclusion. They should be more detailed. Fourth, The influence of the environment is not decided yet. The values of capacitors and resistors are influenced by the temperature. There have been reports on this kind of influence for the test results in different temperatures differ apparently with all other conditions the same. And, That is also an important part in the judge criteria. How much we can see decides how much we can judge. The more we know about a winding, the more conclusions there will be. In fact, there have been cases of mal-judgments. All of them are about small scale and low voltage transformers. Our experiences also display the same phenomena. It is hoped that this test method will have world-wide application.