Stefan Tenbohlen

Aging Performance and Moisture Solubility of Vegetable Oils for Power Transformers

This paper discusses the suitability of vegetable oil as an insulating medium in power transformers. A high flash point and very good environmental compatibility compared to conventional mineral oil are good reasons to use vegetable oil in power transformers. In this paper, the physical and electrical performance and the aging behaviour of three natural vegetable oils are compared to one synthetic and one traditional mineral oil. The breakdown voltage of new, dry, natural vegetable oil is more than 80 kV, which is above the breakdown voltage of mineral oil. Regarding the aging of paper, natural esters are more friendly toward paper than mineral oil. The water solubility clearly exceeds that of mineral oil but the same dependence of dielectric parameters on relative moisture saturation was observed for all liquids. Aging of vegetable oils under the presence of air leads to oxidation and, thus, to a strong increase of viscosity. Therefore, transformers filled with these liquids need to exclude oxygen from air. The conducted experiments show vegetable oil to be applicable for use in power transformers.

Partial discharge measurement in the ultra high frequency (UHF) range

The paper provides essentially a summary of PD measurements applying the UHF range in order to increase the detection threshold, to improve the localization accuracy and to perform on-line measurements of Partial Discharge (PD) in noisy environments. The electromagnetic UHF technique offers good signal to noise ratios, because external PD signals and disturbances can be shielded effectively. A new developed method allows the localization of PD in gas-insulated substations (GIS) by frequency domain measurements. The basic idea is the displacement law of Fourier transformation. The interference phenomena of superposed signals from two sensors give information about the time delay of the sensor signals. On-site PD measurements are made at cable connectors by means of monopole antennas housed in a barrel sleave, while the cable is in service. Thus a sensitive PD measurement even in noisy environment is possible. PD measurements on several 72 kV cable connectors were performed in an unshielded laboratory. On-site measurements during operation showed the great potential for condition assessment. For decoupling sensitive UHF PD signals from the inner of a power transformer tank UHF sensors applied through drain/oil valves are used. Experimental studies indicate that all relevant types of PD possibly occurring within a transformer emit high frequency spectra to be detected with UHF sensors. Furthermore in laboratory experiments and on-site measurements very moderate UHF signal attenuations have been observed.

Mathematical Comparison Methods to Assess Transfer Functions of Transformers to Detect Different Types of Mechanical Faults

The transfer function (TF) these days is a well-known method to detect different types of mechanical damage in power transformers. The most important mechanical faults mentioned by the authors and researchers, which are most likely to be detected using the TF and occur frequently in transformers, are disc-space variation, radial deformation, and axial displacement. These faults are investigated in this paper using three different similar-size test objects. Since the TF method is a comparative method and the measured results should be compared with the reference results, some mathematical methods are studied to compare different TFs. A complete fault detection, which means determining the type, location, and level of the faults by using TF analyses is the main aim of this paper.

Sensitivity of UHF PD measurements in power transformers

The reliability of electrical energy networks depends on the quality and availability of electrical equipment like power transformers. Local failures inside their insulation may lead to catastrophic breakdowns and might cause high outage and penalty costs. To prevent these destructive events power transformers are e.g. tested for partial discharge (PD) activity before commissioning and currently also during service. The current work deals with the electromagnetic PD detection method, also known as UHF method. The disadvantage of the UHF method is still the missing possibility for a calibration or at least a verification of the sensitivity. The so-called Sensitivity Check might show in future a relation between unconventionally measured UHF quantities to the apparent charge level in pico Coulomb. An important aspect is the attenuation of UHF signals within power transformers which is investigated in this paper.

The influence of surface charge on lightning impulse breakdown of spacers in SF/sub 6/

We have investigated the influence of surface charges on the discharge development across particle contaminated spacer surfaces under SF/sub 6/ for lightning impulse (LI) voltages (1.2/50 /spl mu/s). Surface charges may be generated by dc, ac or lightning impulse stress. The discharge characteristic shows a strong reduction of the insulation strength if the applied voltage and the surface charge have opposite polarities. The investigations were performed with a needle protrusion attached to the bottom electrode to give severe field distortion. The bottom electrode was biased positively. The influence on the discharge process is observed by measuring the surface charge distribution and predischarge currents. The results reveal changes in streamer onset voltage, streamer to leader transition, and leader development.

Diagnostic Application of Moisture Equilibrium for Power Transformers

This paper aims at providing reliable methods of assessing moisture in oil-paper-insulated power transformers. The traditional method of moisture evaluation, oil sampling with the subsequent application of an equilibrium diagram, suffers from severe errors resulting in an overestimation of water concentration. To improve this, moisture sorption in cellulose (paper, pressboard) and moisture solubility in insulation oils were theoretically described and represented as sorption isotherms and equilibrium diagrams under the special consideration of aging. Several steps lead to the key recommendation of this paper, which is to use water saturation in oil and in cellulose to describe water in power transformers. The practical application and the use of vegetable oils are considered as well.

Location of PD sources in power transformers by UHF and acoustic measurements

The paper presents the experience of unconventional methods for partial discharge (PD) measurement to detect and localise PD sources in power transformers. The UHF PD measurement method is usable as stand-alone measurement and as a supporting measurement for off- and on-line PD detection. The sensitivity of UHF PD measurements is sufficient and is normally not affected by external disturbances. Especially in noisy surrounding it might be a very helpful method to support other PD measurement techniques for example dissolved gas analysis and acoustic location of PD. Propagation time of UHF signals can be used for geometrical PD location. The accuracy seems to be adequate to determine the phase limb where the PD is located. Additionally, different measurable UHF amplitudes support an estimation of the PD location. However, since transformers rarely possess more than three oil valves for installation of UHF probes, an additional acoustic measurement is usually required for location. Using the knowledge gained from the UHF location, acoustic sensors can be placed near to the PD source at the transformer tank. The paper explains first the fundamentals of PD measurements and PD source location and presents two case studies.

Assessment of overload capacity of power transformers by on-line monitoring systems

Overloading of power transformers can become necessary in open electricity markets due to economic reasons or simply to ensure continuous energy supply. During an overload cycle accelerated ageing and damage have to be strictly avoided. In order to control overload cycles intelligent on-line monitoring systems are needed. In this contribution the on-line calculation of the overload capacity and the integration in a monitoring system are described. By measurement of environmental and loading conditions it delivers continuously information on the maximum continuous and short time overload considering the actual preload of the transformer according to IEC 60354. The presentation of practical experiences shows the considerable possibilities regarding optimization of transformer operation during normal cyclic loading and emergency cases. Also a load dependent control of the cooling unit by the monitoring system allows an increase in the overload capacity and optimization of the hot-spot temperature.

Risk assessment on defects in GIS based on PD diagnostics

The paper, prepared by CIGRE WG D1.03 (TF 09), presents the guidelines for risk assessment procedure on defects in GIS based on PD diagnostics. The procedure, described in detail in CIGRE Technical Brochure 525, starts with sensitive PD measurement to detect the critical defects and follows with identification of the type of the defect and its location inside the GIS. This information taken together with other essential data from laboratory measurements, manufacturers experience, design aspects and trend analysis of the PD activity, are the base for the estimation of the criticality of the defects. Finally, the risk assessment is performed based on the estimated dielectric failure probability and failure consequences that can be different in case of on-site testing or in service activity.

On-line condition monitoring of power transformers

The development in sensor and computer technology allows the realisation of on-line monitoring systems for application to power transformers, in order to use this most expensive transmission equipment in the optimum technical and economical manner. This means the controlled utilisation of overload and life capacity of the transformer, as well as early warning in case of an oncoming insulation fault and condition-based maintenance. In this contribution a state-of-the-art monitoring system for power transformers based on field bus technology and process control software is described. The presentation of experiences in operation shows considerable possibilities regarding optimisation of service and early fault recognition.