N S Sodha,

Former Executive Director,

POWERGRID Corpn, Gurgaon
POWER TRANSFORMERS
Factory condition
POWER TRANSFORMERS

Site condition
 POWER TRANSFORMER FAULTS

Faults in a Transformer

1. Internal Faults
2. External faults
3. Auxiliary Faults
Transformer failure rates
 Acknowledgement

DEVELOPMENT AND RESULTS OF A WORLDWIDE

TRANSFORMER RELIABILITY SURVEY

S. Tenbohlen, J. Jagers, G. Bastos, B. Desai, B. Diggin, J. Fuhr, J. Gebauer,

M. Kruger, J. Lapworth, P. Manski, A. Mikulecky, P. Muller, C. Rajotte, T.
Sakai, Y. Shirasaka, F. Vahidi

On behalf of CIGRE WG A2.37

Presented at CIGRE SC A2 COLLOQUIUM 2015 during Sep 20-25,

2015 at Shanghai, China

6
Introduction
WG A2.37 was formed with an objective of
 Review of all existing surveys and study different
practice
 Conduct new International survey
 Compiling and analysis of collected data
 Interpreting the results
 Calculation of failure rates
 Classification of failure locations
 Failure causes and modes

7
Failure definition
 Only transformers/reactors > 60 kV considered
 Major failure
 Situation requires removal from service > 7 days
 Involves major repair – factory or repair bay
 Opening of transformer, tap changer or exchange of
bushing
 < 7 days, but with extensive oil processing

8
Failure Rates

9
Failure locations > 100 kV
Substation Transformers (536 Failures)

10
Failure Locations > 100kV
GSUs (127 Failures)

11
Failure Locations > 100kV
Manufactured before 1980 (333 Failures)

12
Failure Mode all Voltage class
964 Failures (SS and GSU)

13
Failure Modes all Voltage Class
799 Failures (SS transformers)

14
Failure Mode analysis according to
Voltage Class

15
Failure Cause
964 Failures

16
External effect Analysis
76.5 % of failures did not result
into any external effects
7.1 % failures resulted in Fire
5.1 % failures are related with
explosions or blasts

17
External Failure effects
964 Failures

18
Failures with Fire or explosions
(126 Failures)

19
External effects of Bushing failures
115 Failures

20
Action taken analysis
964 Failures

21
Failure location analysis
of 242 scrapped transformers

22
Failure location analysis of
465 repaired transformers

23
CIGRE WG-Conclusions
 Overall failure rates remained < 1 %
 GSU failure rate marginally higher than
SS X’mer failure rate - difference is <
0.5%
 GSU (300-500kV)failure rate exceeded 1%
 Winding, tap changer, bushings
followed by lead exits – major
contributors
24
CIGRE WG Conclusions
 GSU contribute higher winding and lead failures
 SS transformers contributed more towards tap
changer failure
 Both type had similar contribution in bushing
failures
 Bushing and Lead exit failures tend to have
increasing trend with higher voltage upto 700 kV

25
CIGRE WG Conclusions
 Dielectric failures – highest contributors
 Design and manufacturing, ageing and external
short circuits - major contributors
 Bushing failures most often result in fire and
explosions
 Large contributors being ‘unknown’, results should be
treated with caution

26
 POWERGRID, India
Power Transformer/Shunt Reactor Asset
Performance & Preventive Actions
Asset Growth in POWERGRID, India
 Growth of 765kV Transformers in
POWERGRID, India
300

250

200
Quantity

150

100

50

0
Till 2011 2012 2013 2014 As on date
Period
 Growth of 765kV Reactors in
POWERGRID, India
600
500
400
Quantity

300
200
100
0
Till 2011 2012 2013 2014 As on date
Period
 Failures of AC Transformers
2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Population 10 100 135 206 247

Failure - 1 - 1 2
% Failure - 0.1 0 0.49 0.809

Failures of Shunt Reactors

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Population 10 147 218 436 507

Failure - - - 1 2
% Failure 0 0 0 0.23 0.395
 Transformer and Reactor Failures
 First 765kV Transformer commissioned in the year 2007 and
first 765kV Reactor commissioned in 2007.

 First failure of Transformer was encountered in 2013 and

first Reactor was encountered in the year 2015

 So far, failure of 4 Nos. Transformer and 3 nos. Reactor were

encountered.

 All of the failures were attributed due to failure of winding

unlike 400kV Transformers and Reactors where most of the
failures were due to bushing
POWERGRID’s Preventive
Measures/Philosophy
 Each bank of 765kV Transformer and Reactors are having a dedicated hot
stand by spare
 Charging of spare Transformer and Reactor on rotational basis in every 4
to 6 months
 Each 765kV Transformers and Reactors are equipped with on line DGA
monitoring System, On line drying System FO temperature sensors &
Digital RTCC.
 Commissioning of Controlled Switching Devices, On line DGA/ Dry out
System along with Transformers and Reactors and Validation and SCADA
Integration of Fiber Optic Temperature Sensors
 Six Monthly Review of DGA and Oil Test results by Committee of
Expert.
 Periodic review of AMP test results by Committee of Expert.
 Monitoring of Bushing Tan delta before expiry of warrantee period
 POWERGRID’s Preventive
Measures/Philosophy
Monitoring of oil:
 Norms for DGA Testing of oil :
 Just after charging,
 After 24 Hrs. of charging,
 After one week of charging
 15 days of charging
 One month of charging.
 On monthly basis till warrantee Period
 Thereafter 2 monthly basis
 Monitoring of all oil parameter tests (except oxidation stability)
within six month of charging and thereafter yearly basis
 Particle counts measurement before and within three months of
charging.
POWERGRID’s Preventive Measures/Philosophy
Further Improvement:
 Inclusion of UHF PD monitoring System and Self
Dehydrating Breathers in TS.
 SCADA integration of on line DGA monitoring System, On
line drying System, FO temperature sensors are under
progress for remote monitoring.
 Standardisation of Transformer and Reactor design for ease
of maintenance
 Inclusion of RIP bushings with polymer housing to avoid
catastrophic failure
 Bushing and Transient voltage monitoring system
Water – the worst enemy of
a transformer...
 A transformer with low moisture content is like a person in
good condition
 A transformer can be used at high load without
risk for catastrophic failure.
 A person can work hard without risk for heart attack
 A wet transformer is like an overweight person in bad
condition
 The transformer owner has to limit load to avoid bubbling
(may lead to catastrophic failure)
 Moisture in insulation increases the rate of aging
 The person can not run the marathon...
 Water/moisture and (high) temperature will sooner or later kill
the transformer
How Water affects the
transformer performance?
 Loading capability
 Limits the loading capability due to decreased
bubbling inception temperature
 Dielectric strength
 Decreases the dielectric strength of the oil and
decreases PD inception voltage
 Aging
 High temperature and moisture will dramatically
accelerate aging that lowers the mechanical strength
of the cellulose insulation
Loading capability is limited by
high moisture
Temperature limits from IEEE C57.91-1995
 Moisture determines the
maximum loading/hot-spot
temperature for bubble
inception
 Knowing moisture content
and oil quality allows for
correct decision on
maximum loading
 Leave as-is
 Dry-out/re-generate oil
 Replace/Relocate
 Scrap
G. K. Frimpong et al, “Estimation of Moisture in
Cellulose and Oil Quality of Transformer
Insulation using Dielectric Response
Measurements”, Doble Client Conference,
Paper 8M, 2001.
Life of a transformer –
Moisture and aging
 During manufacturing, the cellulose insulation in the transformer is
carefully dried out before it is impregnated with oil
 The moisture content in the solid insulation of a new transformer is
typically targeted to be < 0.5% by weight
 As the transformer gets older, the moisture content will increase
 Open-breathing transformers, typically around 0.2%/year
 Sealed conservator transformers, typically around 0.05%/year
 In an old and/or severely deteriorated transformer, the moisture
content can be > 4%
 The aging process of the insulation is directly related to moisture
content
Moisture accelerates aging
50
45 5%

aft Paper (IEEE)

4% IEEE
40 3% Kraft
2%
35 0.5
1% %
30 W ater
rK 25
r
o
f 20
r
ta o15
c
F
n g10
i
g A5
0
80 90 100 110 120 130 140
~12 years @ 1%
Winding Hot Spot
°C
~2 years @ 3%

Left: Lars E. Lundgaard, Walter Hansen, Dag Linhjell, Terence J.

Painter, “Ageing of oil-impregnated paper in power
transformers”, IEEE PWRD, 2003
Where does the water come
from?  Leaking gaskets and
faulty water traps may
expose the inside of the
transformer to moisture
humid air
 Exposure to humid air
during site
installation/commissioni
ng
 Exposure to humid
air during
maintenance
 Typical moisture content in
 Normal aging of
paper/pressboard: cellulose produces
water
 New transformer: < 1%
 Aged transformer: 2 - 4%  Insufficient drying
 Normal increase of water content is typically 0.05- at manufacturing
0.2%/year
Interpretation of moisture
content by various standards and
practices
 < 1% - “As new”
 1-2% - “Dry”
 2-3% - “Moderately wet”
 3-4.5% - “Wet”
 > 4.5% - “Excessively wet”

1)Original data in IEC60422, annex A, are presented as relative saturation in percentage. ”Dry”, ”Moderately wet”, ”Wet”
and ”Extremely wet” are recalculated to percent moisture in cellulose.
2)Original data in IEC60422 for new transformers is presented as percent moisture in cellulose
insulation.
3)Original data in CIGRE349 is by categories. “Good, “Fair”, “Probably wet” and “Wet” are relabeled to “Good/New”,
“Dry” and “Wet”.
 Transformer drying –
Methods/Examples
 Two major techniques are used:
 Drying the insulation by drying the oil – Field
 Drying the insulation with heat and vacuum – Field and
factory
 Drying the oil
 Molecular sieves
 Cellulose filters
 Cold traps
 Combined oil regeneration and degassing
 Drying the insulation
 Vacuum and heat
 Pulsation drying through oil circulation
A. Gruber, ”Online Treatment of Transformers and
 Hot oil spray drying Regeneration of Insulating Oil”, TechCon
AsiaPacific 2009
 Low frequency heating
 Vapour phase drying
TESTING OF POWER TRANSFORMERS

Tests on Transformer

Sweep frequency response analysis (SFRA)

 SFRA test is carried out to obtain initial signature of

transformer sweep frequency response .
 The test connections , procedure and connections shall
be defined for repeatability.
 The test can be repeated after a major event
transportation, short circuit, periodic maintenance,
earth quake etc.
TESTING OF POWER TRANSFORMERS

Tests on Transformer

Sweep frequency response analysis (SFRA)

Healthy
HV &
LV
winding
s
TESTING OF POWER TRANSFORMERS

Tests on Transformer

Sweep frequency response analysis (SFRA)

U-phase
shorted
turn
TESTING OF POWER TRANSFORMERS

Tests on Transformer

Sweep frequency response analysis (SFRA)

Conclusions on moisture/water
 Moisture is the worst enemy of the transformer!
 Limits the loading capability
 Accelerates the aging process
 Decreases dielectric strength

 The water/moisture in a transformer resides in the

solid insulation, not in the oil
 Dielectric Frequency Response Measurement is a great
technique for moisture assessment as it measures:
 Moisture content in the cellulose insulation
 Conductivity/dissipation factor of the insulating oil
 Power frequency tan delta/power factor, accurately temperature corrected to 20 C
reference temperature
 Drying a power transformer can take from days to
years depending on drying process & technology
Enhanced Reliability thru. Accessories
Monitoring and Control
Major accessories are Bushings, OLTC,OCTC, Temperature indicators, oil
preservation system and CTs
Bushings are High voltage bushings for HV Windings and high Current
bushings for low voltage windings. HV Bushings are mainly OIP bushings.
Now the trend is to go for Resin Impregnated Paper (RIP) Bushing.
Polymer insulation instead of Porcelain for operational safety.
OLTC have different current and voltage ratings. Most of OLTCs are high
speed resistor type. There are OLTC mounted inside the tank and also outside
the tank
OCTC like OLTC have different voltage and current rating.OCTC are
linear/reversing type
Trend is to go for Vacuum Type OLTC which has more contact life & less
maintenance.
Comparison between mineral oil
and Synthetic Ester& Natural Ester
Properties Mineral Oil Synthetic Ester Natural Ester
Envirotemp FR3

Expansion coefficient (°C) 0.00075 0.00075 0.00075

Kinematic Viscosity at 40°C 8-10 34 32-33
(mm2/s)
Specific Heat at 20/25°C (J/kg.K) 1860 2065 1880

Thermal conductivity at 20/25°C 0.126 0.161 0.167

(W/m.K)

Pour point (°C) -57 -60 to -57 -20 to -26

in accordance with ISO 3016
Breakdown voltage >70 >75 89
after treatment (kV)
Dielectric <0.001 <0.03 <0.04
dissipation factor
Permittivity 2.2 3.2 3.2
Reference Standard IEC-60296 IEC-61009 IEC-62770
RIP Condenser Bushing
RIP condenser bushing with Polymer (Silicon Rubber) Insulator

 Fire Resistance & explosion proof

 Plug in type up to 420kV

Enhanced Reliability thru. Accessories
Monitoring and Control
Oil preservation systems

Conservator with silicagel breather, air cell conservator ,N2

sealed conservator, Dry Col breather

Thermometer

Thermal image type OTI and WTI. Fiber optic thermal sensors

Monitoring Device for oil, winding temperature, cooler, OLTC,bushing, oil

ppm, gas, PD

 Trend

 Substation automation with control for system operation

complying with IEC 61850communication protocol standard
Transformer Monitoring System
Assets Health Information flow
Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor
Accurate measurement of Winding temperature for protection
& utilization of transformer
Energy Efficient transformer

IEC 60076-20 covers to choose a transformer with an

appropriate level of energy efficiency , according to the
loading & operating conditions.
The total capital & the estimated lifetime operating and
maintenance cost ( TCO = total cost of ownership) are also
significant consideration in determining the most suitable
transformer for the intended application.
Conclusion
 In future, Power transformer will have to meet increasingly stringent
environmental and safety requirement. Replacement of mineral oil by
biodegradable natural/synthetic Ester oil
Energy efficient transformers as per IEC60076-20
 Di-electrical design and appropriate analytical tool will need
enhancement to support the next generation transformers such as HTS
transformers, Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTs) and Phase
Shifting Transformers.
Factory capability assessment as per Cigre Guide TB530
Design Review as per Cigre Guide line TB529
On Line DGA
Transformer faults detection in
early stage
Safe & optimized utilization
 Prediction of ageing
 Fault classification from results
 Gases measured
 Hydrogen
 Methane
 Ethane
 Ethylene
Acetylene
 Carbon monoxide
 Carbon dioxide
 Oxygen
 Nitrogen
 Water
 Future Transformers
Mobile transformers.
Large capacity three phase transformer.
Phase shifting transformer.
Tapless transformer.
Mobile test system.
Green Transformer.
Site assembled transformer.
Energy efficient transormers

Figure showing Mobile power transformer and substation Figure showing compact 3 phase 930 MVA 550
kV GT
Milestones in Indian Power
Transformer Industry

333MVA, 1200kV ULTRA

HIGH VOLTAGE
POWER TRANSFORMER
Thank you for
your Kind
attention!