Dissolved Gas-in-Oil Analysis

Dissolved gas-in-oil analysis, performed in accordance with ASTM D3612 or IEC 60567, is by far
the most frequently requested diagnostic test and the single most important test performed on
transformer oil. As the insulating materials of an electrical apparatus, such as a transformer,
break down from excessive thermal or electrical stress, gaseous byproducts form. The
byproducts are characteristic of the type of incipient-fault condition, the materials involved and the
severity of the condition. Indeed, it is the ability to detect such a variety of problems that makes
this test such a powerful tool for detecting incipient-fault conditions and for root-cause
investigations after failures have occurred. Dissolved gases are detectable in low concentrations
(ppm level), which usually permit early intervention before failure of the electrical apparatus
occurs, and allow for planned maintenance.

The DGA technique involves extracting or stripping the gases from the oil and injecting them into
a gas chromatograph (GC). Detection of gas concentrations usually involves the use of a flame
ionization detector (FID) and a thermal conductivity detector (TCD). Most systems also employ a
methanizer, which converts any carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide present into methane so
that it can be burned and detected on the FID, a very sensitive sensor.

Removing the gas from the oil is one of the more difficult and critical portions of the procedure.
The original method, now ASTM D3612A, required that the oil be subjected to a high vacuum in
an elaborate glass-sealed system to remove most of the gas from the oil. The gas was then
collected and measured in a graduated tube by breaking the vacuum with a mercury piston. The
gas was removed from the graduated column through a septum with a gas-tight syringe and
immediately injected into a GC. In the present modern day laboratory, however, mercury is not a
favorite material of chemists. For this reason, two additional extraction techniques have been
developed to eliminate mercury.

ASTM D3612B is called the direct injection technique. In this method, the stripping of gases from
the oil and the gas analysis takes place inside the GC. Originally developed in the mid-1980s for
this application, the process involves injecting the oil into a sample loop in the GC. When the GC
run is initiated, the sample loop transfers the oil through a series of valves into a stripper column.
The stripper column is composed of metal spheres in one end in which the oil overlays the
surface of the spheres to increase the surface area. Carrier gas is passed over the spheres and
extracts dissolved gases from the oil, which then pass through a series of columns and on
through the detectors. The oil is back-flushed and purged from the system before the next sample
is introduced.

The newest method, ASTM D3612C, was approved about a year ago and is called the
headspace method. Headspace technology was used for DGA analysis for almost a decade.
However, it was never developed into a robust, reliable standard method until several years ago
when Jocelyn Jalbert of Hydro-Quebec developed a headspace method using a Hewlett Packard
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(now Agilent Technologies) instrument. The technique involves injecting an exact volume of oil
into a purged and pressurized headspace vial. The gas in the oil is then allowed to develop an
equilibrium with the vial headspace under shaking and heating conditions. After a predetermined
sample extraction time, the autosampler removes a portion of the gas from the vial headspace
and injects it into the GC. The advantage of this method is that it can be automated and reduces
the risk of operator error from excessive handling of the sample during preparation and injection.

Of course, each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Method A (ASTM D3612A) is by
far the longest-standing technique and is still widely used today and offers accurate, reliable
sample preparation if followed rigorously. However, the alternative methods, which are more
easily automated, are gaining acceptance as they are shown to be reliable. None of the extraction
techniques completely removes all the gases from the oil. This is due to the solubility coefficient
of each gas, which must be accounted for in the final concentration determination. Laboratories
must also work with commercial suppliers to develop gas and gas-in-oil standards or they must
prepare standards themselves, because these are not currently available from national
standardization bodies such as the NIST. Repeatability and accuracy are also of the utmost
importance as small changes, even several ppm in some cases, can mean the difference
between an active incipient fault condition that requires immediate attention or one that is stable
and requires no attention.

Just like with industrial oil analysis, good sampling practice is important for obtaining accurate
DGA data. Key gases such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide could easily be lost from a sample
because of their low solubilities in oil. In order to minimize the loss of gases, ASTM D3613
requires samples to be taken using gas-tight glass syringes or metal bulbs; these are available
from several suppliers or from commercial transformer oil analysis labs.

Gases Detected and Their Relevance

Hydrogen, H2
Methane, CH4
Ethane, C2H6
Ethylene, C2H4
Acetylene, C2H2
Carbon Monoxide, CO
Carbon Dioxide, CO2

Additionally, oxygen and nitrogen are always present, their concentrations vary with the type of
preservation system used on the transformer. Also, gases such as propane, butane, butene and
others can be formed as well, but their use for diagnostic purposes is not widespread. The
concentration of the different gases provides information about the type of incipient-fault condition
present as well as the severity. For example, four broad categories of fault conditions have been
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described and characterized in Table 1 .
Electrical discharges or inadequate cooling of the paper insulation cause it to overheat,
generating carbon oxide gases. Examination of the relative composition or ratios of gases present
can provide further refinement of the diagnosis. This typically involves using either Rogers ratio or
Dornenberg ratios.

The severity of an incipient-fault condition is ascertained by the total amount of combustible

Some gas generation is expected from normal aging of the transformer insulation. Therefore it is
important to differentiate between normal and excessive gassing rates. Normal aging or gas
generation varies with transformer design, loading and type of insulating materials. Routinely,
general gassing rates for all transformers are used to define abnormal behavior. Specific
information for a family of transformers can be used when sufficient dissolved gas-in-oil data are
available.

Acetylene is considered to be the most significant gas generated. An enormous amount of energy
is required to produce acetylene, which is formed from the breakdown of oil at temperatures in
excess of 700°C. Excessively high overheating of the oil will produce the gas in low
concentrations; however, higher concentrations are typically symptomatic of sustained arcing, a
more serious operational issue that can cause a transformer failure if left unchecked.

DGA is used not only as a diagnostic tool but also to stem apparatus failure. Failure of a large
power transformer not only results in the loss of very expensive equipment (costs can exceed one
million U.S. dollars) but it can cause significant collateral damage as well. Revenue losses due to
customers’ outages may be the least worrisome consequence of a failure. Replacement of that
transformer can take up to a year if the failure is not catastrophic and can result in tremendous
revenue losses and fines. If the failure is catastrophic, then additional loses could be realized,
such as adjacent transformers, environmental problems from the release of oil, which could be as
much as 20,000 gallons, and the resulting fire that must be contained and smothered, all of which
are a utility’s worst nightmare. In order to avoid such a failure, the sample frequency of most large
power transformers is between one and three years. However, sampling frequencies will increase
as an incipient fault is detected and monitored. Often times sampling frequencies are dictated by
insurance requirements, which often stipulate that annual transformer oil analysis must be
conducted to ensure continued coverage.

The following examples are extreme but serve to illustrate how the dissolved gas-in-oil test can
be used to highlight active problems.

EXAMPLE 14
The utility suspected that the magnetic shunt pads attached to the inside of this transformer tank
had come loose and were either touching the core (layered steel structure around which the
copper winding is installed) or were coming very close. The result was intermittent unintentional
core grounding and stray flux causing localized overheating of the oil.

EXAMPLE 25 It was suspected that a single line to ground through-fault caused the failure of
this transformer. The fault was of enough energy to destroy one of the windings. Acetylene was a
predominant gas possibly indicating that arcing may have occurred. The acetyleneto-ethylene
ratio indicated the problem could be either high temperature overheating of the oil, arcing or both.
The problem was likely in the winding because it involved cellulosic materials, as witnessed by
the comparatively high carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide concentrations.

EXAMPLE 35 A technician noticed that this transformer was enveloped in a cloud of steam
during a rainstorm. This prompted an investigation where it was found that the temperature
indicator pegged. It was estimated that the temperature in the unit had been greater than 200°C.
It was discovered also that the unit became highly overloaded during some switching functions
due to current imbalances in the three phases. The condition probably existed on and off for two
years. An internal investigation found the cellulosic paper used as an insulant was brittle and
crumbly. Again, the key gas indicators for this condition were carbon monoxide and carbon
dioxide.

Oil testing is an important part of a utility’s electric apparatus condition assessment. As these
cases illustrate, dissolved gas-in-oil analysis is the most important diagnostic test for detecting a
wide range of problems.

References

1. Dind, J.E., Daoust, R., Regis, J. and Morgan, J., (1971). Analysis of Gases Dissolved in
Transformer Oils, Progress Report. Minutes of the Thirty-Eighth Annual International
Conference of Doble Clients. Sec. 6-1101.
2. Jalbert, J., Gilbert, R. and Brillante, S., (1995). Dissolved Gas Analysis of Transformer
Insulating Oils by Headspace/Capillary Gas Chromatography. Hewlett Packard
Application Note. pp. 228-310.
3. Griffin, P.J., (1998). Criteria for the Interpretation of Data for Dissolved Gases in Oil from
Transformers (A Review). ASTM Special Technical Publication 998.
4. Lewand, L.R. and Griffin, P.J., (2000). The Effective Use of Laboratory Analysis of
Insulating Oil as a Maintenance Tool. Proceedings of the Sixty-Seventh Annual
International Conference of Doble Clients. Sec. 5-8.
5. Griffin, P. J. and Lewand, L.R., (1995). A Practical Guide for Evaluating the Condition of
Cellulosic Insulation in Transformers. Proceedings of the Sixty-Second Annual
International Conference of Doble Clients. Sec. 5-6.