Water-in-Paper Activity: A New Concept for Moisture Assessment in Transformers

Oleg Roizman Valery Davydov Jim Dukarm

IEEE/PES Transformers Committee Meeting Montreal, Quebec, Canada October 23, 2006

Part I Introduction

Presented by Dr. Jim Dukarm President Delta-X Research Inc

Introduction Water-in-Paper Activity:

a New Concept for Moisture Assessment in Transformers
Jim Dukarm President Delta-X Research Inc

Subject of the presentation

The presentation shows how the concept of water-in-paper activity is useful for Understanding the relationship between water in cellulose and water in oil in transformers, and Assessing and controlling the water content of cellulose insulation

Water in cellulose
Water in transformer cellulose starts out low (below 1% by dry weight) and accumulates as a chemical byproduct of cellulose aging and also as a result of leaks in tank gaskets and cooling system components. Depending on the type and voltage class of the transformer, it is considered desirable to keep the water content of cellulose below 2% or 3%.

Minimizing water in cellulose

Water in cellulose must be minimized because it can cause or contribute to various problems: Depolymerization of cellulose (weakens the winding insulation) Bubble formation (resulting PD causes damage to the paper) Reduction of dielectric strength of winding insulation

Assessing moisture in cellulose

Partitioning of water between cellulose and oil Typically over 90% of total water is in cellulose Thin paper may be 15% of total cellulose Water solubility in oil increases with temperature Under typical varying load and ambient temperature, equilibrium between water in cellulose and water in oil is not reached.

Assessing moisture in cellulose

There is a complicated relationship between %RS in oil and water in cellulose. "Active water content" of paper drives %RS on short time scale Total water content of bulk cellulose dominates on long time scale

Water-in-paper activity (Awp)

Water-in-paper activity (Awp) is the %RS which the paper is "trying" to force the oil to. Awp is a good indicator of the quantity of water available for exchange between the paper and the oil on a short time scale. Awp does not depend much on temperature. Evaluation of Awp is based on %RS and temperature measurements.

Usefulness of Awp
Awp is directly related to bubble formation tendency and to moisture-related changes in insulation dielectric strength. Awp is very useful for characterizing moisture in paper and for guiding transformer dry-out. The water content of the bulk cellulose slowly drives Awp, which has important implications for dry-out.

And now for the details . . .

Part II Outline of Water-in-Paper Activity Concept

Presented by Dr. Oleg Roizman
IntellPower Pty Ltd oleg.roizman@optusnet.com.au

Learning Objectives
Methods available today to estimate moisture content of solid insulation Introduction of the Water-in-Paper Activity (Awp) concept Instrumentation and methods for the Awp measurement and determination Ways of standardization of the Awp New research results and their application to practical assessment of moisture in transformer insulation Hands-on experience with moisture assessment in transformers; case studies

Detrimental Effects of Water

Accelerated paper aging Vapor bubbles evolution Corrosion of core and tank Decrease of PD inception level Progressive consumption of oil additives Decrease of insulation dielectric strength Reduction of transformer life

Many Faces of Water

Free, mobile, bound, dissolved, active... WCP (%) and WCO (ppm) RS, ERS and RH Dew point Water activity and water potential

Unclear Issues
No consideration for water in Loading Guide, life extension, aging, test codes, standard terminology No common view on oil acceptance guide from water perspective No agreed method to assess moisture and judge final dryness No clear understanding of water effects on dielectric stress, breakdown voltage, vapor bubble formation and aging

Methods for Moisture Assessment

Karl Fischer titration method Dielectric Loss factor (Tan delta) Polarization and depolarization currents Return (recovery) voltage method (RVM) Dielectric spectroscopy Water Heat Run Test Use of equilibrium charts

Introduction of Water-in-Paper Activity (Awp)

Historical Background Definition Determination Measurements Instrumentation Test procedure Comparison to other parameters used for moisture assessment

Thermodynamic Activity
1906:The concept of thermodynamic activity was introduced by G. N. Lewis (100 years ago!) J. Am. Chem. Soc (sys)= (w) + RT ln(aw) Used in food, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper industries 1999 V.G. Davydov, O. Roizman and W.J. Bonwick, Moisture Evaluation in Oil and Paper for Sealed Transformer Insulation System, EPRI Substation Equipment Diagnostics Conference VII. 2005 O.Roizman, V. Davydov and B. Ward, Water in Paper Activity: A New Approach for Moisture Management In Transformers, EPRI Substation Equipment Diagnostics Conference XIII.

Example:
If a dry pressboard (0.5%) and a wet pressboard (4.6%) were placed into a hot oil (80 o C) of 20% of RS, we would expect that over time the wet pressboard will lose some water and the dry pressboard will gain some water. However, the water content of each will not become equal.

Dry and Wet Pressboard

Steady state T T

B
WCA=0.5%, MA=745g WCB=4.6%, MB=346g

WCAB=3.25 %

MA=170g, not 745 g!

WCABi=1.8 %

Definition of Awp
Water-in-Paper Activity (Awp) of a oil-paper insulation system is a measure of free water available in cellulose for exchange with surrounding oil

Awp = %ERS/100 = p/po; 0 < Awp < 1

Brand name
LAMINATED PRECOMPRESSED PRESSBOARD

Types of Cellulose Insulation

clamping and support blocks

Photo

Application

Max. Sat. Moisture 3%

LAMINATED KRAFT TRANSFORMER BOARD

washers, filler blocks, stacking blocks, static ring cores and support beams

5%

ELECTRICAL GRADE MAPLE

support structures, core and coil blocking

7%

HI-LAM KRAFT TRANSFORMER BOARD

spacers in multiple barrier configurations

10%

Water Activity of Multicomponent System

Awp
air oil
paper

Awo

Awp

Awo Awp

pw = pw

pw = pw

pw= pw

pw = pw = pw

Aw=%ERH/100

Sorption Isotherm at 80 C
Sorption Isotherm for 1mm pressboard at 80 C
10 9 8 7 WCPa, % 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0.2 0.4 Awp 0.6 0.8 1

Indicative Water Activity Isotherm

http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/activity.html

Properties of Sorption Isotherms

Sorption isotherms are valid only for a single material (e.g. one type of cellulose) Sorption isotherms are affected by any variation in material ( e.g. aging) Sorption isotherms show a difference between absorption and desorption curves (sorption hysteresis) Sorption isotherms are experimentally determined

Instrumentation and Methods for Awp Measurement

Moisture Meters for determining Awp

Very compact in size and extremely versatile Provides measurement of the relative saturation of water and temperature of oil The sensor operates directly in the oil so it can be installed directly into the transformer or processing equipment Can be used to estimate the water content of paper insulation

Awp Measurement (idealized case)

100 80 T, C 60 40 20 0 80 60 %rs 40 Awp=0.18 20 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 hours 60 70 80 90 100 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Determination of Awp for Operating Tx

Load Load Profile Profile Temperature Temperature Sensors Sensors Moisture Moisture Sensor Sensor Fuzzy Logic Inference Engine

Water Water -in-inPaper Paper Activity Activity Awp Awp

Factory Experience
20 MVA 66/22 kV ONAF/OFAF 15,000 L New Conservator - free breathing Monitored over 16 hours

Position of Moisture Transducer

Conservator

Cooler

Oil-Paper System Bottom Drain Valve

T, deg C 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 0 16:04:37 16:27:37 16:50:37 17:13:37 17:36:37 17:59:37 18:22:37 18:45:37 19:08:37 19:31:37 19:54:37 20:17:37 20:40:37 21:03:37 21:26:37 21:50:37 22:13:37 22:36:37 22:59:37 T 23:22:37 23:45:37 RS 0:08:37 0:31:37 0:54:37 1:17:37 1:40:37 2:03:37 2:26:37 2:49:37 3:12:37 3:35:37 3:58:37 4:21:37 4:44:37 5:07:37 5:30:37 5:53:37 6:16:37 6:39:37 7:02:37 0 1 2 3 4 RS, % 5 6 7 8 9 10

T oil

Factory Temperature Rise Test

%RS

RS Response to T Rise
100 90 T 80 70 60 T, deg C 50 40 30 RS2@0.8 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 hours 50 60 70 80 70 60 50 RS, % 100 90

Awp=0.13

40 RS1@2.3% 30

Awp=0.04

20 10 0

Awp vs WCO
900 800 700 600

T= 0

wco, ppm wco, ppm

500 400 300 200 100 0

20

40 60 100
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 Awp 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

Awp

Awp vs RS
Awp
Awp depends on T at equilibrium and varies within narrow range. Awp from 0 to 1 Awp indicates moisture in oil-paper interface

RS, %
%RS highly temperature dependent and can vary within full scale from 0 to 100% RS from 0 to 100% RS is measure of moisture in oil only

Diagnostics by Awp
Awp
Quick diagnostic guide

0 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 1.0

Awp and Drying Process

Drying transformer insulation is a process of reducing Awp Keeping oil dry at all times by on-line dehydration is one way to maintain safety and dryness of transformer insulation Awp is the most critical parameter to control drying process

Conclusions
Concept of water activity is useful for transformer moisture management Awp reflects harmful effects of water on dielectric strength and risk of bubbling Awp can be benchmarked by recording RS during factory temperature rise test Awp can be standardized and used as a monitoring parameter for normal operation and dryout

Part III
Research Results and Case Studies
Presented by Dr. Valery Davydov valery.davydov@eng.monash.edu.au Centre for Power Transformer Monitoring, Diagnostics and Life Management Monash University, Australia

(Valid for New Paper-Air and New Paper-Oil Physical Complexes)

6 5 4 WCPa, % 3 2 1 0 0 0.1 0.2 Awp 0.3 0.4 0.5 0C 20C 40C 60C 80C

1. Sorption Curves

100C

Note:

WCPa Awp

Active Water Content of Paper Water-in-Paper Activity

Study into Moisture Equilibrium for New and Aged Paper

T & RH Probe Sealed Glass Vessel

Air 1 New & 1 Aged Paper Samples (KTU, 127 m)

Salt Solution
(Humidity Generator)

Metal Mesh

T & RH Test Data for Paper-Air Complex Over Salt Solution 1 and Salt Solution 2
30 T, deg. C 20 10 0 0
60 RH, % 40 20 0 0 1 2 3 Time, days 4 5 6 7

Measure WCP at ERH1

Measure WCP at ERH2

(a) ERH1=11.3% (Awp1=0.113)

(b) ERH2=43.2% (Awp2=0.432)

Results of WCP Balance Measurements for Aged and New Paper at Awp1 and Awp2
KTU aged (DP=292)
6

KTU new (DP=1148)

WCP, %

2 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5

Awp Aw Awp1=0.113 Awp2=0.432

Conclusion 1
Sorption curves relating Awp to WCP for new and aged paper are different.

2. Paper-Oil Physical Complex: Study into Moisture Equilibrium for New Paper and Oil

Winding Disk

1-mm Pressboard

Test Model: Winding Disk and 1-mm Pressboard Coil

Winding Disk

1-mm Pressboard

Awp Measurement
100 80 T, C 60 40 20 0 80 60 RS, % 40 Awp=0.18 20 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 hours 60 70 80 90 100 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Note:

RS Relative Saturation

Evaluation of WCPa for: (a) Awp = 0.18; (b) Awp = 0.32

6 5 4 WCPa, % 3 2 1 0 0 0.1 0.2 Awp 0.3 0.4 0.5 0C 20C 40C 60C 80C

4%
100C

2.7%

Test at Awp = 0.32 (WCPa = 4%)

80 T, deg C T oil 40

150 WCO (WCPa=4.0%)

WCO, ppm

100

50

0 100

75 RS, %

Awp = 0.32
50 25 RS (WCPa=4.0%) 0 0 6 12 18 24 Time, hrs 30 36 42 48

Foggy Oil during Cooling at Awp = 0.32

Conclusion 2
Transformer paper-oil systems with the Water-inPaper Activity approaching and exceeding 0.2 (or with WCPa > 2.7%) are critical in terms of moisture and require immediate attention.

3. Use of Awp for Assessment of Online Dryout of 70+ y.o. 4 MVA Tx

Awp in 4 MVA Tx Immediately Following Dryout

Oil In Conservator
Awp 0.06

Cooler

Oil Out Bottom Drain Valve

Distribution of Moisture in Winding Insulation after Dryout

Conductor Inner Layers (WCPa5%) Outer Layer (WCPa2%)

Note:

Tx operates at low temperature

Conclusion 3
During on-line dryout of transformers moisture is removed from surfaces of insulation, reducing the Water-in-Paper Activity to an acceptable level. This in turn guarantees that the WCO will remain at a safe level for several months.

4. Experience with Vegetable Oil Filled Tx

10/16 MVA ONAF Oil preservation: non-standard (on customers request) Manufactured in 2005 1 year in operation

Position of Moisture Probe in Tx during Factory Temperature Rise Test

Conservator

Cooler

Moisture Probe

Oil-Paper System

Factory Temperature Rise Test @ 1.75 p.u.

100 10

80 T deg C & WCO ppm

T oil WCO

40

RS
20 2 0 8:02 0 9:57

8:16

8:31

8:45

9:00 Time of Day

9:14

9:28

9:43

RS, %

60

New Dry Tx with Mineral or Vegetable Oil

5 4.5 4 3.5 60 80 2.5 100 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 0 20 40

WCPa, %

wcp, %

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1 Aw Awp

0.12

0.14

0.16

0.18

0.2

Assessment of Awp in Vegetable Oil Filled Tx after 1 Year in Service

Cooler Conservator
Awp = 0.014

Conclusion 4
Limited data available to date indicates that the Awp for vegetable oil filled transformers can be assessed in the same way as for mineral oil filled transformers, and the critical values for Awp are expected to be the same. Further research is in progress.

Summary
Sorption curves relating Awp to WCP for new and aged paper are different. Transformer paper-oil systems with the Awp approaching and exceeding 0.2 (or with WCPa > 2.7%) are critical in terms of moisture and require immediate attention. During on-line dryout of transformers moisture is removed from surfaces of insulation, reducing the Water-in-Paper Activity to an acceptable level. This in turn guarantees that the WCO will remain at a safe level for several months. Limited data available to date indicates that the Awp for vegetable oil filled transformers can be assessed in the same way as for mineral oil filled transformers, and the critical values for Awp are expected to be the same. Further research is in progress.

Questions?