IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Vol. 13, No.

3; June 2006
1070-9878/06/$20.00 2006 IEEE
539
Temperature Dependent Dielectric Spectroscopy in
Frequency Domain of High-Voltage Transformer Oils
Compared to Physicochemical Results
C.D. Paraskevas
1
, P. Vassiliou
2
and C.T. Dervos
1
1
School of Electrical and Computer Eng.,
2
School of Chemical Eng.,
National Technical University of Athens,
9 Iroon Polytechniou Str, Zografou Campus, Athens 157 80, Greece.
ABSTRACT
The temperature dependent dielectric spectroscopy in frequency domain is compared
to physicochemical and electrical tests that are periodically applied on highly insulating
transformer oils. Complex permittivity and tan data are obtained as a function of
frequency and operation temperatures, to demonstrate the polarization phenomena and
the induced loss intensification by the thermally stimulated currents. The acquired
dielectric data of oil samples collected from 201 operating High Voltage (HV) power
transformers, were correlated to their corresponding physicochemical ones in order to
demonstrate the future potential employment of the proposed measuring technique in
the field of high voltage engineering, towards reliability monitoring of oil filled
electrical equipment (OFEE).
Index Terms Dielectric spectroscopy, Dielectric liquids, Dielectric losses,
Dielectric polarization, Permittivity measurement, Oil insulation, Insulation testing
1 INTRODUCTION
TRANSFORMER life aging is mainly related to the
degradation of the insulation, caused mainly by the thermal
stress of the insulating paper [1], together with the
electrochemical decomposition of the paper. The generated
byproducts within the insulating liquids are water and other
substances of partly polarizable and ionizable character [2].
For example, the life of insulating cellulose paper at 110C is
calculated to be only 10 years [3] but it may significantly be
extended for lower operating temperatures. Aging depends not
just on loading, but is also significantly influenced by the type
of paper, pulp composition, humidity and oxygen contents, as
well as the acidity level of the insulating liquid. Occasionally
failures occur in Ultra High Voltage (UHV) and HV
transformers whilst in service, creating significant cost
implications for the power supplier and, in extreme cases,
explosion with a consequent threat to workers with severe
injury or death and as well as environmental impacts.
This work investigates experimentally the aging induced
phenomena in high voltage transformer mineral oils during
their operational fatigue in oil filled electrical equipment. The
thermally stimulated dielectric spectroscopy is explored in the
frequency domain [4], to demonstrate the evolution of various
polarization mechanisms with induced aging. The acquired
experimental results from 201 power transformers are
Manuscript received on 12 September 2005, in final form 18 October 2005.
compared to their physicochemical and electrical tests that are
usually applied industrially to characterize transformer
mineral oils [5].
2 COMPLEX PERMITTIVITY
The complex permittivity describes the dielectric properties
of materials (solids and liquids). A material is classified as a
dielectric if it has the ability to store electrical energy during
an external field application. When a voltage source is applied
across a parallel plate capacitor incorporating a dielectric
material, the material will polarize at different frequencies to a
varying extend. Polarization of insulating liquids depends on
the incorporated contaminants and their related relaxation
mechanisms. Polarization increases energy storage by
neutralizing charges at electrode interfaces. As a result, more
charge will flow when a dielectric is positioned between the
plates of a capacitor.
When an ac sinusoidal voltage source, u(t) = V
.
sin(t), is
applied across the capacitor, the resulting current will be made
up of two components: the charging current and the loss
current, both being related to the complex permittivity. The
equivalent circuit of a lossy capacitor incorporates a
conductance (G) in parallel with an ideal capacitance (C). The
current flowing through the capacitor is the charge current
(I
charge
) while the current flowing through the conductance is
C.D. Paraskevas et al.: Temperature Dependent Dielectric Spectroscopy in Frequency Domain 540
the loss current (I
loss
), Figure 1. For an ideal insulator the ac
current should only flow through the capacitor.
Figure 1. The equivalent circuit of the parallel plate capacitor incorporating
the device under test (liquid or solid).
The total current flowing through the insulator will be given
by:
G) C V(j I I I
loss charge
+ = + =
(1)
where C is the capacitance with the material under test
between the electrodes and C
0
is the vacuum capacitance (i.e.
without the material). Let
0 r
C C =
and
r 0
C G =
, then,
*
r 0 r r 0
r 0 r 0
) C (j V ) j ( ) C (j V
) C C (j V I
= =
= + =
(2)
where
r r
*
r
j = and
0
* *
r
/ =
The relative complex permittivity (
*
r
) is a dimensionless
quantity, which compares the complex permittivity of a
material (
*

) to the permittivity of the free space (

0

=
8.854
.
10
-12
F/m). It describes the interaction of a material with
the electric field and consists of a real part (
r
), which
represents the storage, and an imaginary part (
r
), which
represents the losses.
The real part of the relative permittivity (
r
) is a measure of
how much energy from an external electric field will be stored
by the material and it is frequently referred as the dielectric
constant. For most solids and liquids:
r
>1. The imaginary
part of the relative permittivity (
r
) is called the loss factor.
It is a measure of how dissipative or lossy a material can be to
an external electric field. According to the theory,
r
is
always > 0 and is usually much smaller than
r
. When relative
complex permittivity is drawn as a simple vector diagram, the
real and imaginary components are 90 out of phase, (Figure
2). The vector sum
*
r
forms an angle with the real axis (
r
).
The relative lossiness of the material is the ratio of the
energy lost to the energy stored.
tan = I
loss
/I
charge
=
r
/
r
=
/

(Energy lost per cycle) / (Energy stored per cycle) (3)
The tan is also mentioned as loss tangent, or dissipation
factor.
Figure 2. Vector diagram of complex relative permittivity. Angle definition
according to the equation 3.
In the event of highly insulating materials i.e. having very
low losses, as is the case of insulating transformer oils, vector
*
r

r
and tan +0. However, when the
error
, Figure 3,
of the measuring set-up becomes greater than the
r
of the
material under test, the overall angle (
error
) may become
negative, i.e. tan -0 [6]. This is the major parameter that
has to be considered in selecting the appropriate measuring
sensor for the case of complex permittivity measurements of
highly insulating oils. To overcome this difficulty, the sensor
geometry and material selection will have to intensify the
signal of the I
loss
component in order to be measured by a high
precision LCR bridge in a wide frequency range. This may be
practically attained either by enhanced electrode areas, or
appropriate material and geometry selection of the measuring
cell.
Figure 3. During permittivity measurements an error vector (error), related to
the experimental set-up, is always added to the relative complex permittivity
vector. This vector becomes significant only for highly insulating materials
becauser 0 and becomes comparable to error .
The complex permittivity is both, frequency and
temperature dependent. In the low frequency regime (f 1
MHz) the ionic and molecular polarization processes are
expected to dominate (Figure 4). A temperature rise of the
material intensifies losses and the thermally stimulated charge
transport processes provide additional current components,
thus affecting the overall electrical properties. The
investigation of dielectric response as a function of frequency
and temperature is known as temperature dependent
dielectric spectroscopy [2]. The advantage of this approach is
that this method can be used as a stand-alone criterion to
provide insight information of the insulation status of the HV
transformers. Most of the generated byproducts are either
polar or ionic; therefore the dielectric spectroscopy data take
IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Vol. 13, No. 3; June 2006 541
under consideration all possible undergoing degradation
mechanisms within the component [4].
Figure 4. Polarisation processes at the frequency spectrum.
The theoretical model describing the relative complex
permittivity (
r r
*
r
j = ) of materials vs. frequency and
temperature implies that any good quality oil sample will be
characterized by a low relative dielectric constant value
(
r
1) and a low loss factor value (
r
0) hence
r
/
r
=
tan 0 at all frequencies. For the purpose of this study the
permittivity measurements were performed under four oil
temperatures: 20, 40, 60 and 80
o
C.
3 EXPERIMENTAL
3.1 MEASURING SET-UP
A high precision LCR meter has been used to measure
complex permittivity variations at a frequency range between
20 Hz and 1 MHz. A coaxial cylindrical cell was used to host
the oil under test.
The cell consisted of two electrically isolated stainless steel
cylindrical electrodes, A and B, thus forming the cylindrical
capacitor shown in Figure 5. Parts 1 to 6 form the inner
electrode A. Part 7, also utilized as the oil reservoir, forms the
outer electrode B. The incorporated two insulators in electrode
A (parts 2 and 4) are used to allow for a grounded guard-ring
formation (part 3). The conical metal ring (part 5) was used
for precise height positioning of the inner electrode, thus
offering a stable overall assembly of the entire test fixture.
It was confirmed experimentally that the above cylindrical
test fixture offers certain practical advantages over the usually
proposed parallel plate fixtures for dielectric measurements of
highly insulating liquids. These are mainly attributed to the
following fact: for the two different measuring geometries, i.e.
cylindrical versus parallel, under a given electrode spacing and
oil volume, the cylindrical geometry obtains stable
conductance values for the corresponding C-G parallel
equivalent circuit. This is possibly attributed to geometric
restrictions of the parallel plate capacitor assemblies (i.e. their
solid insulators have to be in contact with the oil under test,
thus affecting their surface cleanliness intensifying surface
leakage currents). The aforesaid statement was experimentally
confirmed.
2
3
1
4
5
6
7
(a)
6
5
4
3
2
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
(b)
Figure 5. Liquid test fixture proposed for measuring complex permittivity of
highly insulating petrochemical products. (a) The overall assembly of the
inner coaxial electrode A and the outer electrode B. (b) The cross-section of
the electrodes and various incorporated parts of the cylindrical capacitor.
1: Part 1 of Electrode A, 2: PTFE insulator, 3: Guard Ring, 4: XLPE
conical insulator, 5: Conical metal ring, 6: Part 2 of Electrode A, 7: Electrode
B oil container.
The sample holder contained 15 ml of the examined oil and
it was electrically connected by a four terminal configuration
to the LCR measuring unit, under temperature control. Prior to
sample insertion, the overall capacitor assembly was cleaned
with wet chemistry process (trichloroethylene, acetone,
methanol, washed in deionized water) and dried in a high
vacuum environment. The overall experimental setup is shown
in Figure 6.
For the purpose of this work, measurements were
performed on oil samples, obtained from 201 power
distribution transformers of the 150 kV and 400 kV network
of the Public Power Corporation of Greece. The followed
sampling procedure is described by ASTM D117-02 Standard
A B
C.D. Paraskevas et al.: Temperature Dependent Dielectric Spectroscopy in Frequency Domain 542
Guide for Sampling, Test Methods and Specifications for
Electrical Insulating Oils of Petroleum Origin and ASTM-
D923-97 concerning Practices for Sampling Electrical
Insulating Liquids.
Figure 6. The experimental setup used for measuring multi-frequency
temperature dependent complex permittivity values of highly insulating
transformer oils: (1) high precision LCR unit, (2) the coaxial cylindrical test
fixture, and (3) the temperature controlled environmental chamber. All units
were computer controlled (4).
3.2 TYPICAL DIELECTRIC SPECTROSCOPY
RESULTS
The results of the investigated samples were categorized in
terms of their permittivity response in three distinct Groups
(Figure 7):
Group-I: Highly insulating liquids: They exhibit (i) very
low dissipation factor values (tan) for all frequencies and
operating temperatures, i.e. typical values below 0.005, (ii) re-
markable thermal stability of complex permittivity, exhibiting
variation rate of the order of
r
/T 0.02/C. (iii) Also, tan
is temperature independent. The oil samples of this Group are
90/201 and are in satisfactory condition for continued usage.
Group-II: Oils exhibiting low-losses. Oil samples that are
categorized in this Group may exhibit slight disorders for at
least one of the measured dielectric quantities. They may ex-
hibit either (i) higher tan values (compared to Group-I) rising
up to 0.02 at all frequencies and examined temperatures, or (ii)
reduced thermal stability of complex permittivity values,
having variation rate of the order of
r
/T 0.04/C, or (iii)
exhibit minor dependence of tan on the operating
temperatures. The oil samples of this Group are 43/201 and
they may need reconditioning to eliminate aging induced
effects, i.e. by dehydration or filtration, in order to ensure
prolonged and reliable service.
Group-III: Oils exhibiting high-losses and/or developing
thermal instabilities. Oil samples from this Group may exhibit
either (i) very high dissipation factor values (tan) rising be-
yond 0.02 with typical values around 0.08, i.e. loss intensifi-
cation by a factor of 10 or more, compared to Group-I oil sam-
ples, or (ii) thermal instability of complex permittivity, i.e.

r
/T 0.8/C typical value, or (iii) temperature dependent
tan values. The oil samples of this Group (68/201) are in
poor condition. Such oils should be either reclaimed for
possible reconditioning, or disposed. Components may require
frequent inspection and decision may have to be taken in order
to undergo servicing, depending on economic considerations.
Group I
90 oil samples
Group II
43 oil samples
Group III
68 oil samples
Figure 7. Distribution of oil samples to each category.
r'
2.08
2.10
2.12
2.14
2.16
2.18
2.20
2.22
10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000
f (Hz)
(20
o
C)
(40
o
C)
(60
o
C)
(80
o
C)
r'
2.08
2.10
2.12
2.14
2.16
2.18
2.20
2.22
10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000
f(Hz)
(20
o
C)
(60
o
C)
(80
o
C)
(40
o
C)
2.08
2.10
2.12
2.14
2.16
2.18
2.20
2.22
10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000
f(Hz)
r'
(20
o
C)
(60
o
C)
(80
o
C)
(40
o
C)
Figure 8. Dielectrometry results of transformer-oil relative permittivity at
frequencies 20Hz-1MHz and temperatures 20, 40, 60 and 80 C. Averaged
values of relative permittivity (r), for all samples within each Group, as a
function of temperature and frequency.
Complex permittivity data have been further analyzed to
provide for every dielectric classification Group the average
Group-I
Group-II
Group-III
IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Vol. 13, No. 3; June 2006 543
values of
r
as a function of operating frequency and
temperature (Figure 8), the tan values as a function of
temperature in the low frequency regime (Figure 9), and the
tan values as a function of temperature at higher frequencies
up to 1MHz, where impulse voltages may interact with
electrical insulators. According to the results of Figure 8, the
reduction of the relative permittivity with temperature at all
frequencies can possibly be attributed to the thermally assisted
depolarization process. It cannot be related in any way to the
volume extension of the oils with temperature due to the
following two reasons: (i) If the oil volume were increased the
measured capacitance value C with the liquid material
between the electrodes would also increase due to the effective
electrode area enhancement. Therefore,
r
should also be
0.00
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
10 100 1000
f(Hz)
tan
0.00
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
10 100 1000
f(Hz)
tan
(80
o
C)
(60
o
C)
(20
o
C)
0.00
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
10 100 1000
f(Hz)
tan
(20
o
C)
(40
o
C)
(60
o
C)
(80
o
C)
Figure 9. Dielectrometry results of transformer-oil tan, at frequencies 20 Hz-
1 kHz and temperatures 20, 40, 60 and 80 C. Averaged tan values given for
all samples within each Group. Same scales used for comparison.
increased with the operating temperature since
r
= C/C
o
. But
as the results of Figure 8 point out,
r
is reduced with
increasing temperature. (ii) The cells for liquids have an
outlet for overflowing liquids to ensure the same amount of
liquid under test. At the very low frequency regime (20 Hz-
100 Hz) the relatively large increase of the permittivity with
frequency may indicate that the slow polarization mechanisms
dominate and there are lots of them in organic liquids, i.e
stretching of the long carbon chains and twisting of the
attached molecules to the main chain, or space charge
distribution effects. The low frequency regime of Figure 8
should be related to the low frequency regime of Figure 9. The
increased losses with temperature shown in Figure 9 can be
attributed to the thermally stimulated currents in liquids with
suspended charged particles or contaminants.
The aforesaid categorization of oils collected from High
Voltage Transformers has also been utilized to classify the
examined 201 oil filled electrical equipment in terms of their
oil service life (Figure 10) and type of equipment, thus
providing interesting information concerning components
reliability.
67%
14%
19%
64%
9%
27%
50%
19%
31%
31%
31%
38%
27%
27%
47%
11%
33%
56%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
O
i
l

p
e
r
m
i
t
t
i
v
i
t
y

c
l
a
s
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
0 - 5 6 - 10 11 - 15 16 - 20 21 - 25 26 - 30
Years of operation
Group-I Group-II Group-III
Figure 10. Differentiations of dielectric characteristics of oil samples as a
function of their operating time. A gradual decrease of the number of samples
in Group-I is observed with a simultaneous gradual increase of the samples in
Groups II and III.
3.3. THE CORRESPONDING PHYSICOCHEMICAL
RESULTS
In addition, the physicochemical tests of Table 1 were also
performed in every sample, according to the corresponding
ASTM procedure. The investigated physicochemical quanti-
ties were the breakdown voltage, the interfacial tension, the
acidity, the water content, the relative density and the color.
Physicochemical results were compared to the ones obtained
by the temperature dependent dielectric spectroscopy in the
frequency domain. Due to the great amount of acquired data,
the physicochemical results in each Group (I, II, and III) have
been processed to provide averaged values and standard
deviations, which are collectively presented in Table 2.
According to the Table 2 data, the following remarks can be
supported: Despite of the dielectrometry classification (i.e.
Groups I, II and III), the average breakdown voltage values for
all oil samples in each Group exceeds the 26 kV threshold,
which is frequently considered as the minimum requirement
for used oils in electrical equipment [7]. However, there is a
clear tendency for the reduction of breakdown voltage for oil
samples with deteriorating permittivity classification Group.
Group-I
Group-II
Group-III
C.D. Paraskevas et al.: Temperature Dependent Dielectric Spectroscopy in Frequency Domain 544
Table 1. Physicochemical tests, ASTM methods and acceptable values for
mineral oils operating in Oil Filled Electrical Equipment (OFEE).
Used Mineral oils in OFEE
Operating voltage*
Physicochemical Test ASTM
method
Below
69 kV
Between
69 and
288 kV
Above
345 kV
Breakdown Voltage
(kV min.)
D877 26 26 26
Interfacial Tension
(dynes/cm min.)
D971 24 26 30
Acidity
(mg KOH /oil g max)
D974 0.2 0.2 0.1
Water Content,
(ppm max.)
D1533 35 25 20
Relative Density D1298 0.840 0.900**
Color D1500 0.5 8
* After [7]. **Limits given by various manufacturers.
Table 2. Average values and standard deviations for the examined
physicochemical quantities of insulating oils. Group categorization has been
based upon their permittivity results.
Group categorization Physicochemical
Test

Breakdown voltage
(kV)
31.48 5.9 28.70 6.9 27.49 7.24
Interfacial tension
(dynes /cm)
34.60 6.18 24.33 3.8 20.13 3.65
Acidity
(mg KOH /oil g)
0.10 0.016 0.124 0.048 0.19 0.091
Water content
(ppm)
13.4 7.5 14.6 7.7 17.4 11.0
Relative density
0.87180.0011 0.87200.0087 0.8752 0.0098
Color
1.37 0.56 2.13 0.71 3.19 0.83
The interfacial tension decreases as the permittivity
characteristics of the oil samples deteriorate, i.e. Group-III oil
samples exhibit lower interfacial tension compared to oil
samples in Group-II and Group-I. Oil samples in Group-I have
values within the acceptable limits, while samples of Group-II
have values close to the minimum requirement of 24
dynes/cm. Group-III samples exhibit unacceptable interfacial
tension values.
The acidity values are steadily increased as the permittivity
characteristics of the oil samples deteriorate, i.e. Group-III oil
samples show higher acidity levels compared to the oil
samples in Group-II and Group-I. The quoted average acidity
values satisfy the maximum threshold requirement of 0.2 mg
KOH/ oil g, but distinct samples exist in Group-III where the
acidity exceeds 0.3 mg KOH/ oil g.
The relative density increases as the permittivity
characteristics of the oil samples deteriorate. Though the
experimentally obtained relative density values of all samples
fall within the acceptable range for aged insulating oils,
(according to the various manufacturers) it can be seen that the
density values in Group-III oil samples are strongly increased.
The oil color number rises as the oil permittivity properties
tend to deteriorate. However, it should be emphasized that
color by itself is not always a reliable guide to product quality
and should not be used indiscriminately in product
characterization (ASTM D1500).
The physicochemical results of oils selected from distinct
Groups I, II and III clearly indicate the degradation of the exa-
mined physicochemical parameters. On the other hand, when
the dielectrometry results are processed as a function of years
of operation of the OFEE they exhibit good correlation as
indicated by the results of Figure 10. This response is also in
accordance with the interfacial tension (Figure 11), and color
(Figure 12) and almost the acidity data (Figure 13) but is not
in accordance with all other physicochemical quantities
examined, i.e. breakdown voltage (Figure 14), relative density
(Figure 15), and water content (Figure 16) as a function of
operating time of the transformer.
33.95
32.92
26.29
25.13
22.67
21.43
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
S
u
r
f
a
c
e

t
e
n
s
i
o
n

(
D
y
n
e
s
/
c
m
)
0 - 5 6 - 10 11 -15 16 - 20 21 - 25 26 - 30
Years of operation
Figure 11. Averaged values of the interfacial tension for all oil samples as a
function of years of operation of the originating transformer.
1.403
1.878
2.462 2.500
2.767 2.741
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
C
o
l
o
r
0 - 5 6 - 10 11 -15 16 - 20 21 - 25 26 - 30
Years of operation
Figure 12. Averaged oil sample color values, as a function of years of
operation of the originating transformer.
0.107
0.136 0.135 0.137
0.187
0.172
0.00
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.10
0.12
0.14
0.16
0.18
0.20
A
c
i
d
i
t
y

(
m
g

K
O
H
/

o
i
l

g
)
0 - 5 6 - 10 11 -15 16 - 20 21 - 25 26 - 30
Years of operation
Figure 13. Averaged acidity values for all oil samples, as a function of years
of operation of the originating transformer.
IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Vol. 13, No. 3; June 2006 545
29.54
28.70
30.33
30.89
32.11
29.95
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
B
r
e
a
k
d
o
w
n

v
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
k
V
)
0 - 5 6 - 10 11 -15 16 - 20 21 - 25 26 - 30
Years of operation
Figure 14. Averaged values of the breakdown voltage for all oil samples, as a
function of years of operation of the originating transformer.
0.872
0.875
0.872
0.870
0.872
0.876
0.866
0.867
0.868
0.869
0.870
0.871
0.872
0.873
0.874
0.875
0.876
0.877
R
e
l
a
t
i
v
e

d
e
n
s
i
t
y
0 - 5 6 - 10 11 -15 16 - 20 21 - 25 26 - 30
Years of operation
Figure 15. Averaged relative density values for all oil samples, as a function
of years of operation of the originating transformer.
14.633
13.298
14.796
15.631
15.227
14.274
12.0
12.5
13.0
13.5
14.0
14.5
15.0
15.5
16.0
W
a
t
e
r

c
o
n
t
e
n
t

(
p
p
m
)
0 - 5 6 - 10 11 -15 16 - 20 21 - 25 26 - 30
Years of operation
Figure 16. Averaged water content values for all oil samples, as a function of
years of operation of the originating transformer.
Though most of the examined mineral oil samples collected
from field operating power transformers fulfill the ASTM
requirements of the physicochemical tests given in Table 1,
there exist significant variations among their permittivity
characteristics. Permittivity differentiations emanate by the
polarizable / ionizable aging byproducts within the insulating
liquid [8]. Therefore, the proposed temperature dependent
dielectric spectroscopy, acquires direct information
concerning the electrical energy loss and storage by the liquid
insulation, thus allowing for systematic differentiation
monitoring among the operational transformer oils.
The advantage offered by the temperature dependent
dielectric spectroscopy is that, by one set of automated
measurements, the contribution of all possible oil
contaminants and/or aging byproducts on the overall electrical
performance can be globally monitored, whilst physico-
chemical tests aim towards the pre-specified parameters only.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The experimental work presented in this paper points out
that though most of the examined mineral oils collected from
field operating power transformers may fulfill the commonly
adopted requirements for the physicochemical tests, there
appear to be significant differentiations when the temperature
and frequency effects are considered on the oil complex
permittivity vector. Dielectrometry tests may provide inside
information concerning the state of insulation within the
components. The formation of databases recording
polarization effects in a wide frequency and temperature range
may be used effectively as a working tool for service
engineers. Reliable insulation monitoring will diminish
accidents in aged H.V. transformers, some of them being in
operation since the 60s, thus imposing an environmental threat
due to possible accidental leaks or fire events especially when
containing traces of PCBs.
Therefore, the proposed methodology can be utilized as an
additional high-sensitivity low-cost diagnostic tool for the
lifetime expectancy of OFFE that are usually operating for
several decades with significant environmental impacts and
economical considerations.
5 REFERENCES
[1] V. T. Morgan Effects of Frequency, Temperature, Compression, and
Air Pressure on the Dielectric Properties of a Multilayer Stack of Dry
Kraft Paper, IEEE Trans. Dielectr. Electr. Insul., Vol. 5, pp 125-131,
1998.
[2] W. S. Zaengl, Dielectric Spectroscopy in Time and Frequency Domain
for HV Power Equipment, Part I: Theoretical Considerations IEEE
Electr. Insul. Mag. Vol. 19, No 5, pp 5 19, 2003.
[3] H. Borsi, Esterfluessigkeit Midel 7131 als Ersatz fuer Mineraloel in
Transformatoren, Elektrizitaetswirtschaft, Jg. 93, Vol. 24, pp. 1523-
1528, 1994.
[4] CIGRE Task Force 15.01.09: Dielectric response methods for
diagnostics of power transformers, IEEE Electr. Insul. Mag., Vol. 19,
No.3, pp.12-18, 2003.
[5] C.T. Dervos, C. D. Paraskevas, P. Skafidas and P. Vassiliou, Dielectric
Characterization of Power Transformer Oils as a Diagnostic Life
Prediction Method, IEEE Electr. Insul. Mag., Vol. 21, No 1, pp.11-19,
(2005).
[6] Agilent 16452A Liquid Test Fixture, Operating and Service Manual, 3d
Edition, Japan, 2000.
[7] International Electrical Testing Association (NETA), Maintenance
Testing Specifications for Electrical Power Distribution Equipment and
Systems, 2001.
[8] Ferguson, A. Lobeiras, and J. Sabau, Suspended Particles in the liquid
insulation of aging power transformers, IEEE Electr. Insul. Mag., Vol.
18, No.4, pp.17-23, 2002.
Christos D. Paraskevas was born in Athens
Greece in 1974. He received his electrical
engineering degree in 1997 from the
Technological Educational Institute of Piraeus and
his diploma in electrical and computer engineering
in 2001 from the National Technical University of
Athens. In 2005 he received his Ph.D. from the
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Division of Information Systems and Materials
Technology (NTUA, Greece). His thesis covered
the field of the insulation diagnosis of oil filled HV
transformers, using the temperature dependent dielectric spectroscopy. Dr.
Paraskevas is a member of the Technical Chamber of Greece
C.D. Paraskevas et al.: Temperature Dependent Dielectric Spectroscopy in Frequency Domain 546
Constantine T. Dervos (M94) received the B.Sc.
degree in electrical engineering from the National
Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens,
Greece, in 1980 and the M.Sc. degree in solid state
electronics and the Ph.D. degree in physics and
electronics from the University of Manchester
Institute of Science and Technology (U.M.I.S.T.),
Manchester, UK, in 1982 and 1985, respectively. He
is currently a professor in the Department of
Information Transmission Systems and Materials
Technology, School of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, NTUA. His research activities cover metal semiconductor
contacts, electrical contacts, interfacial transport processes, surface physics,
material aging and destruction mechanisms, high field effects, high voltage
insulators, dielectrics, and partial discharge diagnostic techniques. He has
developed real-time monitoring techniques employed for power switch and
GIS technology power, based on gas analytics. Professor Dervos is a member
of the Technical Chamber of Greece, and the International Organizing
Committee of Gaseous Dielectrics.
Panayota Vassiliou received the B.Sc. degree in
chemical engineering from the University of
California, Berkeley, in 1975, and the M.Sc. degree in
Chem. Eng. and the Ph.D. degree from the School of
Chemical Engineering, National Technical University
of Athens (NTUA), Athens, Greece in 1977 and 1981,
respectively. She is a Professor in the School of
Chemical Engineering, NTUA. She consults on the
selection of materials for industrial applications and
performs failure analysis after accidental catastrophes.
The main themes of research activities are coating
materials, degradation mechanisms, anticorrosive coatings, effects of working
conditions on materials and components, effects of acid deposition on
historical structures, and restoration of surfaces of monuments. She is
responsible for testing materials to be used for the restoration of monuments
and especially of the Acropolis of Athens. Professor Vassiliou is a member of
the Technical Chamber of Greece and of the Academic Board of NTUA Press
Publications. She is the national representative of Greece in the International
Corrosion Council.