POWER TRANSFORMERS

Dejan Susa on behalf of SINTEF Electric Power Technology Department

dejan.susa@sintef.no
SINTEF Energy Research

Transformer design

Insulation
Liquid, Air
Solid

Stresses
Thermal
Dielectric
Mechanical
Electrical Breakdown

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Insulation Degradation: Remaining lifetime

1
1

EA
DPNOW DPEND
Re mainingLife
e RT
A

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Transformer Life Parameters

Load Current

Top-Oil Temp.

Hot-Spot Temp.

H2O
Ambient Temp.
DGA

Bottom-Oil Temp.

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Relative Position

Characteristic Temperatures
H x gr

Top Oil Tank

Hot-Spot

Top Oil-Winding

Cooler

HV winding

Average Winding

LV winding

Average Oil

Core

gr

Bottom OilWinding

Ambient

Temperature
rise
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IEC 60076-2: Temperature rises

Temperature rise limits

Requirements for
Top liquid
Average winding (by winding resistance variation):
ON.. and OF.. cooling methods
OD.. cooling method

K
60
65
70
78

Hot-spot winding

Temperature limits are based on expected lifetime

Ambient temperatures
C
monthly
yearly average
maximum
average
20
30
40
25
35
45
30
40
50
35
45
55
* Referred to the values given in Table 1.

Correction of
temperature
rise
K *
0
5
10
15

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HEAT RUN TEST

The heat run test, i.e. temperature rise test, is the type test carried out to verify the
guaranteed temperature rises for oil and windings
It is also used to reveal the possible overheated locations inside and outside windings due
to high stray fields for the high powers
In addition, as indicated above, the temperature rises obtained during a heat-run test are
used for estimating transformer loading capability by application of the relevant thermal
models
During a heat run test the following temperatures could be directly measured:

Ambient temperature
Top-oil temperature
Bottom-oil temperature
Hot-spot temperature, hottest winding temperature (if fiber optic sensors are installed)

There are two methods used for performing the heat run test:
short circuit
back-to-back

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Hot-Spot Temperature Direct Measurements

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= H gr Ky fhs-oil(t)

Top-oil rise over ambient

=(Top-oil rise)r [(1+RK2)/(1+R)]x foil(t)

Ambient Temperature

Ambient Temperature

Hot-spot temperature

Hot-spot to top-oil gradient

Top-oil temp.

Transient state: Hot-spot and Top-oil Temperatures

fhs-oil(t)=f2(t)=k21[1-e-t/(k22w,r)]-(k21-1) [1-e-t/(o/k22)]

foil(t)=f1(t)=(1-e-t/(k11o,r))

k21
f1(t)

f2(t)

oil

TIME

TIME

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Recommended thermal characteristics for exponential

equations

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Hot-Spot Temperature:400 MVA ONAF UNIT/120 kV WDG

IEC 76-7: New and Active Guide

100

Measured

90

Temperature, degC

80
70
60
50

IEC 354: OLD GUIDE

40
30
20
10
0
0

100

Time, min

200

300

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IEC 60076-7 versus IEC 354

oil
oil,ss

1.
2.
3.
4.

1
2

oil

Oil pocket
CT
Heating element
Matching Resistance

TIME

3,4
3
-IEC 354

-IEC 76-7

TIME

TIME

4
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Oil Viscosity Effect on Power Transformer Thermal

Performance: New Oils

-IEC 76-7

TIME

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Transformer Oils:
Mineral Oil- Natural Ester Synthetic Ester

Viscosity-temperature
relationship is not strictly
Arrhenius type

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Transformer Oils

Ester

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Accelerated Ageing Testing

DP

1
1

DPEND DPSTART
k
t
t

lnk

1/T

Ageing rate of paper:

k A e

EA

RT

1
1

EA
DPNOW DPEND
Re mainingLife
e RT
A
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A and E Parameters

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Moisture in Paper

Equilibrium Charts

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Pictures Paper Sampler Rig

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Paper Sampler Rig - schematic

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Characteristic Ageing Parameters

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Application
1000

Year

2011

New
Condition scale

Now

End

200

DP scale
Age scale

Load History

Load Forecast

Temperature

Temperature

A:Contamination
Moisture, LMA

Age
EA:Process
Material

DPNOW

A e

E
A
RT

1
t
DPSTART

A:Contamination Forecast
Moisture, LMA

EA:Process Forecast
Material

1
1

EA
DPNOW DPEND
Re mainingLife
e RT
A
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Example:Eidsiva Anlegg AS; Gjvik T1

Top-Oil Temperature=40 degC

Moisture in Paper=1.5% (Equilibrium Curves)
Production Year: 1986
DPSTART=1000
DPEND=200

DPNOW

A
1
A e RT t
DPSTART

1
1

EA
DPNOW DPEND
Re mainingLife
e RT
A

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Example: Loss of Life (IEC 60076-7)

Relative Aging Rate due to Hot-Spot Temperature (V):

Non-thermally Upgraded Paper

Thermally Upgraded Paper

V 2 ( h 98) / 6
V e

15000
15000
)

110 273 h 273

The relative ageing rate V = 1,0 corresponds to a temperature of 98 C for non-thermally

upgraded paper and to 110 C for thermally upgraded paper:

Loss-of-Life (L)
Over certain period: L=Vnxtn, where n(1,N)

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Loss of Life Example

Load Steps of the Transformer

Hot Spot Temperature Calculation

Load Profile

Hot-Spot Temperature Profile

2,50
Hot Spot Temp (Deg C)

Temperature, degC

250

Load Factor
Load
factor, K

2,00
1,50
1,00
0,50

200
150
100
50
0

0,00
4

12

16

20

24

12

16

20

24

Tim
e (hours)
Time,
hours

Tim e (hours)
Time,
hours

Life Calculation
Dry Loss
andofClean
IEC 76-7
100
90
Loss of Life (days)
Loss
of life, days

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0

12

Time, hours

16

20

24

Tim e (hours)

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Monitoring Gasses

DGA

Limited gas range monitor

Hydrogen, H2 (100%)
Ethylene, C2H4 (8 %)
Acetylene, C2H2 (1.5)
Carbon Monoxide, CO(18%)

Complete gas range monitor

Hydrogen, H2
Methane, CH4
Ethane, C2H6
Ethylene*, C2H4
Acetylene*, C2H2
Carbon Monoxide, CO
Carbon Dioxide, CO2
Oxygen, O2
Nitrogen, N2
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Typical gasses generated:

IN CASE OF TRACKING DISCHARGE IN WET INSULATION

Low energy electrical discharge: Hydrogen H2, Methane CH4

IN CASE OF CORE CIRCULATION CURRENTS

Circulation currents in the core: Ethylene C2H4, Methane CH4 and Hydrogen H2
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Typical gasses generated:

IN CASE OF OVERHEATED CONNECTION

Local hot-spots: CO and Ethylene C2H4, Methane CH

IN CASE OF WINDING OVERHEATING

Thermal degradation of insulating paper: CO

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