Engineering Encyclopedia

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Troubleshooting Transformer Problems

Note: The source of the technical material in this volume is the Professional
Engineering Development Program (PEDP) of Engineering Services.
Warning: The material contained in this document was developed for Saudi
Aramco and is intended for the exclusive use of Saudi Aramcoís employees.
Any material contained in this document which is not already in the public
domain may not be copied, reproduced, sold, given, or disclosed to third
parties, or otherwise used in whole, or in part, without the written permission
of the Vice President, Engineering Services, Saudi Aramco.

Chapter : Electrical For additional information on this subject, contact

File Reference: EEX20208 W.A. Roussel
Engineering Encyclopedia Electrical
Troubleshooting Transformer Problems

CONTENTS PAGES

COMMON TRANSFORMER PROBLEMS ............................................................. 1

Insulating Oil Problems........................................................................................ 1
Overloading and/or Excessive Heat...................................................................... 2
Bushing and Insulator Problems........................................................................... 3
COMMON TAP CHANGER PROBLEMS............................................................... 4
Control Circuit Failure......................................................................................... 4
Raise Failures................................................................................................. 4
Lower Failures............................................................................................... 4
As-Is-Failure.................................................................................................. 5
DETECTING TRANSFORMER PROBLEMS ......................................................... 6
Routine Inspection and Testing............................................................................ 6
Troubleshooting Flowcharts ................................................................................ 7
CORRECTING TRANSFORMER PROBLEMS ...................................................... 8
Insulating Oil Problems........................................................................................ 8
Overloaded and/or Hot Transformers................................................................... 8
Bushing and Insulator Problems........................................................................... 8
WORK AID 1: TROUBLESHOOTING CHARTS FOR DETECTING
COMMON TRANSFORMER PROBLEMS ............................................................. 9
WORK AID 2: METHODS OF CORRECTING COMMON
TRANSFORMER PROBLEMS...............................................................................10
GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................12

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COMMON TRANSFORMER PROBLEMS

Transformers are some of the most reliable pieces of electrical equipment. With normal routine
maintenance, transformers can give 20-30 years of service. Problems normally fall into one of
three categories:

• Insulating oil problems

• Overloading and/or excessive heat
• Bushing and insulator problems

Insulating Oil Problems

Insulating oils decay, and eventually lead to premature transformer failures for two reasons:

• Contamination
• Deterioration

Oils are considered contaminated when they contain moisture or other foreign substances that are
not products of oil oxidation. Deterioration refers to the process of oil oxidation. Deterioration
begins as soon as new oil is placed in the transformer.

For a detailed explanation of how insulating oil decays, refer to Chapter 8, part 3 of “A Guide to
Transformer Maintenance”. Pages 180-187 explain the following topics:

• Basic Factors in Oil Deterioration

- Oxygen
- Catalysts
- Accelerators

• Transformer Oil Decay Products

- Early Deterioration Stages

- Final Visible Stage (Sludge)
- The Mechanics of Sludge Formation

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Overloading and/or Excessive Heat

The cause of approximately 90% of all cellulose insulation deterioration is operating transformers
at elevated temperatures. Elevated temperature can be caused by one, or a combination of the
following:

• Excessive load
• Excessive ambient temperature
• Cooling system problems
• Sludged oils
• Dark colored exterior paints

Load and ambient temperature are closely related in their effect on transformer operating
temperature. For a constant transformer load, higher ambient temperature lead to higher
operating temperatures.

A number of cooling system problems can cause high operating temperatures:

• Closed radiator valves

• Dirty or clogged cooling fins
• Broken or improperly set cooling fans/pumps
• Cooling control circuit failure

Sludged oils cause overheating because sludge inhibits the heat transfer capability of oil. Since
one of the functions of insulating oil is to cool the transformer, a loss in heat transfer capability
will lead to overheating.

Dark colored exterior paint is not a problem in Saudi Aramco because it is not allowed.

Hot or overloaded transformer problems can be detected by a number of different ways including:

• Operating logs
• Temperature indicators
• Oil analysis for sludge and combustible gases
• In-Service and Out-of-Service cooling system inspections

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Bushing and Insulator Problems

Most bushing and insulator problems result from contamination due to natural deposits like early
morning dew, salt, fog, and industrial pollution. When bushings and insulators become
contaminated, other problems result like:

• Noisy substations
• Insulating surface damage
• Partial discharge (corona)
• Flashover

Bushing and insulator problems can be detected three ways:

• Visual Inspection
• Audible Inspection
• Infrared Inspection

For a detailed explanation of what causes these problems, refer to Chapter 8, Part 3 of “A Guide
to Transformer Maintenance”. Pages 651-661 explain the following topics:

• The Contamination Problem

- Types of Contaminants
- Dynamics of Contamination Collection

• Theory of Contamination Flashover

- The Flashover Process

• Other Undesirable Effects of Insulator Contamination

- Corona Manifestations
- Corrosion of Metalwork

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COMMON TAP CHANGER PROBLEMS

Most tap changer problems result from a component failure in the control circuit. The only other
type of tap changer problem would be a mechanical failure in the drive mechanism, and these are
rare.

Control Circuit Failure

There are three common control circuit failure modes:

• Raise Failures
• Lower Failures
• As-Is-Failures

There is no single procedure available to troubleshoot these failures, because each tap changer
manufacturer does not use the same control circuit. The sections that follow give generic causes
and indications. The manufacturer’s technical manual should be referenced for specific
procedures.

Raise Failures

A raise failure occurs when the tap changer runs to its maximum upper limit. This condition is
indicated by high secondary voltage, high circulating current, and the position indicator at
maximum. This condition is normally caused by a failed limit switch, failed relay, or a failed
sensing circuit.

Lower Failures

This condition is like a raise failure, except that the tap changer runs to its maximum lower limit.
This condition is indicated by low secondary voltage, high circulating current, and the position
indicator at minimum. This condition also is caused by failed limit switches, failed relays, or failed
sensing circuits.

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As-Is-Failure

As-is-failures occur when the tap changer does not run up or down. This type of failure is
sometimes difficult to diagnose because there may not be any abnormal indications. If the supply
voltage and load remain constant after the failure, the indication should remain normal. If the
supply voltage and load do change after the failure, there may be high circulating currents.
Secondary voltage will fluctuate with input voltage and load.

If the tap changer does not operate in either manual or automatic, the cause is normally a loss of
power to the motor, or a motor control circuit problem. If the tap changer operates in manual,
but not automatic, several problems are possible. Examples are:

• Loss of the sensing signal

• Defective bandwidth control
• Defective time delay circuit

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DETECTING TRANSFORMER PROBLEMS

There are really only two ways to detect transformer problems:

• Wait until a failure occurs

• Preventive maintenance

Problems detected due to failures normally are more severe, more expensive, and more likely to
cause permanent damage. Preventive maintenance normally finds problems at an early stage,
where they can still be corrected before permanent damage occurs.

Routine Inspection and Testing

The purpose of doing routine inspections and testing is to identify problems early, before an actual
breakdown happens. Breakdown maintenance is always more costly in terms of equipment
damage and lost production, than are scheduled repairs. Just doing the inspections and tests is
not enough. Keeping a running record of the results for each transformer is just as important. A
good maintenance history record for a transformer would include the following:

• Daily Operating Logs

• In-Service Inspection Reports
• Out-of-Service Inspection Reports
• Record of any special testing done
• Record of any repairs done

These records play three key roles in detecting transformer problems:

• Indicate problems that need immediate attention

• Indicate potential problems - trend analysis
• Indicate probable cause of failures - failure analysis

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Troubleshooting Flowcharts

Operating indications, and records of inspections and tests, give indications or symptoms of
problems. They do not always directly identify what the problem is. Finding the actual problem
from indications or symptoms can be done several ways:

• Using experience
• Using knowledge of the equipment to systematically find the problem
• Using troubleshooting aids (Flowcharts, Guides)

Troubleshooting flowcharts and guides often are available to speed up the process of locating
common problems. Troubleshooting flowcharts and guides give the steps to systematically find
problems from indications or systems. Work Aid 1 gives a list of the troubleshooting flowcharts
available in “A Guide to Transformer Maintenance”. These flowcharts were developed to help
find common transformer problems. More troubleshooting flowcharts and/or guides may be
included in the manufacturer’s technical manual for each individual transformer.

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Troubleshooting Transformer Problems

CORRECTING TRANSFORMER PROBLEMS

Once a transformer problem is identified, the right corrective action must be taken to fix the
problem. The sections that follow give information on the recommended methods of correcting
common transformer problems.

Insulating Oil Problems

For information on the general guidelines for correcting insulating oil problems, refer to
Chapter 7, Part 1, of “A Guide to Transformer Maintenance”. Pages 471 and 472 give the basic
methods of correcting the common problems.

Overloaded and/or Hot Transformers

Saudi Aramco’s conservative transformer sizing practice eliminates most of the overloading
problems found in North America. If overloading problems do occur, pages 595-597 of “A Guide
to Transformer Maintenance” gives information on the seven alternative approaches to correct the
problem. Work Aid 2 contains information on how to correct overheating problems that do not
result from overload conditions.

Bushing and Insulator Problems

Most bushing and insulator problems result from contamination. The obvious way to correct this
problem is to remove the contamination. Chapter 8, part 3 of “A Guide to Transformer
Maintenance” describes the practical methods of removing contamination. Read pages 663-676
for information on the following topics:

• Hand Wiping
• Periodic Insulator Washing
• Dry Air-Blasting with Non-Abrasive Material
• Use of Silicone Dielectric Compounds
• The Final Decision

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WORK AID 1: TROUBLESHOOTING CHARTS FOR DETECTING COMMON

TRANSFORMER PROBLEMS

This Work Aid is designed to help the Participants in doing Exercise 1. The page numbers in
this Work Aid refer to pages in the text, “A Guide to Transformer Maintenance”.

1. Troubleshooting Chart for Oil Tests - Page 799

• Troubleshooting Chart for Rapid Oil Color Changes - Page 800

• Troubleshooting Chart for Low Dielectric Strength - Page 801
• Troubleshooting Chart for High IFT and High N/N - Page 802
• Troubleshooting Chart for Gassing Transformers - Page 803

2. Troubleshooting Chart for Overloaded and/or Hot Transformers - Page 804

3. Troubleshooting Chart for Bushings and Insulators - Page 805

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WORK AID 2: METHODS OF CORRECTING COMMON TRANSFORMER

PROBLEMS

This Work Aid is designed to help the Participants in doing Exercise 2.

1. Insulating Oil Problems

• Refer to pages 508 and 509 of “A Guide to Transformer Maintenance” for a chart
that lists the various oil purifications methods, what they remove, and when they
can be used.

2. Overloaded and/or Hot Transformers

A. Overloaded

• Reduce load
• Add a transformer in parallel
• Add external oil cooler
• Install cooling fans
• Install new transformer

B. Hot Transformers

• Open clogged or shut radiator valves if applicable

• Desludge oil if applicable
• Degas oil if applicable
• Change air filter if applicable
• Install sun shield

3. Bushing and Insulator Contamination

A. Hand Wiping

• Transformer must be deenergized

• This method will remove dust and other surface pollutants

• This method is tedious, time consuming, and expensive (due to downtime)

• This method is used when high pressure washing can not be used, bushings
and insulators are inaccessible, or they are too close to energized
equipment.

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B. High Pressure Washing

• Transformer may be energized or deenergized

• This method will remove only water soluble and non-adhering

contamination. It will not remove hardened salt or cement dust.

• This method is much faster than hand wiping

C. Dry Air-Blasting With Non-Abrasive Material

• Transformer may be energized or deenergized

• This method will remove all insoluble particulate contaminations including:

- Metallic oxides
- Cement dust
- Chemicals
- Salt cake
- Acid
- Smog
- Other pollutants

• This method is very effective and economical

D. Use of Silicone Dielectric Compounds

• Transformer must be deenergized to apply compound.

• Compound is applied to clean insulators and bushings to protect against

contamination buildup.

• This method is normally used in environments that contain salt-cake or

cement dust.

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GLOSSARY

appropriate Correct, right

improperly Not right for the circumstances

indicated Shown, pointed out

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