r

la
te
Es

Fig 28
Tapchanger damage caused by arcing

ELEC9712: Transformers p. 43/79

 4. TESTING OF TRANSFORMERS

The routine, type and special tests required to be carried out

on transformers are detailed in AS60076, Pt. 1.

The required tests are as follows:

Routine Tests:

r
a) Measurement of winding resistance.
b) Measurement of voltage ratio (and vector relationship)

la
c) Measurement of impedance voltage, short circuit
impedance and load loss.
d) Measurement of no-load loss and current
te
e) Dielectric tests (overvoltage, induced voltage, impulse
tests, DDF and partial discharge tests)
f) Tests on OLTC
g) Tests on insulating liquid after filling
Es

h) Insulation resistance (AS2374 Part3)

Type Tests:
a) Temperature-rise test (AS60076, Part.2)
b) Dielectric tests (AS60076. Part3)

Special Tests:
a) Dielectric tests (AS60076. Part 3)
b) Measurement of zero-sequence impedance on three-
phase transformers
c) Short-circuit test (AS60076. Part5)

ELEC9712: Transformers p. 44/79

 d) Measurement of sound pressure level (AS60076.
Part.10)
e) Measurement of harmonics in the no-load current
f) Measurement of power taken by fan and oil pump
motors.
g) Tests on insulating liquid after filling
h) Partial discharge tests (AS60076 Part.3)
i) Measurement of impedance voltage and load loss at

r
other than the principal tap.

la
Guidance to the methods of test to be adopted is given in
Section 8 of the Australian Standard.

Particular consideration will be given to

te
Temperature-rise tests
DDF /IR tests
Over-voltage induced tests
Partial discharge tests
Es

Lightning impulse tests

Instrument transformer insulation tests

Some mention will be made later of site possibilities

including DGA and HPLC measurement, dielectric recovery
test methods for insulation testing and frequency response
analysis for determination of possible mechanical
displacement of windings.

ELEC9712: Transformers p. 45/79

4.1 Temperature-Rise Tests

Refer to AS60076 Part.2. for the test methods for oil-

Immersed type transformers and for dry type units.

The Methods of Loading are described in Section 3.8 of

AS60076 Part 2 for Oil-immersed and in Part 11 for Dry
Types.

r
The possible methods that can be used are:-

(i)

la
Direct Loading Method (Oil and Dry types):
Wherever significant load is available. Normal voltage
te
and current are used. This is not always available except
perhaps at the manufacturers factory.

(ii) Back-to-Back Method (Oil and Dry Types):

Es

Two more or less identical transformers are required

connected in parallel. By adjustment of taps or injection
of a separate voltage full load current at normal voltage
is circulated. Preferred method for Dry Types. This is
sometimes to difficult to perform as it requires
continual control.

(iii) Simulated Load Method (Dry Type):

A no-load run is followed immediately by a short-
circuit test. Winding rise for operating conditions is
obtained from calculation using a formula (i) in
AS60076 Part 11, in which temperature rises from the
two tests are combined.
ELEC9712: Transformers p. 46/79
(iv) Short Circuit Method (Oil Type)
The sum of the no-load and load losses is supplied to
the transformer under short circuit conditions. When the
temperature is "steady" the losses are lowered to normal
load loss for one hour and the temperature of the
windings measured by resistance. Alternatives for
estimating the equivalent operating temperature are

r
given in AS60076 Part 2.

4.2 IR/DDF Tests

la
Measurement of IR/DDF of a transformer requires the
te
windings to be "floated" and the tests to be carried out
between windings and windings to ground. As both DDF and
IR are very temperature dependent, it is necessary to record
insulation temperature (and humidity) accurately.
Es

IR test voltages of up to 15 kV are used, with 10 V being

more likely for HV transformers. IR is also voltage
dependent so this must also be recorded. It is essential to use
guard electrodes when performing IR tests to prevent
extraneous influences causing erroneous measurements. In
most cases the Polarization index (PI) is a better
characteristic to use in that it is effectively independent of
temperature.

For the DDF the inter-winding capacitance is Cx in the Bridge

Circuit of Figure 28X below. Such measurements are made
on site with appropriate allowances for stray effects. Two

ELEC9712: Transformers p. 47/79

approaches are used in performing on site DDF tests. One is
to do the test at some specified voltage (eg 10 kV) and to
record the level and temperature and to monitor any changes
over some time (years). The other method is to measure DDF
over a range of voltage from about 50% to 150% of rated
voltage and to look for evidence of a “tip-up” at the higher
voltage end. This is able to be correlated with deterioration.
Earth

r
Z1
Z2

la
C1

Z3
R1

δ
R2

} Cx
te
C Rx
Test object
H.V. Z4
Es

Figure 28X
Schering Bridge circuit for DDF measurement and example of DDF tip-up
on aged cable compared to new cable

ELEC9712: Transformers p. 48/79

4.3 Over-voltage Induced Tests

In addition to separate source applied tests on fully insulated

windings (and on the neutrals of graded windings) the
induced test (for proving inter-term and inter-section
strengths) is used to check insulation to ground and between
phases for star connected units. At the higher voltages

r
observation of the output wave is usually made, possibly with
a PD measurement. This test is applied during re-

la
commissioning on site. See Figure 3 for reduced values. This
requires special power supply test sets.
te
4.4 Partial Discharge Tests

Procedures for PD testing of transformers are given in both

AS60076 Pt.3 (Section 12.4 and Appendix A).
Es

The values of PDs measured at the terminals of a transformer

are not necessarily the magnitude occurring within the
structure. Various techniques have been developed in
attempts to estimate the "true" value by development of
electrical location methods and measurements of attenuation.
Recent experimental work uses digital filtering methods
incorporating high frequency C.T.s at the bushing taps and
neutral. Application of these electrical methods can be
difficult on site due to interference problems but
improvements seem possible.

ELEC9712: Transformers p. 49/79