IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS
8 AUGFUST, 1966
Tests for Damaging Corona for Oil-Insulated
Power Transformers
IEEE COMMITTEE REPORT
FOREWORD
THIS is presented as a progress report on the develop-
ment of tests to determine the presence of damaging
corona in oil-immersed power transformers.
The demand for such tests is based on the possibility
that transformer insulation can be damaged and ultimately
fail if there is corona under operating conditions. The fact
that a transformer withstands the usual low frequency and
impulse tests may not insure that local corona in some
areas cannot result in progressive damage and ultimate
failure. In fact, since the ratio between the test voltage
and service voltage has decreased, failures resulting from
this have occurred.
The problems in the development of a suitable corona
test include: 1) the determination of the level of corona
which may cause progressive damage, and 2) the test
procedure for measuring the corona level, both of which
are controversial subjects.
There has been tentative agreement that radio influence
voltage (RIV) measurements are sufficiently sensitive to
make measurements which would provide reasonable in-
surance against progressive corona damage. The actual
values of RIV have not been agreed upon, nor even the
detailed procedure as to the test voltages at which readings
should be obtained. There is some agreement that a
relatively small RIV number should not be exceeded at
125 or 150 percent of the normal operating voltage, but
this is still being discussed in the Working Group. There
is also a question as to whether measurements should be
made during the normal induced test with the required
test voltage from terminal to ground, during the normal
induced test with the required test voltage from terminal
to terminal, or during a separa-te induced test for this
specific purpose.
There has been progress, however, in the procedure for
making the RIV measurements, and this has been gen-
erally agreed upon in the Working Group. The publication
of this agreemernt for educational purposes and general in-
formation was requested by the Subcommittee on Dielec-
tric Tests and the Transformers Committee.
The procedure for making corona tests is at present
limited to oil-insulated transformers. It should be noted
that dry-type transfornmers may use materials extremely
Manuscript received May 11, 1966.
Members of the Working Group on the Revision of Dielectric
Tests of the IEEE Transformers Committee are F. J. Vogel, Chair-
man, E. J. Adolphson, S. Bennon, C. H. Bjorquist, V. F. Christen, C.
C. Honey, N. A. Hills, G. W. Iliff, D. C. Johnson, R. B. Kaufman,
D. M. MacGregor, L. B. Rademacher, C. L. Rose, R. C. Thomas, and
H. J. Weber.
892
VOL. PAS-85, NO.
vulnerable to corona, and there may be some qtuestion as to
the value of such a test procedure in this case, as well as
certain other cases.
One of the several mitigating circumstances in the prob-
lem is that neither oil-insulated nor dry-type transformers
have always been free from corona, even under operating
conditionis. Corona in small voids in materials resistant
to corona does not prevent successful operation. Another
circumstance is that corona under test voltage conditions
may not mean that corona exists under operating condi-
tions. For many years corona sometimes occurred on tests
to an extent which marked the insulation, but the clear-
ances were such that the urits operated for many years.
These conditions lead to some of the controversial points
of view.
Another problem is that determination of the presence
of corona does not give its location, and it may be very
difficult to find. Means are available which can be very
helpful in some cases, but which in other cases leave the
location doubtful. This, of course, means that at the
present time the tests can be a difficult problem for the
manufacturer.
PROPOSED PROCEDURE FOR CORONA TESTS ON POWER
TRANSFORMERS
Internal corona measurements, when required, shall be
made during the induced potential test at a voltage level to
be specified. The RIV generated by the corona shall be
taken as an indication of the corona. The general method
of measurement and calibration procedures are described
in a NE-MA publication.1
Internal corona measurements, when specified, shall be
made during the induced-potential test.
The magnitude of corona shall be determined by meas-
uring, at the terminal of the winding under test, the RIV
generated by the corona.
A Radio Noise and Field Strength Meter, conforming to
ASA Standard C63.2, shall be used to measure the RIV
generated by the corona. The measurement shall prefer-
ably be made at a frequency of one megacycle per second,
although any frequency from 0.85 to 1.15 megacycles per
second may be used.
The general method and procedure shall conformi with
the recommendations of the mentioned NEMA publica-
tion except that the radio noise (RN) meter can be coupled
to the terminal of the winding under test through a coup-
1 " Methods of measurement of radio influence voltage (RIV)
of high-voltage apparatus," NEMA Standards publication 107, 1964.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS VOLJ. PAS-85, N O. 8 AUGUST, 1966

ling capacitor or through the capacitance tap of the bushing ing under test and the RIV reading of the RN meter
that constitutes the terminal. at its normal locationi in the circuit selected for the
If RIV is measured at the capacitance tap of the bush- corona test.
ing, a suitable device shall be used which can be tuned with The calibration ratio shall be determiined by:
the bushing tap-to-ground capacitance at the measuring
frequiency. This device shall conistitute all circuit elemeints 1) Application to the terminal under test of the output
from the capacitance tap of the bushing to the RN meter. of a sine-wave signal generator at approximately 100
The coaxial cable, an element of the device, may be of any microvolts at the measuring frequency.
suitable impedance and need not be terminated in its 2) Measurement of the voltage on the terminal with the
characteristic impedance. The purpose of the device is RN meter connected directly to the terminal.
to minimize the dividing effect of the bushing capaci- 3) MIeasurement, with the same RN meter, of the volt-
tances and to convey the RIV to the RN meter with age appearing in the test circuit at the location where
minimum attenuation. the RN meter will be connected during the corona
External shielding, as required, shall be used to avoid air measurement on the transformer. A second RN meter
corona. may be used, provided its relationship to the first RN
The test circuit components connected to the winding meter has been established.
under test will attenuate the observed RIV measure- 4) It shall be established that this calibration ratio re-
ments and add to the RIV background level. When the mains valid over the RIV range of interest.
voltage is applied directly to the winding under test, radio-
frequency chokes or tuned filters shall be used to isolate The ratio of the voltage measured with the RN meter at
the transformer under test and the RIV measuring circuit the terminal to the voltage measured with the RN meter
from the rest of the test circuit. at the normal location in the circuit, which has been
In either case, whether the coupling capacitor or the selected for the corona test on the transformer, will be
bushing capacitance tap is used to make the measurement, applied as a correction factor to the RIV reading obtained
it is niecessary to establish by a calibration procedure, the during the corona test to determine the actual RIV at the
relationship between the RIV at the terminal of the wind- terminal of the winding under test.

Transformer Corona Testing

J. R. MlEADOR, FELLOW, IEEE, R. B. KAUFAIAN, FELLOW, IEEE, AND
H. H. BRUSTLE, SENIOR MEMBER, IEEE

Abstract-The progress made to date in corona testing trans-
formers at the factory is reviewed and the importance of sonic
detection and location of corona sources is shown. Major improve-
ments in sonic techniques are reported. Test curves of RIV vs.
transformer test voltage are given for units having defects. The
various corona test proposals being considered by the industry are
described and discussed. The best assurance of product quality is
stated to be a corona test, using RIV and advanced sonic techniques,
made at full transformer induced test voltage with a limit of 1000
microvolts.
Paper 31 TP 66-79, recommended and approved by the Trans-
formers Committee of the IEEE Power Group for presentation at the
IEEE Winter Power Meeting, New York, N. Y., January 30-Feb-
ruary 4, 1966. Manuscript submitted October 29, 1965; made avail-
able for printing December 13, 1965.
The authors are with the General Electric Company, Pittsfield,
Mass.
893
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
THE CONCLUSION of the first phase of a program to
develop a practical transformer corona test was re-
ported in 1958 [1]. This work had been undertaken in
recognition of the continuing trend to higher voltages,
larger unit ratings and further reductions in insulation
levels.
The second phase of the program was reported in 1960
[2] and specific suggestions on the method, the test voltage
level and limiting values were made. It was concluded that
using a variation of the NEMTA RIV procedure, with the
bushing capacitance tap, it was feasible to make RIV
measurements at full induced test voltage with a limit of
1000 microvolts.