Dissolved Gas Limits in Transformers for Wind Application
ISRAEL BARRIENTOS,
BACKGROUND
The IEEE Guide C57.104 (currently under revision) has
been developed primarily with Large Power Transformers
in mind, and the Table with Dissolved Gas limits are based
in concentration of gases in Transformers with “several
thousands gallons of Oil”. The same Guide also
recognizes that concentrations for smaller transformers
will be larger for the same amount of gas generation. In
addition to this, the smaller units tend to have Loadbreak
switches submerged in oil, which represent a departure
from the usual Gas Generation Mechanisms, amongst
others.
OBJECTIVE
To introduce a proposed Table of Dissolved Gas Limits to
be used for the assessment of Wind Turbine Generator
Step Up Transformers (WTGSU´s).
This table is based on the collective experience of one
Transformer Manufacturer, and some of its customers, in
several sites, across a large number of units and sites.
The table lists a set of proposed values for Gas
Concentrations that are believed to better reflect the Gas
Generation Rate of Transformers connected to Wind
Turbine Generators.
This would significantly improve The Wind Farm Industry
ability to maintain their transformers in a reliable operating
condition, without the unnecessary extra effort devoted to
units that, despite having higher gasses concentrations,
are still in good condition and suitable for extended
operation.
METHODS
According to IEEE C57.104 Section 4.4
“…The transformer operator may decide to use different
dissolved gas concentrations for the individual gases
(particularly acetylene) and TDCG based on
engineering judgment and experience with other similar
transformers”
A Manufacturer´s Field Experience has been that applying
the IEEE gas concentration limits will result in a large
number of healthy WTGSU being classified as Condition 2
to 4 (increased levels of operational risk).
By applying Correction Factors for individual gases and
including a measure of the amount of False alarms
(instances where the Gas Concentration indicated an
issue in the Transformer, but none was found), a set of
limits is found for WTGSU that discriminates a Positive
identification on the 90th Percentile (as the current IEEE
Std).
ProlecGE, Nuevo León, México.
RESULTS CONCLUSIONS
Existing Gas Concentration Limits (IEEE C57.104-2008) cannot be
directly applied to Oil-immersed Transformers for Wind Turbine
By analyzing the DGA results of a population of Generator Duty.
approximately 500 WTGSU Transformers, along with the
Sound Engineering Judgment should guide the assessment and
history of performance and failure information, it was
found that the gassing behaviour tends to follow a
evaluation of Dissolved Gas Analysis Results.
Volume-corrected gas generation rate. This task can only be achieved by looking at, not only Volume-
Also, considering there exists different gas generation Corrected Gas Concentrations Limits and Rates of Gas Evolution, but
mechanisms, some of them recognized as more probable also at the correlation of Transformer Failure Rate vs. Gas
than others, the gas concentration limits for WTGSU’s Concentration / Evolution.
must necessarily be increased to account, in the same
An OEM-Proposed table of Concentration Limits, based on failure rate
way as the existing IEEE Guide, which was based in a
statistical 90th percentile to establish the concentration
and DGA results of a fleet of transformers in Wind Turbine application,
limits for Condition 1 and 95th percentile for Condition 2. has been provided as a first step to help form an informed opinion and
aid in getting the right information to Wind Turbine transformer
Statistical analysis of the concentrations of several (6) gases observed in WTGSU’s that
Although there is a considerable amount of research still operators.
have been installed and operated without issues for more than 5 years.
trying to pinpoint the cause of these different gas
generation rates, it is clear that the higher gas None of these units has ever been taken out of Service due to a malfunction. Yet, some of It is hoped that these values will entice industry discussion and will
concentrations are not directly related to an increase in their individual gas concentration greatly exceed the IEEE C57.104 2008 Gas ultimately help asset owners to better care for their Transformers.
failures. Concentration Limits.
Thus, it does make sense to increase the limits to the
Carbon Carbon
point necessary to maintain a similar 90th and 95th Hydrogen Methane Acetylene Ethylene Ethane
percentile to limit the number of units classified as
Status H2 CH4 C2H2 C2H4 C2H6
Monoxide
CO
Dioxide
CO2 TDCG
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Conditions 2 or higher.
IEEE C57.104-2008 Gas Concentration Limits (µL/L or ppm) Thanks are due to the ProlecGE Technical Team and Carlos Gaytán
A similar set of Gas Concentration limits have been Condition 1 100 120 1 50 65 350 2500 720 for their assistance and support. And congratulations to the IEEE
independently published by ConEd and are in general Transformers Committee for its 100th Anniversary.
DRAFT 4.3, March 2018 - IEEE C57.104 Gas Concentration Limits (µL/L or ppm) 90th Percentile
agreement, although the units analysed were Network
Condition 1 2352 593 5 47 162 977 5173
Transformers, with a somewhat different set of operational
conditions tan WTGSU’s. PROPOSED Gas Concentration Limits (µL/L or ppm) for WINDFARM TRANSFORMERS
On any case, and for illustration, the H2 Gas
Condition 1 940 265 5 300 105 710 4400 1499
REFERENCES
Concentration Limit for Condition 1, published in the M. Shirai, T. Ishii and Y. Makino - Evolution of Hydrogen from
current IEEE Guide (2008) is 100 ppm. The Table above shows the OEM Proposed Gas Concentration Limits, which Insulating Oil, IEEE Trans. Electr. Insul. Vol. EI-12, No. 4, August
It has been widely acknowledged that WTGSU have incidentally, are generally below the IEEE C57.104 DRAFT 4.3 Recognized Limits for 1977, pp. 266-272
WF Transformers.
average H2 generation (not linked to any detrimental
condition) around 550 ppm. IEEE Std C57.104-2008, IEEE Guide for the Interpretation of Gases
Current statistical data shows that a Condition 1 Limit set Generated in Oil-Immersed Transformers.
Despite being constructed with the A population of healthy WTGSU that show
at 90th percentile for H2, will be at around 1000 ppm. We recommended Inside Core Grounding Strap high H2 concentration values (ppm) vs
have chosen 940. configuration and being PD-free … Existing IEEE Std.
W. Lampe and E. Spicar - Influence of Different Stress Factors on the
Dielectric and Mechanical Strength of Oil-Cellulose Insulation, CIGRE
Note that the proposed IEEE Gas Concentration limit for
Paper 15-05, 1976 August-September Session.
H2 in the latest Draft (4.3 March 2018) is 2352 ppm.
Thus the OEM Proposed Gas Concentration limits are still E. Betancourt, C. Gaytán, and J. Rodriguez - Preliminary Results for
very conservative, compared to the IEEE Proposed limits. DGA levels in Wind-Farm Transformers, Proceedings of the 80th
Again, the above example listed for H2, has been Doble ICDC, 2000.
repeated for the rest of the Gases and other
considerations have been made, such as Volumetric
compensation, amongst other to get to these Proposed
values.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Israel can be reached at Israel.Barrientos@ge.com