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TRANSFORMERS

TRANSFORMER TYPES (COMMON)

3 phase core type 1 phase core type 3 phase 5 limb type

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 LIQUID FILLED TRANSFORMER TANK TYPES (BASIC)
2
TOP OF OIL 1
1
3 3

A B C D E

1. CONSERVETOR
2. MEMBRANE
3. BREATHER

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LIQUID FILLED TRANSFORMER TANK TYPES (BASIC)

A CONSERVATOR TYPE WITH. SILICA GEL IN BREATHER. EXTERNAL AIR DRYED IN BREATHER.
• SUSCEPTABLE TO AIR BORNE CONTAMINATION, H2S ET

• NORMALLY USED ON SHORE. GENERALLY ABOVE 2MVA conservator

B CONSERVATOR TYPE WITH MEMBRANE SEAL IN CONSERVATOR. SEAL SEGREGATES EXTERNAL AIR FROM COOLING
LIQUID.

C HERMETICALLY SEALED, DRY GAS (OR AIR) ABOVE OIL TO ALLOW FOR LIQUID EXPANSION/CONTRACTION.
• USUALLY USED OFFSHORE, DEPENDANT ON SIZE.
• NO BREATHER, SEALED FOR LIFE.

D HERMETICALLY SEALED. TOTAL FILL. TANK DESIGNED TO EXPAND/CONTRACT.

• NO BREATHER SEALED FOR LIFE.
• USUALLY USED OFFSHORE.

E NON-CONSEVARTOR TANK WITH SILICA GEL BREATHER, NORMALLY ON SHORE AROUND 2MVA OR LESS.
• SAME POTENTIAL PROBLEM AS ‘A

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Basic Transformers

TRANSFORMER PARAMETERS
• Voltage
• Rating
• Vector Group
• Impedance (Reactance)
• Losses
• In rush current

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Standard Dyll Transformer

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TYPICAL VECTOR DIAGRAM FOR CONVERTER TRANSFORMERS

3a 3b 3c
2a 2b 2c
C
A B

VECTOR DIAGRAM
TRANSFORMER WINDING
INTERCONNECTION
Zy0 dy11

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Location of gas/oil relay

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 Buchlz (Gas/Oil) Relay

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PRESSUE RELIEF DEVICE

1) WHY IS THIS DEVICE NEEDED ?
2) WHAT WILL CAUSE EXCESS PRESSURE IN THE TANK ?

TYPICAL DEVICE OPERATION

The pressure relief device is a spring loaded valve having a means of
providing an instantaneous amplification of the actuation force.
Extremely rapid operation

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 TYPICAL PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICE

INDICATOR RAISED WHEN OPERATED

ALARM SWITCH

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DEVICE OPERATED

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 DEVICE OPERATED

LIQUID DIVERTED

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DIELECTRIC LIQUIDS

MAIN TYPES IN COMMON USE

1) MINERAL OIL
2) SILICON LIQUID
3) SYNTHETIC ESTER FLUID (MIDEL)
4) FIRE RESISTANT HYDROCARBON FLUID (R-TEMP)

BANNED SUBSTANCES
MATERIALS CONTAINING PCB’s, SUCH AS ASKERAL.
EVEN AFTER DRAINING AND REFILLING WITH A SUITABLE LIQUID, PCB’s ARE
STILL PRESENT DUE TO MIGRATION FROM INSULATION AND CORE
LAMINATIONS.

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 IDEAL REQUIREMENTS:
•LOW VISCOSITY
•LOW POUR POINT
•HIGH FLASH POINT
•EXCELLENT CHEMICAL STABILITY
•HIGH ELECTRICAL STRENGTH

LESS IMPORTANT BUT DESIRABLE:

•HIGH SPECIFIC HEAT
•HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
•GOOD IMPULSE STRENGTH
•HIGH OR LOW PERMITTIVITY, DEPENDING ON INTENDED USE
•HIGH OR LOW GAS ABSORBING, DEPENDING ON INTENDED USE
•LOW SOLVENT POWER
•LOW DENSITY
•GOOD ARC QUENCHING PROPERTIES
•NON-TOXIC

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PROPERTIES OF DIELECTRIC LIQUIDS

1) MINERAL OIL:
GENERALLY USED ON SHORE. LOWER FLASH POINT THAN OTHER FLUIDS

2) SILICON LIQUID
HIGH FLASH POINT , NON-BIODEGRADABLE.

3) SYNTHETIC ESTER (MIDEL)

HIGH FLASH POINT, LOW TOXICITY, BIODEGRADABLE.

4) FIRE RESISTANT HYDROCARBON (R-TEMP)

HIGH FLASH POINT, NON TOXIC, BIODEGRADABLE

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 NEW DEVELOPMENTS
• INCREASING USE OF SYNCHRONOUS MOTORS DRIVING
LNG COMPRESSORS, SPEED CONTROLLED BY VAIRIABLE
SPEED DRIVE SYSTEM

• NORMALLY “HELPER” MOTORS, UP TO 10MW

• SOME SYSTEMS WITH ELECTRIC DRIVES UP TO 55MW

ENVISIAGED

• SPECIAL TRANSFORMER REQUIREMENTS

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TYPICAL SYSTEM DIAGRAM – HELPER MOTOR

THREE WINDING
TRANSFORMER

VSDS HELPER MOTOR

THYRISTOR
COMPRESSOR
RECTIFIER
12 PULSE
INVERTOR M GT
10MW

•DC COMPONENTS
•HIGH VOLTAGE SPIKES
•HARMONICS

NOT A TYPICAL DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMER

LOAD !

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WHY ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR A VSDS FEEDER TRANSFORMER
DIFFERENT FROM A STANDARD DISTRIBUTION TYPE ?

THE SECONDARY WINDINGS ARE CONNECTED TO TWO THYRISTOR RECTIFIER BRIDGES CAUSING:

•DC COMPONENTS IN SECONDARY WINDINGS

•HARMONICS

•HIGH VOLTAGE, HIGH FREQUENCY, STEEP FRONTED “SPIKES

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TRANSFORMERS USED TO SUPPLY VSDS’s NEED SPECIAL DESIGN

CONSIDERATIONS:

•INSULATION LEVEL TO WITHSTAND HIGH VOLTAGE “SPIKES” WITH FAST RISE TIMES

•THE CORE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE DC LEVELS AND HARMONIC CONTENT
WITHOUT OVER HEATING

•DUE CONSIDERATION OF DC COMPONENT TAKEN WITH INSULATION AND DIELECTRIC

LIQUID

•COIL TYPE HAS PROVED TO BE CRITICAL

•TRANSFORMER FRAME SIZE IS GENERALLY LARGER THAN EQUIVELENT DISTRIBUTION

TYPE, TO CATER FOR THE ABOVE

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 COIL TYPES
MANY DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMERS ARE OF THE FOIL WOUND TYPE.
WIRE WOUND TRANSFORMERS COILS IS THE TRADITIONAL WINDING METHOD.

CORE CORE

INTER-TURN INSULATION
INTER-LAYER
INSULATION

INSULATED UN-INSULATED FOIL

WINDING WIRE

SECTION THROUGH WIRE WOUND

SECTION THROUGH FOIL WOUND

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RECENT FAILURES
RECENTLY, THREE TRANSFORMERS HAVE FAILED AFTER ONLY AROUND TWO YEARS OPERATION. ALL THE
TRANSFORMERS WERE OF IDENTICAL DESIGN AND RATING. ALL THREE WERE FEEDING VSDS’s.
ALL THREE WERE OPERATING UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS.
ALL THREE FAILED WITH A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE SECONDARY WINDINGS.
ALL THREE HAD FOIL WOUND SECONDARIES

AFTER ONE TRANSFORMER HAD BEEN STRIPPED DOWN AND INSPECTED AT THE MANUFACTURERS, THE
FOLLOWING WAS FOUND:
•A CONDUCTIVE COATING WAS FOUND ON THE INTER-TURN INSULATION
•A WHITE DEPOSIT WAS FOUND ON INTER-WINDING INSULATION BLOCKS
•A SEVERELY BURNED HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE INNERMOST SECTION OF THE
SECONDARY WINDINGS

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 HV
LV
1

CORE
A SECTION THROUGH THE WINDINGS SHOWING
DAMAGED AREA

DAMAGE LV HV
2

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PRIMARY WDG.

CONDUCTIVE
COATING

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 FOIL WOUND SECONDARY WINDING

NOTE OVERHEATING

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CORE

SECONDARY INNER
SECTION

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 RECOMMENDATIONS

ALTHOUGH A FULL REPORT HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED BY AN INDEPENDENT PARTY, THE FOLLOWING
HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED:

•USE OF FOIL WINDINGS TO BE PROHIBITED FOR THIS APPLICATION

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