13th International Conference on the Properties and Applications of Dielectric Materials (ICPADM 2021)

Accuracy of Furanic Compound Analysis in

2021 IEEE International Conference on the Properties and Applications of Dielectric Materials (ICPADM) | 978-1-7281-8238-4/21/$31.00 ©2021 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/ICPADM49635.2021.9493939

Determining the Ageing of Power Transformers

Mohd Aizam Talib Mohd Azhar Abdul Aziz Young Zaidey Yang Ghazali Mohd Rasyidi Zainal Abidin
TNB Research Sdn Bhd TNB Research Sdn Bhd TNB Distribution Network TNB Distribution Network
Kajang Malaysia Kajang Malaysia Kajang, Malaysia Kajang, Malaysia
aizam.talib@tnb.com.my azhar.aziz@tnb.com.my Young@tnb.com.my Rasyidi@tnb.com.my

Abstract—The hydrolysis, oxidative and oxidative degradation Hydrolysis, oxidative and pyrolysis degradation will result
of transformer insulation system will break the cellulose chain in chain scission of cellulose polymer and fragmentation of
polymer, breaking the glucose monomer and produce glucose glucose. Further degradation, will generate furans and other
molecules, moisture and carbon monoxide gases. Others ageing- ageing by-product such as water and gases [4-5]. The hydrolysis,
by-product include of organic acids and furans compounds. It is oxidative and pyrolysis degradation of transformer insulation
commonly to correlate these ageing-by-product with transformer system is illustrated in Fig.1.
ageing process. Many empirical equations have been used to
correlate furanic compounds with insulation paper’s Degree of
Polymerization (DP). This paper presents the finding on the H2O Heat O2
analysis of DP test results from paper samples on various locations
from transformer winding and its comparison analysis with Cellulose Oil
furanic compound. Preliminary findings show discrepancies Hydrolysis Pyrolysis Oxidative Oxidation CO
among the models and suggested that further research is required
CO2
for better accuracy assessment. Chipping off
cellulose chain Chipping off H2O H2O
cellulose chain
Keywords—transformer, insulation ageing Acid
Fragmentation Weakened
of glucose Fragmentation glycosidic bond
I. INTRODUCTION of glucose Sludge

The transmission and distribution of the electrical supply
from generating plant to the end consumer rely upon on the
critical operation of power transformers. Majority of the
installed units have reached their design life and power utilities
are concerned about the reliability of these critical assets. Thus,
it is important to determine the health condition and remaining
life of the transformers to avoid unplanned outages and any
catastrophic failures.
The life of the transformers are governed by the life of
insulations used in the transformer. Once the insulation failed to
performs its duty function to isolate between the nearby
conductors or to ground terminal, the transformer could in
danger risk of failure. Degradation of insulation system is one of
the causes of transformer failures [1].
The mechanical strength of the paper insulation is
determined by the length of cellulose molecules and measured
as Degree of Polymerization (DP). This term was described as
average number of glucose units per cellulose chain polymer.
Transformer manufactured with new insulation paper has DP
value of 1000 to 1200 and decreases in the range of 500 to 700
as insulation aged [2]. As DP value reduces about 200 and
below, it is considered that the paper has reached its end of
useful life and no longer capable to withstand mechanical
stresses in operating transformer [3].
FURANS CO CO2 H2O
Fig. 1. Degradation of transformer insulation system
The analysis of furans compound is commonly used as
ageing indicator for the evaluation and life assessment of power
transformers. Among the five types of furans measured; 2
furaldehyde (2FAL), 5-methyl-2-furaldehyde (5M2F), 5-
hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (5H2F), 2-acetylfuran (2ACF)
and 2-furfurol (2FOL), 2FAL is more stable and always
recognized in transformer life assessment analysis [6-8].
This paper presented the analysis of actual DP value taken
from paper insulation of aged transformer and its comparison
with estimated DP value from 2FAL concentration based on the
existing correlation equations.
II. DP ESTIMATION USING CORRELATION EQUATIONS
Taking the paper sample from in-service power transformer
to evaluate the DP value is not practical without destroying the
coil winding. Therefore, indirect method has been used in
getting the information on the health status of the insulation
paper inside the transformer. The relation of 2FAL and the
decrease in the degree of polymerization of the insulation paper
has been studied previously. There are different authors have

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developed equations which relate 2FAL and DP of insulation IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
paper [9-13]. Table I list the DP estimation through 2FAL The DP profile of aged paper insulation in power transformer
concentration. and its relation with furans concentration and the accuracy of
several correlation equation in estimated the DP value was
TABLE I. DP ESTIMATION CORRELATION EQUATION
analyzed and investigated in this research.
Author DP Correlation Equation
The history of furans concentration of the transformer shows
1.51 2
Chendong the furans was increases from 611 ppb to 1784 ppb and 1983
0.0035
2.6 2
ppb in year 2014 and 2015 respectively but decreases to 592 ppb
Vaurchex in 2017. The reductions in furans concentration most probably
0.0049
2.5 2 due to oil treatment process done one year before in 2016. The
Burton furans start increases to 710 ppb in 2018 before the transformer
0.005
7100 breakdown. Fig. 3 shows the history of furans concentration of
Depablo
8.88 2 the transformer.
Myers 285.7 2 0.88 1288.6

Some of the correlations developed are laboratory

accelerated paper ageing samples and not correlated with DP
value in operating transformer. The operating temperature,
water content, transformer design and type of insulation paper
used are among the factors affected the furans formation in
transformer [14]. Thus, furans dissolved in oil only provide an
indication of average paper degradation. The actual paper ageing
in transformer requires sampling of insulation paper sample and
tested for its DP value.
Fig. 3. History of furans concentration
III. SAMPLING OF PAPER SAMPLE
In this research, the paper sample is taken from 33/11kV The estimated DP value calculated using previous stated
30MVA power transformer which was previously in operation mathematical expression and its relationship with furans
about 37 years and removed due to ageing and presence of faults. concentration is summarized in Table II.
The sampling procedure has followed the guideline as per
CIGRE WG A2.45 [15]. The paper samples have been collected TABLE II. DP ESTIMATION CORRELATION EQUATION
from every winding at the top, middle and bottom locations
Years 2007 2008 2014 2015 2017 2018
along the circumference in both the radial and axial directions.
Fig. 2 shows the locations of the collected paper samples. Furans
856 611 1784 1983 592 710
(ppb)
Chendong 451 493 360 346 496 474

Vaurchex 544 574 479 470 577 561

Burton 514 543 450 441 546 530

Depablo 735 754 671 658 756 747

Myers 467 508 376 362 512 490

(a) top view

Generally, all the mathematical expressions have estimated
fair DP value, which indicated the insulation paper is in
moderate ageing condition. For furans less than 1000 ppb, the
estimated DP value are in the range of 451 to 756 and in the case
of furans exceed the concentration of 1000 ppb, the DP
estimated are in the range of 346 to 671.
The actual DP value of the paper sample at the top, middle
and bottom locations along the circumference in both radial and
axial directions is tabulated in Table III. The sampling location
at axial direction is denoted by number 1, 6, 12 and 18 and the
(b) plan view radial direction at the top, middle and bottom of the winding are
designated by T, M and B respectively.
Fig. 2. Sampling location of paper sample

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TABLE III. DP RESULTS OF PAPER SAMPLE AT RADIAL AND AXIAL 500

LOCATION OF TRANSFORMER WINDING 450
400
Location

Regulating winding HV winding LV winding 350

Red Phase

DP Value
300
250 Yellow Phase
R Y B R Y B R Y B 200 Blue Phase
150
T1 391 455 513 428 410 368 275 293 309 100
50
T6 463 437 475 387 392 365 256 288 278 0
T1 T4 T8 T12 M1 M4 M8 M12 B1 B4 B8 B12
T12 432 453 466 416 397 377 252 307 311
Sample Loca on
T18 361 460 501 449 371 370 241 311 273

M1 578 548 538 477 398 477 337 276 444 (c) Low voltage winding

M6 555 571 500 435 402 409 364 284 354 Fig. 4. DP profile of the transformer

M12 551 564 452 407 376 397 325 276 358 The result has demonstrated that the distribution of DP value
M18 578 546 362 422 382 416 351 286 317
follows the local thermal stresses of transformer winding. The
inner winding close to transformer core has less heat dissipation
B1 570 581 594 527 553 534 370 357 471 cause the insulation paper degraded faster compared to the outer
B6 571 599 578 505 462 546 342 337 400
winding. As such, the DP value at low voltage winding has
lowest DP followed by high voltage winding and regulating
B12 617 586 621 510 534 603 346 333 397 winding. The minimum average DP value measured was 283 at
B18 602 543 607 627 524 534 405 187 405
top terminal of low voltage winding and maximum average DP
value was recorded at bottom terminal of regulating winding. In
general, the DP value of low voltage winding lies at the range of
The DP profile of the of regulating winding, high voltage 280 – 360, high voltage winding at the range of 400 – 500 and
winding and low voltage winding for each phase of the regulating winding at the range of 450 – 600.
transformer are shown in Fig. 4. The comparison analysis between the individual
700
mathematical expression and the average DP value on the
transformer winding profile is illustrated in Fig 5. The result
600
shows that Depablo has estimated highest DP value with the
500 average of 720. Meanwhile, Vaurchex, Chendong, Myers and
DP Value

400 Red Phase Burton have estimated average DP in the range of 437 to 534,
300
Yellow Phase which is relatively closed to the average DP profile of regulating
Blue Phase winding, middle and bottom of high voltage winding. On the
200
other hand, the estimated DP value by all mathematical
100
expressions are higher than the actual DP at the top of high
0 voltage winding and low voltage winding.
T1 T6 T12 T18 M1 M6 M12 M18 B1 B6 B12 B18
Sample Loca on

(a) Regulating winding

700

600

500
DP Value

400 Red Phase

Yellow Phase
300
Blue Phase
200

100

0
T1 T4 T8 T12 M1 M4 M8 M12 B1 B4 B8 B12 Fig. 5. Comparison analysis between actual DP testing and estimated DP by
Sample Loca on several correlation equations

(b) High voltage winding

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These results show that the use of mathematical equation to
assess the ageing of insulation paper and life prediction of the
transformer may not accurate considering the scatter of actual
DP value. The used of furan level as an indicator for the average
paper degradation cannot indicate the degradation of the paper
at worst-case location. The uncertainty may has been caused by
many factors such as operating temperature, loading factor and
partitioning of furan in paper and oil in the transformer [16].
V. CONCLUSIONS
The actual DP value of the paper sample taken from
scrapped transformer and estimated DP value determined using
several correlation equations has been compared and analyzed.
The result shows that correlating furans in oil and estimated DP
value using correlation equations does not always provide
reliable evaluation on the actual ageing condition of paper
insulation. Since the paper degradation are temperature
dependent and follow the thermal stresses of transformer
winding, the top and inner winding has lower DP value than the
other parts. Thus, an attempt to correlate furans and calculation
of estimated DP value may cause over estimation or under
estimation. The reliable and accurate prediction of insulation
paper ageing shall consider many other factors including
stability of furans present in oil in terms of temperature and time
and partitioning of furans dissolved in oil and paper. In addition,
the number of investigated transformers must be increased to
correlate the operating conditions of in-service transformer with
the furan test results.
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