Received: 9 September 2021 Revised: 21 December 2021 Accepted: 5 January 2022 IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution

DOI: 10.1049/gtd2.12402

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

Detailed procedures of retrofilling transformers with FR3 natural

ester and residual mineral oil content testing

Yuan Wang1 Ruifeng Wang2,3 Kexin Pan1 Yang Xu1 Kevin Rapp4

1
State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Abstract
Power Equipment, Xi’an Jiaotong University,
Several retrofillings have been performed by different utilities in China. However, there is
Western China Science & Technology Innovation
Harbour, Xi’an, China still insufficient understanding of the retrofilling procedures for minimising residual min-
2
Cargill Bioindustrial, Shanghai International
eral oil and on the effect of the temperature rise of transformers. Following new detailed
Commerce Center, Shanghai, China procedures, an out-of-service S11-M-315/10 (10 kV 315 kVA) and a new S13-M-400/10
3
Department of Electrical Engineering, North (10 kV 400 kVA) distribution transformers were selected to retrofill their mineral oil with
China Electric Power University, Baoding, China FR3, a soybean-based natural ester. A method was proposed to predict the residual min-
4
Cargill Bioindustrial, Plymouth, Minnesota, USA eral oil content, which uses the kinematic viscosity at 60◦ C. This method fills a gap in the
testing of residual mineral oil content. The mass ratios of residual mineral oil were 1.24%
Correspondence for the S11-M-315/10 transformer and 2.05% for the S13-M-400/10 transformer, based
Yang Xu, State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insula- on the procedures in this study. The fire point of the mixed oil after retrofilling was 352◦ C,
tion and Power Equipment, Xi’an Jiaotong University,
Western China Science & Technology Innovation which meets the K-class less-flammable requirements, indicating a proper control of resid-
Harbour, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710049, China. ual mineral oil. After retrofilling, the time of reaching the limits of the 1.5 times rated
Email: xuyang@xjtu.edu.cn load was 30% longer than that of the mineral oil transformer. Two retrofilled transform-
ers have been operating in good conditions since November 2019 for the S11-M-315/10
Funding information
Xian Xibian Zhong Te Electric CO, Ltd.; State Grid
transformer and December 2020 for the S13-M-400/10 transformer.
Shaanxi Electric Power Company

1 INTRODUCTION ester [10]. The insulating liquid in the transformer is a mixed

The retrofilling of mineral-oil-immersed transformers with nat-
ural esters can extend the life of cellulose insulations [1, 2]. In
China, fire safety and environmental friendliness of the liquid
in transformers, especially in populous areas, are the main con-
cerns of utilities. Although dozens of retrofillings have been per-
formed by different utilities, the understanding of retrofilling
procedures is still insufficient to minimise residual mineral oil
and to understand its effect on the temperature rise of trans-
formers [3].
Soybean-based natural esters have good biodegradability and
flashpoints higher than 300◦ C, which is significantly higher than
that of mineral oils [4–6]. In addition, the fire point of a natural
ester is normally higher than 350◦ C, and it fulfils the K-class
of the less-flammable requirements of the IEC 61039 standard
[7, 8]. Globally, the highest voltage retrofilled transformer is a
400 kV transformer in Mexico [9]. In China, a 220 kV/16 MVA
mineral oil transformer has been retrofilled with an FR3 natural
liquid of mineral oil and a natural ester. Annex B of the IEEE
C57.147 standard is concerned with the effect of natural ester
fluid mixed with mineral oil on the fire and flashpoints [11].
The fire point rapidly decreases to lower than 300◦ C when the
mass ratio of mineral oil reaches approximately 7%–8% [12,13],
which neither meets K-class less-flammable requirements nor
utilises the advantages of natural esters. Thus, it is vital to
control the mass ratio of the residual mineral oil in retrofilling
transformers.
Not only natural ester, the transformers also can be retrofilled
with other insulation liquids. Fofana expound on the short-term
and long-term effects of the content of residual liquid after
retrofilling transformers filled with a perchloroethylene-based
liquid, with mineral oil and synthetic ester liquid. Although the
filling and retrofilling liquid are different from natural ester, an
obvious influence of viscosity and density was observed with
increased residual liquid content from 1% to 8% [14]. Further
research found that there were no significant influences on the

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1902 WANG ET AL.

dielectric properties at low mineral oil content of 3.95% after TABLE 1 Main parameters of the target transformer
retrofilling mineral oil transformer with synthetic ester [15]. Main parameters S11-M-315/10 S13-M-400/10
C.P. McShane proved that the aging rate of insulation Kraft
Production data 2016.02 2018.12
paper is significantly slower in natural ester than in conven-
tional transformer oil through an experimental comparison Voltage/capacity 10 kV/315 kVA 10 kV/400 kVA
of the thermal aging of mineral oil and natural ester [16] Vector Dyn11 Dyn11
and performed further experiments [17] for clarification. Pro- Seal type Sealed/corrugated Sealed/corrugated
vided that the temperature rise of the natural ester trans- tank tank
former does not exceed the temperature rise of mineral oil by Cooling method ONAN ONAN
more than 21 K, cellulose insulation will last longer in nat- Insulating resistance 5000 MΩ 5000 MΩ
ural ester than in mineral oil transformers [18]. In addition, (HV to LV and
Moore et al. [19] and Pillai et al. [20] found that the reduc- earth)
tion and suppression of moisture buildup in cellulose reduce Insulating resistance 5000 MΩ 5000 MΩ
the aging rate. The Reedy Creek Improvement District reported (LV to HV and
a case of retrofilling a 67 kV transformer to extend its life and earth)
performance [21]. Insulating resistance 5000 MΩ 5000 MΩ
Although retrofillings have been performed in many parts (HV to LV)
of the world, it is still unclear whether retrofilling mineral oil HV winding resistance 3.045 Ω/2.941 Ω 2.283 Ω/2.298 Ω
with natural esters can cause an elevated temperature rise. In (before/after
retrofilling)
the case of retrofilling a 66/11 kV 12.5 MVA power trans-
former with a natural ester, Rajaram Shinde found that the tem- LV winding resistance 2.396 mΩ/2.317 mΩ 1.489 mΩ/1.505 mΩ
(before/after
perature rise is 10–12 K lower than when filling with mineral
retrofilling)
oil [22]. In addition, Santisteban conducted a simulation and
No-load loss 426 W/427 W 383 W/384 W
found that when the insulating liquid velocity is lower than
(before/after
0.78 kg/s, the hot spot temperature of the natural ester trans- retrofilling)
former becomes 9–11 K lower than that of the mineral oil
Load loss (before/after 3776 W/3753 W 4436 W/4332 W
transformer. In addition, when the insulating liquid velocity is retrofilling)
0.9 kg/s, the hot spot temperatures between the two transform-
ers converge to the same value. When the insulating liquid veloc- Abbreviations: HV, high voltage; LV, low voltage.
ity is higher than 1.0 kg/s, the hot spot temperature of the nat-
ural ester transformer is 2–3 K higher than that of the mineral
oil transformer [23]. Lee et al. [24], Smith and Barry [25], and Xian Xibian Zhong Te Electric Co., Ltd. An out-of-service S11-
Yang et al. [26] retrofilled different transformers and concluded M-315/10 and a new S13-M-400/10 distribution transformers
that the temperature rises are 4–6, 5–8, and 4.6 K higher than were selected to retrofill their mineral oil with FR3 to study the
those of mineral oil transformers after retrofilling with natural temperature rise of transformers after retrofilling as well as the
ester. Although natural ester transformers have a higher tem- characteristics of mixed oil. Before and after the retrofilling pro-
perature rise than mineral oil transformers in most cases, the cess, oil, temperature rise, and overload tests were performed to
higher temperature rise limits of natural ester transformers are study the method of controlling the mass ratio of the residual
considered [27]. mineral oil. In addition, tests were performed on different ratios
After retrofilling a transformer with a natural ester, the of mineral oil in the natural ester to obtain a convenient method
allowable duration of operation under 1.5, 1.8, and 2.0 of the for confirming the ratio of residual mineral oil in the retrofilled
rated current was increased by 48%, 27%, and 8%, respec- transformer.
tively [28], indicating that it is beneficial to study the overload
capability of transformers after retrofilling with natural ester.
In Zhao et al. [29], two similar transformers filled with min- 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS
eral oil and natural ester were inoperative. The natural ester
has a higher breakdown voltage, and the insulating paper has 2.1 Materials
a higher degree of polymerisation compared with the min-
eral oil transformer, and the transformer filled with natural An out-of-service S11-M-315/10 distribution transformer with
ester had a 1.57 times overload event in its service history. In a 2-year service history and a new S13-M-400/10 distribution
Scatiggio et al. [30], it was found that high temperature insulat- transformer were selected as sample transformers, and the main
ing materials (natural ester and thermally upgraded Kraft) can parameters are listed in Table 1. Both units were filled with the
provide continuous overloading up to 150% of the nominal conventional mineral oil. The purpose of choosing two simi-
rating. lar capacity and voltage transformers was to increase compara-
Detailed procedures for retrofilling transformers with nat- bility. Considering that transformers with service history may
ural esters were implemented after discussion with the have differences after retrofilling compared with the brand-new
technical staff of Cargill, State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power, and transformers, a transformer in service and a brand new one was

WANG ET AL.
selected. The transformer with the service history had been in
service for 2 years, which is long enough for oil to impreg-
nate the insulating paper. Based on these considerations, the
State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) provided an out-of-
service S11-M-315/10 distribution transformer and a new S13-
M-400/10 distribution transformer.
A #25 naphthenic mineral oil (Karamay #25 mineral oil,
Karamay, China) and a natural ester FR3 (Cargill Bioindustrial,
Shanghai, China) were used in this study.
2.2 Retrofilling procedures in China
Retrofilling procedures are under discussion and are being pub-
lished. The retrofilling procedures that we used in this experi-
ment are presented in the flow chart in Figure A1. The details
of the flowchart are discussed in the following section.
2.2.1 Transformer check-up before retrofilling
The transformer nameplate information should be recorded
with a special focus on the weight of the insulating liquid on
the nameplate.
The compatibility of materials with FR3 natural esters and
the lowest allowed ambient temperature should be considered.
The pour point of FR3 is −21◦ C, which is higher than that of
mineral oil. This issue may lead to the problem of starting up at
extremely low ambient temperatures.
The requirements of the inspection on the retrofilled trans-
former are listed in Table A1.
2.2.2 Draining oil
The procedures for draining the mineral oil required that the
ambient temperature be approximately 20◦ C and the relative
humidity be less than 60% to avoid water entering the oil tank
as well as to drain the water that may be condensed from the
vapour in the oil conservator. After draining the oil, the oil-level
gauge hole should be closed to prevent the transformer body
from being exposed to air.
To reduce the mineral oil residue on the active part, 1–2 h of
waiting is necessary. Sufficient waiting period can reduce resid-
ual mineral oil after retrofilling.
2.2.3 Flushing
The transformer should be flushed from the oil inlet. When the
transformer has an oil conservator, the highest point of the oil
conservator should be used as the oil inlet. When the trans-
former has no oil conservator, the oil-level gauge port should
be used as the oil inlet. The hole in the oil inlet should not be
fully closed because the gas inside the transformer is vented out-
wards.
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1903
A new catheter was used to flush the active part and compo-
nents with the natural ester at the two flanges of the removed
bushings. The natural ester used in this procedure is usually
approximately 10% of the total oil volume.
2.2.4 Draining oil again and replacing the
gaskets
A large amount of mineral oil can remain in the bottom of the
tank during the flushing procedure. The residual oil was drained
again using the method described in Section 2.2.2. The gas-
kets used should meet the requirements for compatibility with
natural esters. Silicone rubber, fluororubber, and fluorosilicone
rubber seals can be used in transformers with higher thermal
classes. Thereafter, the high-voltage bushing should be rein-
stalled to ensure a good sealing condition.
2.2.5 Retrofilling with natural ester and
check-up
In the retrofilling procedure, the pipe must be extended to the
bottom of the transformer to minimise the generation of bub-
bles.
The transformer should be left to stand in the warehouse for
no less than 4 h after retrofilling to wait for the air bubbles in the
ester liquid to be fully dissipated. After retrofilling, the insulating
liquid inside the transformer becomes a mixture of natural ester
and a small amount of mineral oil.
Finally, the retrofilled transformer should be inspected again
according to Table A1 to guarantee a successful retrofilling.
2.3 Temperature rise tests and the overload
tests
Temperature rise tests were performed on both retrofilled trans-
formers before and after retrofilling. The special overload tests
were only performed on the S13-M-400/10 transformer.
The temperature rise tests followed the short-circuit method
according to the IEC 60076-2 standard [31]. The total test con-
tinued for 8.5 h. In the first stage, the total loss was applied until
the change in the top oil temperature was less than 1 K/h for
3 h. In the second stage, the rated current was applied for 1 h.
When the power was disconnected, the temperatures of the top
oil and windings were measured.
The top and bottom oil temperature was measured at the out-
let and inlet of the pipeline in the temperature rise tests. One PT
100 type thermocouple was placed firmly on the surface of the
inlet and outlet pipe. The average winding temperature was cal-
culated by the winding resistance.
The overload tests followed the technical guide of SGCC, and
the test curve is shown in Figure 1. Before the overload tests,
the temperature rise of the tested transformer was expected to
reach a steady temperature rise under the rated load. First, the
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1904 WANG ET AL.

TABLE 2 Results of the S11-M-315/10 temperature rise tests

Temperature rise Mineral oil Retrofilled Limits (IEC

for transformer transformer 60076-14)

Top oil (K) 44.2 48.3 ≤60

Average oil (K) 35.4 38.7 –
High voltage 51.6 63.1 ≤65
winding (K)
Low voltage 58.5 66.3a ≤65
winding (K)

a
Exceed the temperature rise limits for the thermal class of 105◦ C, but do not exceed the
limits for the thermal class of 120◦ C.

TABLE 3 Results of the S13-M-400/10 temperature rise tests

FIGURE 1 Distribution transformer overload test curve of the State Grid Temperature rise Mineral oil Retrofilled Limits (IEC
Corporation of China (SGCC) for transformer transformer 60076-14)

Top oil (K) 41.7 46.7 ≤60

Average oil (K) 33.3 37.3 –

transformer was in operation for 3 h under 1.5 times of rated High voltage 58.3 62.6 ≤65
winding (K)
load. Whether the temperature rise was steady, the transformer
test proceeded to the next 1.75 times of rated load, as shown Low voltage 58.4 67.2 ≤65
winding (K)
in Figure 1. The total overload tests had five steps and then the
load is cut off after finishing the total 10 h overload test. a
Exceed the temperature rise limits for the thermal class of 105◦ C, but do not exceed the
The temperature rise of the average windings, average oil, and limits for the thermal class of 120◦ C.
top oil were measured at the end of the 1.5 times rated load.
The temperature rise of the top oil was continuously measured
during the test. 3 EXPERIMENT RESULTS AND
ANALYSIS

2.4 Oil tests and prediction of mineral oil 3.1 Temperature rise tests and overload
mass percentage tests

Generally, retrofilling procedures cannot remove all resid-
ual mineral oil, as absorbed oil exists in the solid insulation.
Thus, the insulating liquid in the transformer is a mixture
of natural esters and mineral oils. To meet the K-class less-
flammable requirements, the fire point of the mixed oil should
be higher than 300◦ C [7, 32]. Therefore, it is crucial to con-
trol the mass ratio of the mineral oil in the mixed oil. The
properties of the insulating oil in the two transformers were
measured before retrofilling, after retrofilling, and after 1
year.
To confirm the exact mass percentage of mineral oil in the
mixed oil after retrofilling with natural ester, an experiment with
different mass percentages of mineral oil was designed. The
mineral oil and natural ester were mixed and allowed to stand
idle for 2 days to be mixed well. Specifically, 0%–10% mass per-
centage of mineral oil in 1% steps was blended, as the residual
mineral oil is generally less than 10%.
The tested properties included water content (IEC 60814),
90◦ C dielectric dissipation factor (IEC 60247), 2.5 mm break-
down voltage (IEC 60156), DGA (IEC 60599 for mineral oil,
and IEEE C57.155 for natural ester), kinematic viscosity (ISO
2909), open-cup flash point (ISO 2592), and closed cup flash
point (ISO 2719).
3.1.1 Temperature rise tests
The results of the temperature rise tests are shown in Tables 2
and 3, indicating that the two FR3 fluid retrofilled trans-
formers have higher temperature rises than the mineral oil
transformers. The top oil temperature rises were higher by 4.1
K (S11-M-315/10) and 5.0 K (S13-M-400/10). The average oil
temperature rises were higher by 3.3 K (S11-M-315/10) and 4.0
K (S13-M-400/10).
The thermal class of cellulose paper immersed in mineral
oil is 105◦ C. Thus, the limits in Tables 2 and 3 are the tem-
perature rise limits for the thermal class of 105◦ C. However,
according to IEC 60076-14 standard Annex C [33], as shown in
Table 4, the thermal class of the electrical insulation system can
be increased by changing the liquid from mineral oil to natural
ester, resulting in temperature rise limits of 90 and 75 K for the
top oil and average windings, respectively. Therefore, the tem-
perature rise values of the distribution transformers after retro-
filling are up to the temperature rise limits in the IEC 60076-14
standard Annex C. Considering that the thermal class of natural
ester-immersed cellulose paper is 120◦ C, although the tempera-
ture rise of the low-voltage windings exceeded the temperature
rise limit of mineral oil, the temperature rise of the low-voltage
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WANG ET AL. 1905

TABLE 4 Thermal class of mineral oil and natural ester according to IEC ing was 12.3 and 15.1◦ C, respectively. The ambient temperature
60076-14 was not measured in real time, but only once at the beginning of
Kraft paper with Kraft paper with the test.
Insulating systems mineral oil natural ester The retrofilled 400 kVA transformer had increased tempera-
Cellulose-based thermal 105 120 ture rises for top oil of 7.7 K, average oil of 6.2 K, high voltage
class(◦ C) windings of 5.6 K, and low voltage windings of 11.1 K, when
Temperature rise limits for top 60 90 compared with the mineral oil transformer. These values are
oil (K) beyond the limits as discussed in Section 3.1.1.
Temperature rise limits for 65 75 As shown in Figure 2, the mineral oil and retrofilled trans-
average winding (K) formers exhibited the same trend as the top oil tempera-
ture change in the overload test. The highest temperature rise
value of the top oil occurred at the end of the 2.0 times
TABLE 5 Temperature rise at the end of the 1.5 times rated load of rated load. Furthermore, the highest temperature rise values
S13-M-400/10 transformer of the mineral oil and retrofilled transformers were 109.1 and
121.9 K, respectively. Thus, the temperature values are beyond
Mineral oil Retrofilled
Temperature rise for transformer transformer Limits
the limits as discussed in Section 3.1.1. Accordingly, a con-
ventionally designed mineral oil transformer cannot fulfil the
Top oil (K) 84.0 91.7 ≤60 severe overloading test pattern of the SGCC. Thus, the high
Average oil (K) 67.2 73.4 – overload capacity transformer requires a more specific design,
High voltage winding (K) 95.8 101.4 ≤65 such as thermally upgraded paper or aramid paper for wind-
Low voltage winding (K) 92.5 103.6 ≤65 ings or a lower current density, as per the nameplate power
rating.

3.2 Oil tests and mixed oil tests

3.2.1 Oil tests

FIGURE 2 Top oil temperature variations for the mineral oil and natural
ester transformers under the given over-load test curve
windings remained within the limits for the ester filled trans-
formers.
3.1.2 Overload tests
The results of the temperature rise test for the average wind-
ings, average oil, and top oil at the end of the 1.5 times rated
load (cooling phase) are shown in Table 5. The temperature of
the top oil during the overload test is shown in Figure 2. The
ambient temperature during the tests before and after retrofill-
The results of the insulating oil tests of S11-M-315/10 and
S13-M-400/10 are shown in Table 6. As previously explained,
before retrofilling, the two transformers were filled with min-
eral oil, and mixed oil after retrofilling. The mixed oil was
composed of a majority of natural ester and residual min-
eral oil. After 1 year, the retrofilled S11-M-315/10 operated
for another 1 year, while the retrofilled S13-M-400/10 unit
stood idle for 1 year. At this time, the residual mineral oil
and natural ester liquids were expected to be mixed well,
and the insulation materials were impregnated with natural
esters.
Before retrofilling, the dielectric dissipation factor at 90◦ C
and the breakdown voltage of the mineral oil were accept-
able according to the IEC 60422 standard [34]. After retro-
filling, the properties of the natural ester were well within
the requirements of the IEC 62770 standard [35] for unused
natural esters. Although dissipation factors at 90◦ C increased,
the values were within the “good” limit as per IEC 62975.
Robert discovered a similar phenomenon through contin-
uous overload for 1 year [36]. This can be explained by
the gradual homogenisation of the mineral oil in the cellu-
lose paper with the natural ester. All characteristics meet the
requirements in the IEC standard, which means successful
retrofillings.
In addition to the basic properties of mineral oil, dissolved
gas was also included in the study. It is necessary to mention
that the DGA results of the two transformers before retro-
filling were acceptable as per IEC 60599 standard [37]. The
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1906 WANG ET AL.

TABLE 6 Oil tests results of the S11-M-315/10 and S13-M-400/10 transformers

S11-M-315/10 S13-M-400/10

Before After Before After

Properties retrofilling retrofilling After 1 year retrofilling retrofilling After 1 year

Fire point (◦ C) / 352 335 / 353 338

Dielectric dissipation factor @ 90◦ C 0.0056 0.0127 0.0885 0.0022 0.0353 0.0793
Breakdown voltage (2.5 mm) (kV) 43.44 61.33 78.00 63.57 68.06 65.31
Kinematic viscosity @ 40◦ C (mm2 /s) / / 32.97 / / 32.67
Open cup flash point (◦ C) / / 272 / / 278
Closed cup flash point (◦ C) / / 220 / / 209

DGA results of the S13-M-400/10 transformer are shown in

Figures A2 and A3.
It can be observed that except for H2 and C2 H2 , all gases
increased after the overload test for the mineral oil transformer.
However, all gas contents were still within the limits of IEC
60599. For the transformer after retrofilling, all gases except
C2 H2 increased after the overload test. The CO, H2 , CH4 ,
C2 H4 , and total hydrocarbon contents exceeded the threshold
values for soybean-based natural esters in IEEE C57.155. From
the DGA perspective only, the overload test may not be suit-
able for the retrofilled transformer of traditional mineral oil
design.
After 1 year under sealed conditions, the C2 H6 and total
hydrocarbon contents of the retrofilled transformer (natural
ester transformer) were even higher. Therefore, C2 H6 and total
hydrocarbons will increase naturally even when the transformer
filled with the natural ester is offline. Thus, C2 H6 and total
hydrocarbons cannot be used as the key gases used for qual-
itative determination of fault types in transformers filled with
natural esters.
FIGURE 3 Kinematic viscosity of low mass ratio of mineral oil mixed
A comparison of the DGA of the S13-M-400/10 transformer with natural ester
shows that the overload test after retrofilling causes the gas con-
tent increased continuously. This increase could not be resolved
by de-energising the transformer. Therefore, it is prudent to
consider whether to conduct an overload test after retrofilling.
If necessary, the rated load multiple of the maximum load for The kinematic viscosity of the oil blend was measured every
the overload test must be considered. 10◦ C over a temperature range of 40–100◦ C, as shown in Fig-
ure 3. For the viscosity of the mass ratio of mineral oil from 0%
to 6%, a clear linear change was observed. When it reaches 7%,
there is a sudden drop in viscosity, followed by an unexpected
3.2.2 Prediction of mineral oil mass percentage increase at a ratio of 9%. These unusual phenomena can be
seen in McShane’s research [1] and leads to poor linearity of
Unused mineral oil and unused natural ester were used for sam- viscosity. Hence, it is better to use 0%–6% mineral oil ratios to
ples to obtain the data in these experiments. Based on practical describe the variation in viscosity with mineral oil ratios. This
engineering considerations, the performance of the mixed insu- allows the prediction of only mineral oil ratios below 6%. In
lating oil with mineral oil content in a certain linear range was addition, the viscosities of the different mineral oil ratios were
tested in these experiments. The dielectric dissipation factor has similar at the same temperature. Therefore, the viscosity at
a large discrete range [1], and the breakdown voltage is highly 60◦ C has the ideal fitting equation in the following form, with
influenced by the moisture [38,39]. Thus, the kinematic viscos- the highest coefficient of determination (R2 ) of 0.989:
ity, fire point, open cup flash point, and closed cup flash point
were tested. y1 = −0.234x + 18.6 (1)

WANG ET AL.
FIGURE 4 Fire point of low mass ratio of mineral oil mixed with natural
ester
FIGURE 5 Flash point of low mass ratio of mineral oil mixed with
natural ester
Here, x represents the mass ratio of mineral oil and y1 repre-
sents the kinematic viscosity at 60◦ C values.
The results of the fire points are shown in Figure 4. Owing to
the rapid decrease in the fire point of the mixed oil in relation
to the percentage of mineral oil at the 5%–10% stage, the fitted
curve should be divided into two parts. The first part is a slowly
decreasing part with a fire point above 330◦ C. The second part
is the rapidly decreasing part with a fire point below 330◦ C. The
second part is the main discussion point, as the fire point will be
lower than 300◦ C, and does not meet the K-class less-flammable
requirements. Figure 4 compares the different fitted curves in
the second part. Although the fitted curve using 6%–10% ratios
of the mineral oil has the highest R2 , the fire point of this fitted
curve at a 5% ratio is 315◦ C. The fire point at the 5% ratio of the
first part is 340◦ C, which is significantly higher than the fitted
curve using 6%–10% ratios. The fire points at 5% ratio of the
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1907
fitted curves using 5%–10% ratios and 5%–9% are 325◦ C and
328◦ C, respectively. Two fitted curves have similar fire points at
a 5% ratio, but the latter has a higher R2 . Thus, the ideal fitting
equation for the fire point (y2 ) below 340◦ C is of the following
form:
y2 = −21.8x + 437.6 (2)
The fitting equation for the fire point (y2 ) above 340◦ C is as
follows:
y2 = −2.57x + 353.1 (3)
where x represents the mass ratio of mineral oil and y2 repre-
sents the fire point values.
The flash point has good linearity at a 0%–10% mass ratio
of mineral oil in the mixed oil, as shown in Figure 5. The closed
cup (y3 ) and open cup (y4 ) flash points are of the following form:
y3 = −9.34x + 255 (4)
y4 = −13.8x + 329 (5)
Here, x represents the mass ratio of mineral oil, and y3 and y4
represent the closed cup and open cup values.
The kinematic viscosity at 60◦ C has an extremely high linear-
ity with an R2 of 0.989. However, the dispersion of the fire and
flash points is considerable. Thus, only kinematic viscosity and
its fitted curve at 60◦ C were used to predict the residual min-
eral oil content in this study. Note that the change in the natural
ester and mineral oil category may impact the parameters of the
fitted curve and should refit the curve if necessary. In addition,
the distribution of the fire point with the mass ratio of mineral
oil is not exactly the same as the widely used curves according
to McShane’s research [1]. This is caused by the use of different
mineral oils.
4 DISCUSSION
4.1 Overload test
For the 400 kVA transformer, the hot spot temperature can be
calculated according to Figure 2 and IEC 60076-2 as the follow-
ing formula:
Δ𝜃h = Δ𝜃o + Hg (6)
where Δ𝜃h represents the hot-spot temperature rise, Δ𝜃o rep-
resents the top oil temperature rise, H represents the hot spot
factor, and g represents the average winding gradient.
The hot spot factor H is assumed to be 1.1. For the ONAN
transformer up to 2500 kVA, the average liquid temperature
rise above the ambient temperature may be considered as 80%
of the top liquid temperature rise. Thus, the average winding

1908
FIGURE 6 Hot spot temperature variations for the mineral oil and
natural ester transformers under the given over-load test curve
gradient (g) was calculated using the following formula:
g = Δ𝜃w − 0.8Δ𝜃o
where Δ𝜃w represents the average winding temperature rise and
Δ𝜃o represents the top oil temperature rise.
The calculated hot-spot temperatures are shown in Figure 6.
The highest hot spot temperatures of mineral oil and natu-
ral ester are 149.0◦ C and 167.8◦ C, respectively. The closed-cup
flash point of the natural ester after retrofilling is 209◦ C, which
is significantly higher than the hot spot temperature of 167.8◦ C.
However, the closed cup flash point of mineral oil is 140◦ C,
and the hot spot temperature is 9.0◦ C higher than the closed
cup flash point, which can cause danger during the overload
test. This indicates that retrofilling with natural ester can signif-
icantly improve the fire resistance of the transformer. In addi-
tion, a specially designed mineral oil transformer is required for
an overload test. An overly rigorous overload test required by
SGCC was performed.
Retrofilling with a natural ester liquid can improve the over-
load capacity of a conventionally designed mineral oil trans-
former. The durations in which the temperatures of the top oil
and the hot spot reached the required limits in IEC 60076–7
and IEC 60076-14, respectively, with a rated load of 1.5 were
calculated. The duration was chosen as the closest value, and
the results are listed in Table 7.
TABLE 7 Overload capacity of the 1.5 times rated load before and after retrofilling
Top oil temperature (◦ C)
400 kVA transformer Ambient Measured
filled with temperature (◦ C) value
Mineral oil 12.3 91.6
Natural ester 15.1 97.9
a
Limits of mineral oil required in IEC 60076-7 and limits of retrofilled transformer required in IEC 60076-14.
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WANG ET AL.
FIGURE 7 Prediction bands at 95% confidence level of kinematic
viscosity at 60◦ C and the ratio of residual mineral oil prediction
The hot spot temperatures of both the mineral oil and retro-
filled transformers reached their limits prior to those of the
top oil temperatures. After retrofilling with natural ester, it took
130 min to reach the temperature limit under 1.5 times rated
load, which is 30% higher than when the same transformer is
(7) filled with mineral oil. Therefore, the overload capacity of the
1.5 times load was improved by retrofilling. In addition, the
overloading test pattern of SGCC is significantly difficult for
conventionally designed transformers, thus requiring a special
design.
4.2 Prediction of mineral oil mass
percentage
Because the kinematic viscosity at 60◦ C has a good linearity with
respect to the mass ratio of mineral oil, it is possible to predict
the mass ratio of mineral oil in the retrofilled transformers after
retrofilling with natural ester.
The prediction results of the residual mineral oil content
using the kinematic viscosity are shown in Figure 7. The pre-
diction uses prediction bands at the 95% confidence level. The
red bands are the prediction bands, thus the provided kinematic
viscosity at 60◦ C has a 95% confidence in the prediction bands.
For the S11-M-315/10 transformer, the kinematic viscosity
at 60◦ C is 18.31 cSt. The prediction result of the mass ratio of
residual mineral oil using kinematic viscosity at 60◦ C is 0.53% to
1.96% at a 95% confidence level, with an average level of 1.24%.
For the S13-M-400/10 transformer, the kinematic viscosity at
Hot spot temperature (◦ C)
Calculated Time to reach
Limits value Limitsa limit (min)
105 119.2 120 100
105 130.8 130 130

WANG ET AL.
60◦ C is 18.12 cSt. The prediction result of the mass ratio of
residual mineral oil using kinematic viscosity at 60◦ C is 1.39%–
2.75% at a 95% confidence level, with an average level of 2.05%.
The fire points of the S11-M-315/10 and S13-M-400/10
transformers were 335◦ C and 338◦ C, respectively. Thus, accord-
ing to Equation (2), the mass ratios of the two transformers
were 4.7% and 4.5%, respectively. A similar result can be cal-
culated by the flash point according to Equations (4) and (5) for
the two transformers by 3.9% and 4.3%, respectively.
Owing to the low linearity and piecewise equation of fire
point and flash point, it is not recommended to predict the
mass ratio of residual mineral oil using fire points and flash
points, but to judge whether the insulating oil meets the K-class
less-flammable requirements or not. The insulating oil of two
retrofilled transformers remain a K-class less-flammable liquid.
Predictions using the prediction bands at a 95% confidence
level for kinematic viscosity provided the most favourable
results. The prediction results of the residual mineral oil mass
ratio after retrofilling were 1.24% for the S11-M-315/10 trans-
former and 2.05% for the S13-M-400/10 transformer. This
mass ratio of residual mineral oil is significantly lower than the
7% expected residual mineral oil from [1], which should be
attributed to the detailed retrofilling guidance presented in this
study.
5 CONCLUSION
Detailed procedures for retrofilling 10 kV distribution trans-
formers with natural esters were described in this study. A
method to predict the residual mineral oil content after retro-
filling mineral oil transformers with natural esters was proposed
using kinematic viscosity at 60◦ C. This method addresses the
issue of testing residual mineral oil content. The two retrofilled
transformers had mass ratios of residual mineral oil of 1.24%
for the S11-M-315/10 transformer and 2.05% for the S13-M-
400/10 transformer. The mass ratio of mineral oil was believed
to be approximately 7% from previous studies.
For the 315 and 400 kVA retrofilled transformers, the tem-
perature rises at rated load of top oil increased by 4.1 and 5.0
K, average oil by 3.3 and 4.0 K, and low voltage windings by 7.8
and 8.8 K, respectively, compared with mineral oil transform-
ers. According to the IEC 60076-14 standard, the thermal class
of the oil-paper insulation system can be improved by chang-
ing the oil from mineral oil to natural ester, thus resulting in
the temperature rise limits of the top oil and the average wind-
ings for the natural ester-Kraft paper system to reach 90 and 75
K, respectively. Thus, the obtained temperatures using the tra-
ditional temperature rise test can meet the limits of retrofilling.
Retrofilling with natural ester can significantly improve the
fire resistance of a mineral oil transformer. The results of the
special overload test of the 400 kVA transformer show that
the highest hot spot temperature of mineral oil was 149.0◦ C,
which is 9.0◦ C higher than that of the closed cup flash point,
causing danger during the overload test. The closed-cup flash
point of the natural ester after retrofilling is 209◦ C, which is
significantly higher than the hot spot temperature. This indi-
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1909
cates that a specially designed mineral oil transformer cannot
fulfil the severe overloading pattern of SGCC, even with retro-
filling. Thus, transformers with a high overload capacity need
more specific designs.
After retrofilling with natural ester, it took 130 min to reach
the temperature limits under 1.5 times rated load, and the dura-
tion was 30% longer than when the same transformer was filled
with mineral oil. The overload capacity of the 1.5 times load can
therefore be improved by retrofilling.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to express their gratitude to Dong Han
of Xian Xibian Zhong Te Electric CO, Ltd. and Bin Wei of State
Grid Shaanxi Electric Power Company for their technical sup-
port in this study.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data that support the findings of this study are available
from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
ORCID
Yuan Wang https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3587-2493
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How to cite this article: Wang, Y., Wang, R., Pan, K.,
Xu, Y., Rapp, K.: Detailed procedures of retrofilling
transformers with FR3 natural ester and residual mineral
oil content testing. IET Gener. Transm. Distrib. 16,
1901–1913 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1049/gtd2.12402
APPENDIX A
Table A1 presents the requirements of retrofilled transformer
inspection at the beginning and ending of the retrofill. Figure A1
shows the flow chart of retrofilling transformer with FR3 nat-
ural ester. Figures A2 and A3 shows dissolved gas content of
S13-M-400/10 transformer before and after retrofilling.
There are four main parts in the retrofilling procedures: (1)
Preparation before retrofilling; (2) draining oil procedures. (3)
flush procedures. (4) retrofill procedures.
In the first procedure ‘preparation before retrofilling’, inspec-
tions and test items of transformer in Table A1 should be
inspected and tested and the results should meet the require-
ments of indicated standard. The ambient temperature of
approximately 20◦ C and relative humidity of not higher than
60% are required. The gas should be released for transformers
with gas relay. Oil should be drained for transformers with an oil
conservator. Valve and drain plug should be opened before and
after draining oil for transformers with butterfly valve. These
additional preparations are necessary for different transformer
constructions to ensure a successful retrofill.
In the second procedure ‘draining oil procedures’, oil should
be drained from the oil vent valve for transformers with oil vent
valve, or from the oil level gauge for transformers without oil
vent valve. Note that 1–2 h waiting is valuable. Sufficient waiting
can reduce residual mineral oil after retrofilling. After waiting,
the residual oil under the tank should be drained through the
drain valve at the bottom of oil tank, otherwise a suitable angle
is necessary to reduce the residual mineral oil.
In the third procedure ‘flush procedures’, if the transformer
cannot be flushed and retrofilled at once after the draining oil
procedures, the transformer should be filled with dry nitrogen
gas to cut off with moisture and oxygen in the air. Flush the
windings, core, and oil tank internal surface with natural ester.
Then, another hour’s waiting can reduce the oil generated by
flushing.
In the fourth procedures ‘retrofill procedures’, the trans-
former should be retrofilled with the natural ester to the bot-
tom. Again, the inspections and test items in Table A1 should
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WANG ET AL. 1911

TABLE A1 Requirements of retrofilled transformer inspection

Applicable transformer for retrofilling

Online transformer Offline transformer New transformer

Inspection and test items Before

(Standard) Before retrofilling After retrofilling Before retrofilling After retrofilling retrofilling After retrofilling

Transformer discharge (IEC 60076-3) Required

Visual inspection and cleaning Required Required Required Required Required Required
Insulation resistance measurement Required Required Required Required Required Required
(IEC 60076-1)
Winding DC resistance measurement Required Required Required Required
(IEC 60076-1)
Voltage ratio measurement and Required Required Required Required Required Required
connection group label verification
(IEC 60076-1)
No-load current and No-load loss Optional Optional
(IEC 60076-1)
Short-circuit impedance and load loss Optional Optional
(IEC 60076-1)
Applied voltage withstand test (IEC Optionala Requireda Optionala Requireda Optionala Requiredb
60076-3)
Induced voltage test (IEC 60076-3) Required
Lightning impulse voltage test (IEC Optional
60076-3)
Insulating oil test: Required Required Required Required Required Required
1. Breakdown voltage (IEC 60156)
2. Dielectric dissipation factor (IEC
60247)
3. Water content (IEC 60814)

Leak test (IEC 60076-1) Required Required Required

Dissolved gas analysis (IEC 60599 and Optional Optional Optional Optional Optional Optional
IEEE C57.155)

a
The applied voltage during the high voltage test is 80% of the standard voltage.
b
The applied voltage during the high voltage test is 80%-100% of the standard voltage.

meet the requirements due to the change of insulating system.

Qualified test results mean a successful retrofill.
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WANG ET AL.

Flow chart of retrofilling transformer with FR3 natural ester

FIGURE A1
1912
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1913

Dissolved gas content of the S13-M-400/10 transformer filled with the natural ester (after retrofilling)
Dissolved gas content of the S13-M-400/10 transformer filled with mineral oil (before retrofilling)
FIGURE A2

FIGURE A3
WANG ET AL.