2018 Electrical Insulation Conference (EIC), San Antonio, TX, USA, 17-20 June 2018

Transformers Fleet Management Through the Use of

an Advanced Health Index
Fabio Scatiggio Massimo Pompili Luigi Calacara
Engineering and Asset Management Astronautic, Energetic and Electrical Astronautic, Energetic and Electrical
Department Engineering Dept Engineering Dept
TERNA RETE ITALIA Università La Sapienza Università La Sapienza
Venezia, Italy Roma, Italy Roma, Italy
fabio.scatiggio@terna.it massimo.pompili@uniroma1.it luigi.calcara@uniroma1.it

Abstract — Power transformers represent the highest value of managed, it supervises more than 800 big power transformers
the equipment installed in transmission substations, comprising and shunt reactors.
up the 60% of the total investment. They are expected to operate
for several decades without faults and possibly without relevant The whole data collection (dozen thousands of records per
unscheduled maintenance practice. The new approach is year) of the diagnostic inputs (electrical, physical, chemical)
developed for reducing time based maintenance and, increasing coming from off-line and on-line monitoring is computed and
condition based maintenance and to introduce predictive evaluated globally by a complex algorithm. Inputs are
maintenance as well. The aim of predictive maintenance is first to conventionally aggregated in four different families with
predict when transformer failure might occur, and secondly, to different relative weight according to their significance, as
prevent occurrence of the failure by performing maintenance. shown in Fig. 1.
Diagnostic information can be evaluated individually or
better by a complex algorithm which merges all the single inputs
and their Rate of Increase (RoI) creating a mono-dimensional
figure called Health Index (HI).
This concept represents a real 'shifting of paradigm', as it
deeply affects the criteria for transformers grid management and
selection of the electrical utilities and grid companies.

Keywords—transformers, health index, asset management

I. INTRODUCTION
Power Transformers are subjected to degradation due to
physiological aging, poor maintenance, and operational
stresses which reduce their reliability and may lead to
catastrophic failures. The core of condition based maintenance
(predictive maintenance) is the monitoring, which can be
performed on time base (off-line) or continuously (on-line).
The so called Health Index (HI) has been developed and
largely introduced in the asset management strategies by the
worldwide electrical utilities [1-5]. Such HIs are handmade
products and usually reflecting the utility experiences and
practices.
Today HI application dates more than 10 years and also the
international normalization bodies are publishing guidelines [6-
7] and very soon probably also standards will be ready.
II. STRUCTURE OF TERNA’S HI
Terna is the leading electricity transmission system
operators (TSO) in Europe in terms of kilometers of lines
Fig. 1. Relative weight % of inputs families
The four intermediate HIs (dielectric, thermal, mechanical
and oil status) are finally aggregated into the overall HI which
represents the global transformer condition. HI is ranged
between zero to unit, where 0 denotes a transformer in perfect
condition and 1 denotes a transformer that should be replaced.
The different steps of the HI process are shown in Fig. 2.
The first step is the parameters (on and off-line) collection and
aggregation. The second step consists in calculation of the
various HIs based on comparison with international (IEEE,
IEC, etc.) or company targets. The third step creates a rank for
entire transformers fleet which can be used for prioritizing
maintenance and replacement strategies. The fourth step is the
last one and it looks deeply into the condition of every single
transformer suggesting remedial or mitigating actions with the
goal of increasing their reliability and extending their life.

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Health Index is divided into “good” for values from 0 to
0.1, “fair” for values from 0.1 to 0.2, “poor” for values from
0.2 to 0.3, “very poor” for values from 0.2 to 0.3 and “critical”
for values > 0.4, as represented in Fig.3.
IV. HI EVOLTUTION ALONG THE TRANSFORMER LIFE
Sometimes the HI decrease is apparent and temporary only;
typically after the oil reclaiming or oil degassing some by-
products (DGA, water, furans, acidity, etc.) are erased from oil
but usually after a short service period some of them revert
back to the original concentrations. An example is shown in
Fig. 5, where the oil was submitted to a degassing process (for
bubbling phenomena prevention) with an immediate decrease
of HI from 0.38 (very poor) to 0.05 (good). Nine months later
HI reached again a value close to the previous one.

0,4
0,38
0,3 0,37
0,34 0,33

HI (p.u.)
0,2
Fig. 2. HI flow chart 0,1 0,17

0 0,05
0-service 6-service 12-service 13-oil reclaiming 18-service 24-service
months

Fig. 5. Transformer history case (HI after degassing)

Fig. 3. Ranking according to HI

III. HI CALCULATIONS
A real case of an autotransformer is reported in Table I and
in Fig. 4.
Table I: Values Used in HI Calculation
Dielectric Thermal
Mechanical Oil
(ppm) (ppm) Fig. 6. Overall and individual His trends of an autotransformer affected by
Leakage Inductance H2O= 17 dielectric defect.
H2=560 2-FAL=1.011
deviation= 2,1 ppm
CH4=1224 CO2= 4326 SFRA= regular BDV= 43 In Fig. 6 are represented the HI trends (overall and
C2H4=123 CO= 570 FDS= 1.6% NN= 0.27
C2H6= 246 DDF= 0.02
individual) of a 250 MVA 380/135 kV autotransformer
C. Sulfur= affected by a dielectric defect, and in Fig. 7 are shown the HI
C2H2= 1 trends (overall and individual) of a 150 MVA 230/135 kV
absent
The dashboard on the left side displays the overall HI autotransformer affected by a thermal defect in paper.
(0.31= very poor), and the radar on the right side shows the
contributions of intermediate HI (dielectric, thermal,
mechanical, and oil).

Fig. 4. Dashboard of overall HI and radar representation of the individual HI

(dieletric, thermal, mechanical amd oil) Fig. 7. Overall and individual His trends of an autotransformer affected by
thermal in paper defect and oil oxidation

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 Many transformers are in service for long time even if
classified as in “poor” because the defect is not evolving, as
shown in Fig. 8.
Fig. 8. Overall and individual HIs trends of an autotransformer in fair
condition but without evolving defects.
V. CONCLUSION
In 2015 CIGRE WG A2-37 has published the Brochure 642
[8] as update of the previous CIGRE report published in 1983
[9]. They resume an international survey on transformer
reliability in terms of failure rates and classification into failure
location. The definition of failure was limited to major failure
and remarked as “any situation which required the transformer
to be removed from service for a period longer than 7 days for
investigation, remedial work, usually requiring the transformer
to be removed from its installation site and returned to the
factory”.
In Fig. 9 is reported the CIGRE’s failure rate compared
with the Terna’s failure rate for major faults and additionally
also the Terna’s failure rates for minor faults (transformer out
service for a period longer than 1 day and shorter than 7 days).
Fig. 9. Failure rate: CIGRE vs. Terna
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The trend of major faults occurred at the Terna’s
transformer fleet since 2000 is practically independent by HI
adoption, since relevant (major) faults are often unpredictable
because due lightning or sudden collapses. On the other hand
the number of less relevant (minor) faults is drastically
decreased after the adoption in 2010 of HI. The proposed
method can use both off-line and on-line inputs and it
effectiveness is of course maximize in on-line acquisitions,
providing a holistic approach and reducing costs.
REFERENCES
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Approach for Transformers Fleet Management” - Proceedings of 2013
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Vol.25,No.2.-0
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[8] CIGRE WG A2.37 “Transformer Reliability Survey” Techinical
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