2007 Annual Report Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena
Effects on Tensile Strength of Transformer Insulation
Paper under Accelerated Thermal and Electrical
Stress
P.Verma*, D.S.Chauhan**and Preetinder Singh***
*Professor, Lovely Institute of Technology, Phagwara (Punjab), India
**Vice Chancellor, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara (Punjab), India
***Assistant Professor, Guru Nanak Engineering College, Ludhiana (Punjab), India
Email: pverma19@yahoo.co.uk
Abstract- One of the basic causes of transformer failure is the loss
of mechanical strength of insulation paper. This paper
investigates the impact of combined thermal and electrical stress
on top, middle and bottom layer of transformer insulation paper
immersed in insulating oil. This study was carried out in a
specially designed test cell. The accelerated thermal stress was
selected from 1200C to 1600Cand electrical stress from1.0 pu to
2.5 pu. The tests were performed in stress balance order i.e. for
lower temperature, the electric stress was maximum (1200C, 2.5
pu) and for maximum thermal stress, the electric stress was
normal i.e. (1600C, 1.0 pu). The paper samples were taken out
periodically after 360, 720, 1080 and 1440 hours to assess the
deterioration of tensile strength on different layers of paper
wrapped on the copper strip. Scanning Electron Microscopy
(SEM) study was carried out on the aged paper samples to
investigate the extent of failure of paper. The study reveals that
top layer of the transformer insulation paper was highly affected
under the same stress level and SEM study supports the findings.
1. INTRODUCTION
The main function of a power system is to supply electrical
energy to its customers with an acceptable degree of reliability
and quality. Among many other things, the reliability of a
power system depends on trouble free transformer operation.
Now, in the electricity utilities around the world, a significant
number of power transformers are operating beyond their
design life. Most of these transformers are operating without
evidence of distress. The same situation is evident in India. In
India more than 25% of power transformers are more than 25
years old. So priority attention should be directed to research
into improved diagnostic techniques for determining the
condition of insulation in aged transformers.
The insulation system in power transformers consists of
cellulosic materials (Kraft paper) and processed mineral oil.
The cellulosic materials and oil insulation degrade with time.
The degradation depends on thermal, oxidative, hydrolytic,
electrical and mechanical condition, which the transformer
experiences during its lifetime.
Transformer’s main failure is due to weak
mechanical strength of the paper due to ageing or stress. The
paper strength depends on the fiber strength and more
importantly, the strength of inter-fiber bonds [1].
1-4244-1482-2/07/$25.00 ©2007 IEEE 619
The present study will help to assess the tensile strength for
different layers of paper wrapped on the copper conductor
under accelerated thermal and electrical stress.
II. EXPERIMENTAL
In order to perform the experiments in laboratory, a special
test cell has been designed for accelerated thermal and
electrical ageing treatment on paper. The schematic diagram
of the test cell is shown in figure 1. The capacity of the test
cell is three liters. A mild steel plate of 3.5 mm thickness has
been used. The inner surface of the test cell has been polished
with high temperature resistant enameled paint. The silicon
sealing has been provided in between the top cover plate to
prevent the leakage of gases at high temperature. When the
paper was tested in the presence of oil, the two copper strips
covered with paper joined together were placed in the cell.
The oil and paper were put in the ratio of 20:1 by weight. The
mineral oil taken conformed to the requirement of Indian
national standard specifications of IS: 335 and unaged
electrical grade paper conformed to Indian national
specification IS: 9935. The temperature control of the oven
was within ±20C. The paper samples were taken periodically
from the test cell i.e. at 1200C/2.5 pu, 1400C /1.5 pu and 1600C
/1.0 pu after 360, 720, 1080 and 1440 hours. The paper
samples were made free from oil by soxhlet extraction using
hexane followed by chloroform. After de-oiling, aged
samples were tested for tensile strength and SEM studies.
Since paper is very sensitive to moisture content, the
strength of the samples was measured at a relative humidity of
50% at a temperature of 280C. The tensile strength was
measured by using Tensile Strength Tester, Model 961245 (L
& W, Sweden). SEM study was carried out by using JEOL,
Model JSM 840A (Japan). The paper samples were sputter
coated with gold for observation under SEM.
 Tensile Strength Top Layer
120 Medium Layer
100 Bottom Layer

S tre n g th (%)
80

T e n sile
60
40
20
0
0 360 720 1080 1440
Time in hours
Fig. 2(a) 1200C /2.5 pu

Tensile Strength Top

120 Layer
Figure-1 (Test Cell) Medium
100

Tensile Strength(%)
Layer
80 Bottom
III. RESULTS & DISCUSSION Layer
60

40
3.1 Tensile strength
20
Since paper is an aggregate of millions of pulp fibers,
0
composed mainly of cellulose micro fibrils in a matrix of hemi 0 360 720 1080 1440
cellulose and lignin, the strength arises at different structural Time in hours

levels. Paper is a material with an enormously high degree of Fig. 2(b) 1400C /1.5 pu
heterogeneity containing a seemingly infinite number of
cracks of different dimensions [2,3]. With an increase in Top Layer
Tensile Strength
ageing time these micro cracks widen up and thus makes the Medium Layer
strength to go down. 120
Te ns ile S tre ngth(%)

For samples tested at higher temperature the strength drops
down drastically with ageing time as paper becomes brittle
due to variation in structure of the paper. The strength of paper
depends mostly on strength of fiber. During manufacturing of
paper various types of stresses arise [4]. At higher
temperature a number of cracks appear at these fibers thus
leading to catastrophic failure of the system [5]. More
importantly, the effect of thermal and electrical stress was
maximum on the top most layer and trend was same for the
three sets of experiment under stress balance condition as
shown in fig 2a, 2b and 2c. From the fig. 2c, it is clear that
tensile strength of the paper comes down to 16% for the top
layer for 1600C /1.0 pu, whereas inner most layer of paper is
less effected having more than 40% strength for the same
conditions. The reason for the same may be explained as
weakening of cellulose paper due to interaction with acid
molecules formed by gradual oxidation of oil interfacing the
top layer. Higher the temperature more is the reaction with
acid and more reduction in tensile strength observed.
Bottom Layer
100
80
60
40
20
0
0 360 720 1080 1440
Time in hours
Fig. 2(c) 1600C /1.0 pu
3.2 Scanning Electron Microscopy Study
Scanning Electron Microscopy studies (SEM) were
conducted on the fresh and aged paper for the different three
stress conditions. The fig. 3 shows the SEM photograph of
fresh paper sample. SEM photographs of fresh paper indicated
closed packed cellulose fibers with dense interwoven network
with no deformation [6]. The micrographs of the different
layers of paper under three different test conditions are shown
in fig. 4-6. It is evident that maximum degradation of paper
occurred at the outer most layer for all the three test
conditions. Secondly at 1600C /1.0 pu stress, the cellulose
fibers have been broken at different places and dense packing
of fiber has deformed and got punctured at various locations.

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 Fig. 3 Virgin paper Fig. 5 (b)1400C /1.5 pu Top Layer

Fig. 4(a) 1200C /2.5 pu Bottom Layer Fig.6(a) 1600C /1.0 pu Bottom Layer

Fig. 4(b) 1200C /2.5 pu Top Layer Fig.6(b) 1600C /1.0 pu Top Layer

IV. CONCLUSIONS

1. Top most layer of transformer paper undergoes more

deterioration than the adjacent inner layer during ageing
in oil as demonstrated by higher loss of tensile strength in
all the cases.
2. Reduction in tensile strength is more dominant at 160/1.0
pu. Therefore, thermal stress has greater impact than
electrical stress.

3. Scanning Electron Microscopy shows the extent of

0 degradation of paper. The micrograph shows that top
Fig. 5(a) 140 C /1.5 pu Bottom Layer

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 most layer is highly affected for the maximum loss of
tensile strength.

V. REFERENCES

[1] T.K. Saha, M. Darveniza, D.J.T. Hill and T.T. Le,

Investigations into effective methods for assessing the
condition of insulation in aged power transformer, IEEE
Transcations on Power Delivery vol. 12, pp. 1555, 1997.

[2] M. Wang, A. J. Vandermaar and K.D. Srivastava, Review

of Condition Assessment of Power Transformers in Service,
IEEE Electrical insulation magazine, vol.18,pp.12, 2002.

[3] M. Rigdahl, B. Westerlind and H. Hollmark, Analysis of

cellulose networks by the finite element method, J. Mater. Sci.
vol. 19, pp. 3945, 1984.

[4] M. Emsley, The kinetics and mechanisms of degradation

of cellulosic insulation in power transformers, Polymer
Degradation and Stability Polymer Degradation and Stability,
vol. 44, pp.343, 1994.

[5] M. Emsley, R. J. Heywood, M.Ali and X. Xiao,

Degradation of cellulosic insulation in power transformers.
Part3: Effects of ageing on the tensile strength of paper, IEE
Proc. Sci. Meas. Technol, vol.3, pp 115, 2000.

[6] TSR Murthy, Assessment of transformer insulation

condition by evalution of paper-oil system, IEEE conference
on Electrical Insulation and dielectrics phenomena, pp.332,
1996.

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