DIELECTRIC FREQUENCY RESPONSE

FREQUENCY DOMAIN SPECTROSCOPY

Transformer Insulation Diagnostics

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Dielectric Frequency Response

DFR Basic Explanation

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Electrical Insulation’s Function
 Isolates live electrical components from ground and other
conductors
 Insulation electrical model = parallel plate capacitor with
dielectric material in between

Conductor
Insulation parameters:
Z=R+jX
•Capacitive charging current
•Resistive watts lost current (heat)

Conductor or Ground

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What does DFR measure?
Focusing on insulation CAPACITANCE to detect degradation changes

Capacitance = ability for a body to hold a

charge
+ + + + + + + + +

V
+ + + +
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Permittivity is material's ability to transmit (or

"permit") an electric field through polarization of
dipoles in the material.
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Capacitance parameters – Permittivity

+ + + + +
Q = C0 ⋅ V
A
V ε 0 = permittivity of air = ⋅ ε 0 ⋅V
d
LEGEND
_ Q = Charge
C = Capacitance
V = Voltage
A = Area of plate
d = distance between plates
+ + + + + + + + ε = permittivity of dielectric
+
Q = ε r ⋅ C0 ⋅ V =

V ε r = relative permittivity of dielectric material εr ⋅

A
⋅ ε 0 ⋅V
d
+ + + +
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Permittivity - Generically

 Permittivity - physical quantity describes how an electric

field is affected by a dielectric medium
 It relates to a material's ability to transmit (or "permit") an
electric field through polarization of dipoles in the
material.
 Changes in permittivity can be measured.

Different dielectric materials have

different permittivities!
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 Unique Material Permittivities - Transformers
 Changes in dielectric material changes the capacitance.
 Compare measured values to known insulation dielectric responses.

“bad” insulation combination of oil &

“good” insulation of transformer cellulose “good” insulation of transformer oil cellulose with contaminant

Q = ε cellulose ⋅ C ⋅ V Q = ε oil ⋅ C ⋅ V Q = ε combined ⋅ ε contaminent ⋅ C ⋅ V

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

V Paper/Cellulo V Oil Oil &

+ + + + + + + + Cellulose
_ _ _se_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Contamina
nt
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 How does this apply to Power Transformers?

 Insulation between the HV and LV winding modeled as a complex

capacitance with the following dielectric materials

• Cellulose
– Barriers
LV
– Spacers

εr
• Oil

HV

 This is better known as the CHL measurement in P.F. testing

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Transformer Cellulose Insulation
 Cellulose inside transformer
• Kraft paper
• Pressboard
• Winding paper
• Sticks
• Spacers
• Etc
 Different
• Densities
• Shapes
• Sizes
 VOLUME of cellulose & oil

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 Transformer

High voltage winding – One electrode

Low voltage winding – Other electrode

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Transformer Geometry – Top View

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Transformer Geometry – Top View

Core

Barriers & Spacers

Winding to winding wrap

L
BarriersV
& Spacers

Winding to winding wrap

H
V

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Transformer Geometry – Software Modeling

Winding to winding wrap

included in barriers and
spacers approximation

HV
winding
CHL

LV
winding
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 Transformer model
+ + + + + + + +

Side View =
+ + + +
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Top View

Cellulose: Blue color

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Oil: Red color

Transformer model

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Measurement Principle

Insulation impedance

Z = R – j/(wC) Z=

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Capacitance and Dissipation Factor (Tanδ)

= Z (Impedance)

δ jω = C (Capacitance)
= Tanδ (Loss tangent)

= Power Factor (cosϕ or λ)

ϕ

Note: If cosϕ and Tanδ small then cosϕ =Tanδ

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Yellow
Generate What is the DFR measuring?

Groun Red
d Measure /
Sense
Conductor A Iloss 3 Insulation
+ 3
Insulation 1 Iloss 1 Vapplied
-
Conductor B Iloss 2 Insulation
2

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 Frequency Domain Spectroscopy

 Measurements of insulation capacitance and losses as a

function of frequency

Hi

U (ω )
V

Z (ω ) =
1
Lo =
A I (ω ) jωC
Ground CHL

C, tan δ , PF
CL CH Z (ω ) ⇒
(ε ′ and ε ′′)

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DFR data acquisition

 DFR measurement setup is the same as that applied for

capacitance and power factor measurement . The
difference is the wide frequency spectrum (1kHz – 1mHz)
and the low voltage applied (normally 140 Vrms).
Hi

Lo
A

Ground CHL

CL CH

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End Result of Measurement = Graph

Each point is a
Power Factor
value!
Power factor

CHL

Frequency

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 Dielectric Frequency Response Measurement
P.F. @ 0.001 Hz

100 %
Each point corresponds to
a measured Power Factor
value at constant
Temperature and known
Power Factor

10 % frequency value!
CHL

1%
P.F. @ 60 Hz
P.F. @ 1000 Hz

0.1 %

0 0.001 Hz 60 Hz 1000 Hz
Frequency

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 Power Factor Changes with Frequency

32% at 0.02 Hz
(0.32)

0.31% at Frequency
Power 60 Hz axis
factor
axis
(0.0031)

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What is DFR?

 Diagnostic technique for estimating moisture

content in power transformer cellulose insulation

• Measurement = Applied voltage over a range of

frequencies and measure power factor of insulation

• Analysis = Modeling software match measured curve to

reference curve of known moisture content, yielding
moisture content of measured curve

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 What is DFR?
 Dielectric Frequency Response (DFR)
• When exciting a transformer insulation sample with an applied
Voltage, reactions of the electric dipole moments of the sample
are measured as a loss Current.
• Certain elemental materials will behave a particular way when a
Voltage is applied at various Frequencies.
• This method is used for identifying particular components in
materials.

• Frequency domain measurements

–Voltage V(f)
–Current I(f)
–Impedance Z(f)

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DFR World Standards
 Europe
 Cigre Task Force D1.01.14 (2004)
 Dielectric Response Diagnoses for Transformer Windings
 Cigre SC D1 TF D1.01.09 - Paper 254 REDIATOOL (2006)
 Dielectric Response Methods for Diagnostics of Power Transformers
 Cigre WG A2.30 - Paper 349 (2008)
 Moisture Equilibrium and Moisture Migration
 Cigre SC D1 WG D1.01 - Paper 414 (2010)
 Dielectric Response Diagnoses for Transformer Windings
 Americas
 IEEE PC57.161 draft 3.2 (2018)
 Draft Guide for Dielectric Frequency Response Test.

http://www.cigre.org/userfiles/Publications/CATALOGUE%20of%20PUBLICATIONS%2008%20April%202010_2.pdf

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Why DFR?
 PRIMARY: Moisture estimation of paper insulation (cellulose)
• Result presented as
– Moisture in solid paper as % of total paper weight (W/W)
and oil conductivity

 SECONDARY: Added benefit

Indentify contaminants or Abnormal Influences:
• Carbon Tracking
• Semi-Conductive sludge deposited in ducts between windings
• Aging paper as it breaks down
• Incorrect shield connections
• Data collection of each of these cases is critical!

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 DFR – When to Test?

 Factory & Field Dry outs

• Before, during & after transformer processing
– Manufacturing facility Oven
– On site at substation, Oil Processing
– (Test with or without oil)
 Commission Test
• To ensure dry condition before energizing
 Incident
• After Faults
 Standard Maintenance Trending
• Trend insulation condition

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DFR Application Areas

 Power transformers
 Instrument transformers
 Bushings
 Motors and generators
 Cables
 Generic testing of insulation systems

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Dielectric Frequency Response
- Single PF value is not enough to make the right decision
- Dielectric Frequency Response tells the story!
Dry transformer with old oil
(high conductivity)

Same PF value at
Wet transformer with good 60Hz
oil

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Traditional Power Factor Testing
Power
factor

Frequency
1 mHz 60 Hz 1kHz

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Dielectric Frequency Response

Power
factor

Frequency
1 mHz 60 Hz 1kHz
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Application Areas

 Transformer diagnostics
– Power transformer insulation
– Bushings
– Instrument transformers
 Cable diagnostics
– Paper insulated (PILC) cables
 Other insulation systems
– For customers with own R&D

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DFR Purpose in Power Transformers

 Primary - distinguish between moist versus dry solid insulation

 Second - indentify contaminants within the liquid insulation
system
• DFR actually can distinguish between Oil & Cellulose when
taking measurements
• Oil responds differently than cellulose through various
frequencies and temperatures
 Ultimately, it leads to a condition assessment of the
electrical insulation inside a transformer!

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Dielectric Frequency Response
- Power Factor Changes with Frequency

Power factor 0.32 at 0.02 Hz

0.0031 at 60 Hz

Frequency

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What influences the curve?

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Typical curve OIL only response

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Oil Response
1000Hz-1mHz

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 Oil Response
1000Hz-1mHz
1.00E-11

1.00E-12

1.00E-13

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Typical CELLULOSE only response

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 Solid Paper
1000Hz-1mHz

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 Solid Paper
Response
3% 1000Hz-1mHz
2%
1%

0.5%

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 Transformer
Insulation
1000Hz-1mHz

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Characteristic Transformer PF Curve =
combination of OIL and CELLULOSE response

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 Oil

Transformer
Insulation

Solid
Kraft Paper 45
 Oil influence

Paper
influence 46
Typical curve Transformer response

Oil influence

Paper
influence

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What affects the response

- Moisture +

- Oil Conductivity
+

- Moisture +
- Temperature +

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What affects the PF at different frequencies?

Paper Influence Oil Influence Paper Influence

- Moisture +

- Oil Conductivity +

- Moisture +
- Temperature +

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Typical results for transfomers with various
moisture content

1.5% moisture

0.3% moisture
2.1% moisture

0.2% moisture

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DFR moisture estimation is model based

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DFR – Moisture estimation (1-2-3)

Right click

Measured
DFR
response

Select
Send to…MODS

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DFR – Moisture estimation (1-2-3)
Capacitor model
Oil

% Spacers

% Barriers

Measurement

Master
curve

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DFR – Moisture estimation (1-2-3)

2. Click
Auto match

1. Confirm
insulation
temperature

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DFR – Moisture estimation – Results

Geometry

Moisture

Oil conductivity

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Result

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Unusual DFR Responses
• High losses that increase with increased frequency
–Series resistance – bad connection/high
resistance in core grounding
• Unexpected high oil conductivity for one
configuration, e.g. CHL
–Conducting surfaces bridging the electrodes -
pollution, carbon tracking
• Negative losses on bushing measurements
(tanδ/power factor), usually around 1-0.1 Hz
–Surface (outside) or interface (inside) creep
currents
• Increased losses between 50-100Hz to ~ 0.1Hz
–Contamination, bad connection of shield.

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Factors affecting the curve distribution

 Good understanding of the factors that may

influence the measurements under field conditions
is of crucial importance for the diagnosis reliability.
• Constant and preferably not too low temperature is
advantageous for the interpretation quality – at higher
temperatures the time necessary for the measurements
can be shortened.
• It is recommended to make CHL measurements between
main transformer windings.
• In the case of CH and CL measurements, it is also
important to make sure that the transformer bushings are
dry and clean, and good grounding connection is in place.

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Summary & Conclusions DFR/FDS
 Dielectric Frequency Response (DFR) also known as
Frequency Domain Spectroscopy (FDS) is an advanced
application of the dissipation factor (tanδ) insulation test.
 DFR discriminates between the moisture concentration in the
solid insulation and the contamination of the liquid insulation.
 DFR has evolved, and, simultaneously, the instrumentation
utilized in the field has evolved parallel to overcome the field
challenges such as: testing time constraints and the effect of
AC and/or DC induced noise in the substations.
 DFR provides accurate temperature correction of the 60Hz
power factor value not based on reference tables but on the
unique dielectric response of the tested insulation system.

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