F E A T U R E A R T I C L E

Unusual Cases of Gassing in

Transformers in Service
Key Words: Stray gassing, transformer oils, hydrogen, ethane, methane, catalytic
phenomena

Introduction
S tray gassing, according to the definition of CIGRE TF
15/12.01.11 [1] is a phenomenon that occurs when some
types of insulating oils are heated at relatively low temperatures
(100 to 120°C), producing hydrogen or hydrocarbons. This gas
formation seems to reach a plateau after some time and then
stops. If the oil is degassed after reaching the plateau, stray gas-
sing is no longer observed. This behavior has not been con-
firmed for every type of stray gassing oil, however. Under certain
conditions stray gassing may interfere with DGA evaluation.
CIGRE TF 15/12.01.11 has developed two procedures for stray
gassing of a pure oil system.
· At 120°C. It has been found that the main gas produced, in
general, is hydrogen, followed by methane.
· At 200°C. It has been found that the main gases formed are
methane and ethane.
The reaction mechanisms in both cases seem to be quite dif-
ferent and have not yet been fully identified.
Until now, stray gassing has been investigated on test objects
only with oil, without reference to real service cases. In this ar-
ticle, some unusual cases of gassing in transformers in service
without an actual fault are described.
Unusual Cases of Gassing in Transformers
in Service
It has been suggested that the low level of gas formation dur-
ing a transformer’s initial operating period is oil dependent [2].
This has become apparent because of the increased use of online
monitoring, and it has probably always occurred. There are defi-
nite indications that oil temperature influences the production
of hydrogen. This also may be due to a catalytically triggered
reaction between, for example, grain-oriented steel or other trans-
former materials with transformer oil [3].
The evaluation of transformers in service with abnormal fault
gases, but without a transformer failure, reveals the following
situation.
I. Höhlein
Siemens AG, PTD T , Transformer Factory,
Katzwangerstrasse 150, 90461 Nuremberg, Germany
Hydrogen production as a result of
stray gassing may be due to strongly
hydro-treated oils and is strongly
influenced by transformer materials,
e.g., grain-oriented steel, zinc-plated
steel, and varnishes.
A. Development of Hydrogen, Dependent on Top Oil
Temperature
This effect may be due to the manufacturing of highly refined
oils through hydro-treatment, but also to catalytic reactions of
the oil with metallic surfaces (Cases 1 through 3).
Case 1. 300 MVA, 420 kV – ST [4]. Fault symptom: increas-
ing hydrogen content; detected by: online hydrogen sensor; his-
tory: a 400-kV/300-MVA grid-coupling transformer was put
into operation after repair with a new active part and the installa-
tion of an on-line monitoring system. After commissioning, the
content of hydrogen detected by the on-line monitoring system
increased continuously (Figure 1). An increase in oil tempera-
ture by special control of the cooling unit revealed that the con-
centration of hydrogen is only dependent on the oil temperature.
The oil is an uninhibited oil generally considered as “moder-
ately” stray gassing. This confirms the idea that gassing with the

24 IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine

 Table 2. DGA of the OIP 420-kV bushing.

Type of gas ppm (vol/vol)

Hydrogen 246
Methane 6
Ethane 2
Ethylene <1
Acetylene <1
Propane <1

Figure 1. Hydrogen content dependent on top oil temperature Propylene <1

(Toil). Carbon monoxide 516

development, predominantly of hydrogen, is material (catalytic)

dependent and obviously not a new problem.
Case 2. 400 kVA, 12 kV – Distribution Transformer with a
Zinc-Plated Tank, Manufactured in 1997, Hermetically Sealed.
Fault symptom: excessive hydrogen content in the oil; detected
by: DGA; history: DGA (Table 1) indicates significant amounts
of hydrogen that do not change significantly. The transformer
does not have any actual failure. Hydrogen may be produced as indicates significant amounts of hydrogen, which may indicate
a result of a chemical reaction of metallic zinc with oil and the partial discharges. In fact, hydrogen is produced by the catalytic
small amounts of water contained in it. In other cases, varnishes reactions of oil with the steel surface of the bellow. Additional
may lead to some further fault gases in addition to hydrogen, DGA did not show any change in the amount of hydrogen. Diag-
e.g., methane. Such “artifacts” may simulate or overlap partial nosis: Catalytic reaction of oil with a steel surface. Action taken:
discharges. Diagnosis: Catalytic reaction of the oil with zinc Regular (yearly) measurement of DGA.
surfaces—no transformer fault. Actions taken: Oil degassing. Case 4. Laboratory Experiments. Experiments were performed
The hydrogen level stabilized and showed no further increase. with air-saturated Shell D (Fig. 2) and Nynas 10BN (Fig. 3) in
Case 3. 420-kV Bushing with a Nitrogen-Filled Steel Bellow, headspace vials at 95°C (4 cm2 grain-oriented steel in 15 mL of
Manufactured in 2001. Fault symptom: excessive hydrogen oil) with and without the presence of grain-oriented steel. The
content in the oil; detected by: DGA; history: DGA (Table 2) experiments show that, in the absence of grain-oriented steel, the
amount of hydrogen reaches a plateau after a certain time in both
oils. In the presence of materials such as grain-oriented steel, the
development of hydrogen is higher in both oils. Similar data
have been reported by [1], [5], [6]. In all cases, the amounts of
Table 1. A Typical DGA pattern caused by catalytic effects
gases generated are below the bubble-formation limit, because
of zinc surfaces and oil. the saturation level is not reached. This phenomenon is harmless
for the transformer, but may, in certain cases, interfere with the
Type of gas ppm (vol/vol)
evaluation of DGA.
Hydrogen 488
Methane 1
Ethane <1
Ethylene <1
Acetylene <1
Propane <1
Propylene <1
Carbon monoxide 67
Carbon dioxide 222
Oxygen 5180
Nitrogen 23,700
Figure 2. Hydrogen development in Shell D at 95°C.

January/February 2006 — Vol. 22, No. 1 25

 Figure 3. Hydrogen development in Nynas 10BN at 95°C.
B. Development of Saturated Hydrocarbons in
Transformers Without Fault
Typical for these cases is the production of ethane, propane,
and methane in high amounts. The ratio of ethane to ethylene
and especially propane to propylene may be higher than 10.
Ethane, propane, and methane increase steadily in the first years
after commissioning, while the amounts of hydrogen and ethyl-
ene stay constant and very low. From 30 typical examples (dif-
ferent manufacturers, different oils) 15 were >40 yr old; the rest
were between 5 and 15 yr old.
In any case, there is a relative quick increase in saturated
hydrocarbons at the beginning, eventually reaching a plateau.
(The gas increase rates for ethane and methane are 1.5 to 3 ppm/
d compared with gas increase rates of ethylene of nearly zero.)
The gas increase rates slow down to near zero later.
Such behavior has been observed in new transformers as well
as in old ones. The interpretation of DGA usually indicates a hot
spot below 150°C. Actually, the transformers are failure-free. DGA
of spare transformers that had never been in service is additional
evidence of such a behavior [7].
All of these phenomena (possibly on a catalytic base) con-
sume oxygen; therefore, the oxygen content is lower than ex-
Figure 4. Case 5. 270 MVA–ST; commissioning year: 2002.
Development of fault gases in the first years after
commissioning in a transformer with stray gassing without a
transformer fault. Dates in figure are presented in day, month,
year format.
26
Figure 5. Case 6. 4 MVA–ST; manufacturing year: 1998.
Development of fault gases in the first years after
commissioning. After oil was changed to an inhibited one, no
further increase in fault gases were observed. Dates in figure
are presented in day, month, year format.
pected in these transformers, although they are free breathing.
We have observed this kind of stray gassing only with non-in-
hibited oils, and it is possibly related to the oxidation processes.
This explains also why the stray gassing can seldom be seen
during the factory tests and only later in service. Catalytic influ-
ences of transformer materials may be important, because it is
known that metal surfaces accelerate the peroxide formation.
An increase of the loss factor is also sometimes observed. An
oil change to an inhibited oil removes the source of stray gas-
sing. It has also been observed that oil from the same batch in a
different transformer acts as a stray gassing oil [8].
Typical examples for DGA patterns are represented in Cases 5
through 8 (Figures 4 to 7) . Action taken: Degassing. After de-
gassing, there was an increase of ethane and methane up to a
plateau, with values lower than the previous ones as represented
in Figure 6.
Figure 6. Case 7. 25 MVA–ST; manufacturing year: 1989.
Development of fault gases from stray gassing. Dates in figure
are presented in day, month, year format.
IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine

Figure 7. Case 8. 2.4 MVA–ST; manufacturing year: 1995.
Behavior of a stray gassing oil with fault gases reaching a
steady and constant plateau. Dates in figure are presented in
day, month, year format.
Conclusions
Hydrogen production caused by stray gassing may be due to
strongly hydro-treated oils, but is also very strongly influenced
by transformer materials, e.g., grain-oriented steel, zinc-plated
steel, and varnishes. The production of hydrogen is temperature
dependent.
Stray gassing with overproduction of saturated hydrocarbons
(e.g., ratio of ethane to ethylene ≥10) with no production of
hydrogen and no increased rates of hydrogen, ethylene, and other
fault gases has probably always existed and is possibly related to
oxidation. The overproportional development of methane and
especially ethane (propane) proceeds in the first years of service
and reaches a plateau after considerable consumption of oxy-
gen. Possibly, this process is also catalytically triggered by trans-
former materials. It concerns different transformer types, differ-
ent oils (all non-inhibited), and different manufacturers.
Catalytic phenomena and stray gassing can be distinguished
from a transformer fault through regular checks not only of the
absolute DGA values, but also the rates of gas increases.
January/February 2006 — Vol. 22, No. 1
References
[1] M. Duval, “Recent developments in DGA interpretation,” CIGRE
TF 15/12-01-11.
[2] K. Sundkvist, “Oil dependent gas formation in transformer oil,”
Naphtenics, vol. 1, p. 10, 2002.
[3] Mineral Oil-Impregnated Electrical Equipment in Service—Guide
to the Interpretation of Dissolved and Free Gases Analysis, IEC
60599, 2nd ed., 1999.
[4] I. Hoehlein, A. J. Kachler, M. Stach, S. Tenbohlen, and T. Leibfried,
“Transformer life management, German experience with condition
assessment,” presented at CIGRE SC12/A2, Merida Colloquium,
Jun. 2–4, 2003.
[5] V. Sokolov, A. Bassetto, T. V. Oommen, T. Haupert, and D. Hanson,
“Transformer fluid: A powerful tool for the life management of an
ageing transformer population,” presented at the EuroTechCon, 2001.
[6] R. Girgis, and E. teNyenhuis, “H2 generation in mildly overheated
transformer cores,” IEEE Transformer Committee, Oct. 20–24, 2002,
Oklahoma.
[7] H. –J. Knab, P. Boss, E. Ecknauer, and R. Gysi, “Diagnostic tools
for transformer in service,” presented at the CIGRE Symposium,
Berlin, 1993.
[8] P. Griffin, L. Lewand, R. Heywood, and J. Lapworth, “Gassing
characteristics of transformer oils at modest temperatures. Part 1:
Transformer experiences,” presented at the Doble Conference 2004,
Boston, MA.
Ivanka Höhlein obtained her Ph.D. in
chemistry from the University of Sofia in
1985. She is currently the Head of Mate-
rial Testing Laboratory Siemens, PTD T,
Nuremberg. Her main topics of interest are
the aging of solid and liquid insulation in
transformers, gas-in-oil analysis, and ma-
terial testing. She is a member of CIGRE
and a member of CIGRE WG “Aging of pa-
per.”
27