Life Cycle Management of Natural Esters & Transformers

according to IEC Standards:

Case History of *Envirotemp FR3 Fluid & **TransfoClean
TM TM ®

Bio Solutions in Brasil.

Tumiatti Vander (Sea Marconi - IT); Rapp Kevin (Cargill - US); Kapila Shubhen (Missouri University - US); Pompili Massimo (La Sapienza University - IT)

ABSTRACT

IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission—www.iec.ch) is the world’s largest organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for electrical, electronic and related technologies. The IEC TC10 is mainly
concerned with the preparation of product specifications, test methods as well as maintenance and use guides for liquid and gaseous dielectrics. Among these Standards, the IEC 62770 Ed. 1.0 “Unused natural esters for
transformers and similar electrical equipment” was published in November 2013. The new standard IEC 62770 was drafted and prepared over six years work with the participation of a very large number of international experts
and scientists from several participating national committees led by Prof. Shubhen Kapila of the University of Missouri - Rolla (USA).Today, the IEC 62770 has a Stability Date fixed at 2019 and, it means, that this Standard
should enter in revision, with the need to incorporate all relevant aspects that emerged during the Life Cycle Management of the natural ester filled in significant population of power transformers and electrical equipment.

Another important and relevant project—IEC TC 10 (PT62975) is in progress. This project is concerned with the preparation of an additional international Standard on “Use and maintenance guidelines of natural ester insulating
liquids in electrical equipment”. The PT62775 Group is actively working with the collaboration of about forty international experts and, until today, had four technical meetings in different places around the world. In this context,
the “Case History of EnvirotempTM FR3TM Fluid & TransfoClean® in Brasil”, launched by Experts of IEC TC 10, having greatest experience in natural esters application, represents a very attractive platform to implement
effective strategies for loss prevention & environmental protection.

The above-mentioned project will allow developing and validating a “Case History”, in at least three years of operation, with the Best Available Techniques (BAT) and Best Environmental Practices (BEP) according to IEC & ISO
guidelines for “Asset & Risk Management” of fleet of transformers insulated with natural esters (NE). Diagnostic campaigns on transformers families was implemented and reported :

A. Visual inspections (Signs) and sampling of the Natural Esters for each transformer;
B. Deep Multi Detection (DMD) on Natural Esters properties (as a carrier), for targeted analyses (Markers & Symptoms) of possible functional criticalities (Pathologies), during their Life Cycle;
C. Modelling an validation of “Diagnostic & Prognostic and Treatments of Criticalities” (classification of type, priorities and index) for Guidance and Quality Control for Smart Life Cycle Management of natural esters in
accordance to IEC/ISO & ASTM Standards.

With a total of 510 MVA rated power, 13 transformers (from three different manufacturers) are installed
Scenario

in the Substations of LIGHT SERVIÇOS DE ELETRICIDADE S.A. (Rio De Janeiro, Brasil).

They were manufactured in the years 2014 and 2015 and filled with EnvirotempTM FR3TM Fluid since
the beginning, with the exception of one of them (dated 1990) that was retrofilled with the same natural
ester in February 2017 (initially filled with mineral oil).
This project uses Natural Esters insulating liquids as a carrier to detect “Criticalities” within the
transformers as if it were “Blood”, checking for the “Tech-Pathologies” most common to the age of the
transformers, and delivering the solution - the “Therapy” - through the “Blood Dialysis” itself.
The diagnostic metric is based on: I. Anamnesis-Family; II. Anamnesis-Subjective; III. Signs (Visual
evidence and/or onsite tests); IV. Symptoms-analysis (markers to be analyzed); V. Trends; VI. Outlook;
VII. Certainty Factors; VIII. Case histories; IX. Criticalities - functional and environmental with priorities
and index; X. Actions – prevention and/or mitigation with priorities and index) to automatically deliver
the diagnosis.

After agreement on the Project roadmap, the following steps

Approach

were performed:
Provide sampling kits for samples taking
Delivery to Analytical Laboratory (Sea Marconi—Italy)
Sampling Kits (IEC 60457)
Creation of transformers’ fleet database
Inspection
Analysis of main symptoms (according with IEC
&
Guides/Standards) & Test Reports Sampling
from Inspection Report Test Report Trend Report Diagnostic Report
Diagnostic and Life Assessment recommendations (signs) (symptoms) (anamnesys) (assessment)
transformer

Samples received and analysed: 28

Outcomes

mg/kg kV/2.5mm

(POOR over 400) RETROFILLED

Units submitted to survey: 13 FAIR POOR UNIT

GOOD
Values of main parameters related to liquid’s
FAIR RETROFILLED
degradation and contamination are compared UNIT
GOOD
RETROFILLED FAIR
with thresholds provisionally indicated in the UNIT
POOR
draft of NE maintenance guide (IEC PT GOOD
62975).

Values of Flash Point (PMCC) and Fire Point °C °C °C

are very important to assess the Fire Risk. RETROFILLED FIRE POINTS
RETROFILLED UNIT
The distribution of these values after 3 years UNIT
of operation indicates that the retrofilled unit
suffered the strongest reduction of Fire Point, RETROFILLED
UNIT
but still largely remaining within the expected
limits indicated by draft of NE maintenance GOOD
POOR
guide (IEC PT 62975). FLASH POINTS

DGA survey did not show any symptom of ml/l Hydrogen ml/l Hydrogen
CO CO
faults. Methane Methane
Ethane Ethane
However, it is interesting to note that, over the Ethylene Ethylene
surveillance period, ethane was usually the Unit natively Unit natively
hydrocarbon gas formed in major quantity, impregnated impregnated
with with Mineral
compared to others (e.g. hydrogen and Envirotemp Oil, then
methane). This behaviour is commonly FR3 retrofilled with
Envirotemp
observed in Natural Esters, and should not be FR3
confused with a T1 thermal fault.

Conclusions Insulating liquid of the natural ester type (EnvirotempTM FR3TM Fluid) was successfully used for native impregnation, as well as for retrofilling of power
transformers in the Substations of LIGHT SERVIÇOS DE ELETRICIDADE S.A. (Rio De Janeiro, Brasil) The surveillance protocol applied gave, until
now, good indications concerning the preservation of the properties during the service, showing negligible deterioration and no symptoms of faults.
The survey for Life Cycle Management of Natural Esters & Transformers is continuing, with the aim of providing equipment owners with a reliable tool
for making decisions oriented to Loss Prevention and Environmental Protection.

*EnvirotempTM FR3TM Fluid are Cargill registered trademarks

**TransfoClean® is a Sea Marconi registered trademark

IEEE ICDL 2019 – June 23– 27, Roma, Italy