Ageing on electrical equipment

Table of content

Motors & Switches &

Generators Circuit
breakers
Electrical
Cables UPS
equipment

Transformers Fuses

2 Ageing a practical guide

 1. Generator en Motors 1/4

Winding failure is the dominant failure

• between wires in a single coil
(turn to turn)
• between coils in a single phase
(coil to coil)
• between coils in different phases
(phase to
phase)
• combination of problems

3 Ageing a practical guide

 1. Generator en Motors 2/4

3 stages of winding failure

1. Change of resistive and capacitive values
of the insulation at fault point.
High temp. carbonization of insulation.
2. Current increase in shorting turns.
Motor may start tripping at this point.
3. Explosive rupture in insulation system
and vaporization of windings.

4 Ageing a practical guide

 1. Generator en Motors 3/4

Main ageing mechanisms

• Contamination (water penetration)

• Arc tracking
• Thermal ageing generally 20y (10°C rule)
• Partial discharge by VFD
• Mechanical stresses

5 Ageing a practical guide

 1. Generator en Motors 4/4

Winding conditioning monitoring

• Motor Circuit Analysis (MCA): low voltage

measurements of resistance, impedance,
inductance, phase angle, current/frequency
response and insulation to ground testing.
Comparing similar windings to eliminate
environmental conditions.
• Partial PDs: (high voltage motors +3.3 kV)
Small electrical sparks that indicate motor en
generator deterioration

6 Ageing a practical guide

 Transformers

7 STS General Presentation - November 2010

 2. Transformers

• Degradation of paper insulation of

windings is dominant ageing mechanism.
• Temperature is main reason of insulation
brake down (10°C rule from design
temp.)
• Oil analysis is ideal for conditioning
monitoring.
• EoL expectation between 30 and 50 years.

8 Ageing a practical guide

 Cables

9 STS General Presentation - November 2010

 3. Cables

• EoL 20y for low voltage cables at design

temp. up to 50y at lower temperatures.
• EoL 45y for medium voltage (10°C rule)
• Destructive and non-destructive testing is
possible.
• Rerouting of old cables can seriously limit
further life expectancy.

10 Ageing a practical guide

 Fuses

11 STS General Presentation - November 2010

 4. Fuses

• Transient current will not operate (blow)

fuse but there may be a loss of fuse

material through vaporization.
• The only effective management technique

is preventive replacement
• Life expectancy well beyond 30 years to
be
expected

12 Ageing a practical guide

 Switches and High Voltage Relais

13 STS General Presentation - November 2010

 5. Switches and high voltage relais

• EoL number of cycles (10.000 to 250.000)

and 40 to 50 years.
• Switches are normally used infrequently
and do not reach limiting number of
cycles.

14 Ageing a practical guide

 UPS

15 STS General Presentation - November 2010

 6. UPS

• The limiting factor is normally the battery

• Battery’s are supplied with different life
expectancy (3-5y, 5-8y, 7-10y)
• The loading and environmental
circumstances has a big influence on
battery life (mainly temperature)

16 Ageing a practical guide