Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Stan Lindgren
and
Jeff Golarz
Serveron Corporation
1.0 SUMMARY
Thermal faults involving paper are generally considered more serious than those in
insulating oil alone. A common perception is that such problems can be diagnosed
through periodic measurement of dissolved CO & CO2 however experiences with
multiple-gas on-line DGA increasingly show this to be problematic, for several reasons.
An overriding one is the little-known fact that CO2 and CO are both absorbed by the
paper insulation during decreasing temperature (ppm-in-oil decreases) and return to the
oil (ppm-in-oil increases) during increasing temperature. This causes highly-variable and
mystifying results in periodic DGA and correct interpretation is nearly impossible. This
typically-slow behavior is very apparent with on-line DGA and dramatic examples are
presented in the paper, consistent with published results for laboratory experiments in
Japan. Additional aspects of CO & CO2 dynamic behavior are presented along with their
diagnostic implications. Aging of paper produces CO2 and CO, particularly in heavily-
loaded transformers (e.g. GSU) however highly-soluble CO2 accumulates over the years
whereas low-solubility CO tends to escape. CO2/CO ratio is highly dependent upon how
tightly the transformer is sealed. Source of CO for a serious localized problem (e.g.
defective connection, over-insulated and/or inadequately-cooled joint) is typically limited
in size. Once the insulation involved burns generation of CO is greatly reduced (while
copious quantities of CH4 & C2H4 are generated from unlimited surrounding oil). Also,
CO gets diluted throughout the total oil volume so the ppm-increase tends to be small,
and possibly temporary since CO tends to escape unless transformer is very-tightly
sealed.
2
3.4 Example Transformer A - Old 465 MVA 22/500 kV single-phase GSU transformer
(shell-form, nitrogen-blanketed) - Dramatic variation of CO & CO2 ppm-in-oil with
temperature.
Figure 1 Note variation in CO2 ppm (turquoise, linear-scale) with load & ambient
temperature (both green, sensor-value) for 12 months after shutdown in winter
(refueling). Oil temperature (blue) is measured at the gas analyzer therefore lower than
inside the transformer.
Figure 2 Same transformer before & after shutdown (next refueling) plus degassing of
the oil [1]. Note CO2/CO (summer) = 5000/30 ppm before & 4630/23 ppm after (log
scale). Very little CO2 was removed by degassing the oil. It was retained within the
pressboard and impregnating-oil, returning to the oil once the transformer reached
summer temperatures. (Estimated oil/paper-pressboard ratio = 1.9 [2]). The CO2/CO ratio
>100 is probably due to CO escaping over the years through the nitrogen-blanket.
Meanwhile, CO2 accumulated.
3
3.6 Comparison with published experimental results in Japan [3]
Figure 3 Transformer As peak CO2 values, August 2004 & August 2005 (5000 ppm @
estimated 80 C oil temperature) and lowest CO2 value, after refueling shutdown 2/22/04
(450 ppm @ 0 C ambient/oil temperature) shows a similar slope when plotted on Kan &
Miyamoto Fig 4 (per experimental results with oil/paper-pressboard ratio = 3) [3].
1000.00 180.00
160.00
140.00
100.00
120.00
Figure 4 CO2, CO, CH4 & C2H6 gases during 6-month period after unit back in service at
full load following refurbishment & oil processing.
The on-line gas analyzer was added during refurbishment however lab results before
shutdown were: CO2/CO 6900/647 ppm = 10.7 [4]. Six months (full load) after
4
reprocessing CO2/CO 710/64 ppm = 11.1. Apparently, high levels of CO2 and CO had
been produced due to insulation aging over the years in this GSU transformer however
the sealed conservator was very effective in preventing escape of CO. Also, absorption of
CO2 and CO by the insulation in this transformer (core-form) during summer shutdown
was much less than in Transformer A (shell-form).
5.0 CONCLUSI0NS
2. CO2/CO ratios due to normal cellulose aging are highly dependent upon how
tightly sealed the transformer varying from 10 to >100 (and, though not included
here, some new transformers show ratios 3.0 & lower from initial installation for
unknown reasons.) With a high quantity of CO2, seeing a significant change in
CO2/CO ratio is close to impossible. However, incremental CO2/CO may be
helpful in identifying early paper degradation (provided potential temperature
effects are considered) as suggested in a 2004 Cigre paper. [5]
REFERENCES
[1] S. Lindgren, PJ de Klerk, Avoiding Failures Through On-Line DGA Lessons
Learned New Ballgame Phase II, PS2-18, Cigre SC A2 & D1 Colloquium,
October 7-12, 2007, Brugge, Belgium.
[2] Private conversation, M. Franchek, Weidmann Electrtical Technology Inc., St.
Johnsbury, Vermont.
[3] Hisao Kan, Teruo Miyamoto, Proposals for an Improvement in Transformer
Diagnosis Using Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA), IEEE Electrical Insulation
Magazine, November/December 1995 Vol. 11 No. 6.
[4] L. Heath, GSU Transformer Upgrades, Proceedings of the 2005 International
Conference of Doble Clients, Boston, MA.
[5] S. R. Lindgren, Transformer Condition Assessment Experiences Using Automated
On-Line Dissolved gas Analysis, paper A2-202, Cigre 2004 Session, 29th August
3rd September, 2004, Paris, France.