1st International Conference on Electrical Materials and Power Equipment - Xi'an - China

Vibration Distribution Characteristics on Oil-tank

Surface of a Single-Phase Transformer
Wu Xiaowen 1, Zhou Nianguang 1, Shi Yuhang 2,Ji Shengchang 2, Fan Zhang 2 ,Weifeng Lu 2, Hu Sheng 1
1. State Grid Hunan Electric Power Corporation Research Institution
Changsha, China
2. State Key Lab of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment
Xi’an Jiaotong University,
Xi’an, China

Abstract- Power transformer vibration and noise not only affect
the equipment life, but also seriously pollute the environment. The
noise is proportional to the surface vibration velocity of
transformer. The objective of this work is to measure vibration
velocity distributions on oil-tank surfaces of a power transformer
and to investigate relationship of vibrations between different
points. No-load test and load test were conducted on a single-phase
transformer respectively. The oil-tank surfaces were divided with
small grids and a portable digital vibrometer (PDV) was
conducted to measure the vibration velocity on every point. The
experimental results show that the velocity on a specific point is
steady and periodic. The frequencies of vibration mostly converge
from 100-500 Hz while the amplitude of vibration reach maximal
at 100 Hz. Velocities of different measure points on a surface are
quasi-synchronous and have same phases or reversed phases so
that the velocity distribution presents as a wave shape. The
positions with maximum vibration amplitude at different
frequencies are different. This can provide the guidance for the
application of vibration method in monitoring the condition of
transformer winding.
Although there are many studies on the vibration and noise of
the transformer, most of them are concentrated on single point
while no quantitative vibration velocity data of the entire
surface is measured [4,5]. Some research is only about vibration
amplitude of the whole surface without vibration phases
between different points.
The objective of this work is to measure vibration velocity
distribution on power oil-tank surfaces of a transformer and to
investigate relationship of vibrations between different points.
No-load test and load test were conducted on a single-phase
transformer respectively in laboratory. In the no-load test, rated
voltage (400V) was applied to the low-voltage side while the
high-voltage side was left in the open-circuited condition. In the
load test, rated current (8A) was applied to the high-voltage side
while the low-voltage side was left in the short-circuited
condition.
II. MEASUREMENT OF VIBRATION VELOCITY

Keywords- single-phase transformer, oil-tank, surface vibration, A. Experimental System

velocity distribution, frequency characteristics An experimental system was set up to investigate the
vibration velocity distribution on oil-tank surfaces. As shown
I. INTRODUCTION in Fig. 1, the tested transformer was a single phase transformer
(L-800mm ×D-450mm ×H-1000mm) with rated voltage of
Power transformer vibration and noise bring about the 400V/10kV, current of 8A/200A, frequency of 50Hz and
equipment life decrease, the environment pollution, human capacity of 80kVar. A portable digital vibrometer (PDV)
health impairment and substation area increase. This problem emitted a beam of helium neon laser at a certain circular point,
becomes increasingly significant with the growth of voltage and which has a diameter of 1mm, to measure the vibration velocity
capacity. It is difficult to measure the transformer noise in of the transformer surface. A beam of helium neon laser was
substation where the background noise is high and complex. emitted at the transformer surface. The high voltage probe was
However, the noise is related to vibration on oil-tank surfaces used to measure the voltage and the vibration and voltage signal
of a transformer. Under a certain circumstance, acoustic were recorded by oscilloscope.
radiated power of a transformer, which can describe severity of
the noise generated, is proportional to the surface vibration
velocity [1]. In addition, vibration velocity distribution can be
applied for noise simulation so that manpower, material and
financial resources could be saved. It also contains a wealth of
equipment running-status information which can be used for
condition monitoring or fault detection as well [2,3]. Therefore,
the vibration velocity distributions on oil-tank surfaces of
transformers should be measured and investigated.

978-1-5090-5736-8/17/$31.00 ©2017 IEEE

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 In no load test, vibration of oil-tank surfaces origin from core
vibration mainly caused by magnetostriction force. Waveforms
of voltage and vibration velocity on a specific measure point are
shown in Fig. 3. And both of the waveforms present as
sinusoidal steady signals.
600 0.6
Voltage
Velocity

400 0.4

200 0.2

Velocity(mm/s)
Voltage (V)
0 0.0
Fig. 1. Experimental setup of vibration velocity measurement system
-200 -0.2
B. Experimental Procedure
Firstly, oil-tank surfaces were divided with small grid -400 -0.4

(10cm*10cm), as shown in Fig. 2. Excluding margins, the grids

were evenly marked. The laser beam of PDV aimed at measure -600
-0.020 -0.015 -0.010 -0.005 0.000 0.005 0.010 0.015
-0.6
0.020
points where two lines intersect. Considering the symmetrical Timeδsε

structure of test transformer, only one front surface (Fig.2 (a))

and one side surface (Fig.2 (b)) were measured. The measure
points of the surfaces were noted by Sn, m. where n is the row
index number (increasing from left to right) and m is the column
index number (increasing from top to bottom). Set the bottom
left corner of every surface for the origin of coordinates.
Fig. 3.waveforms of voltage and vibration velocity on S4,4 of front surface
The magnetostriction force in the core is proportional to the
voltage squared and fundamental vibration frequency is twice
of power supply frequency (50Hz in China). During the whole
process, there are harmonic components in vibration due to
nonlinear factors and core looseness [5]. The frequency
spectrum of vibration velocity are shown in Fig. 4.
0.280

0.224
Amplitude (mm/s)

0.168

0.112

0.056

0.000
0 200 400 600 800 1000
Fig. 2.Measure points on transformer surfaces Frequency (Hz)

In the no-load test, rated voltage (400V) was applied to the

low-voltage side while the high-voltage side was left in the Fig. 4.frequency spectrum of vibration velocity
open-circuited condition. In the load test, rated current (8A) was S7,3
applied to the high-voltage side while the low-voltage side was 2 S7,4
S7,5
left in the short-circuited condition. Vibration velocities of
every measure point were recorded one by one. 1
Velocity (mm/s)

Theoretically, all the vibration velocities of the points on one

surface should be measured simultaneously. But limited by the 0

measurement device, only one point was measured at one time.

In order to obtain relationship of different points, vibration -1

signals and voltage signals on each point were recorded

-2
simultaneously so that the signals of all the points can be
calibrated by correcting the phase with voltage as a datum
-3
signal. -0.02 0.00 0.02
Time(s)

III. EXPERIMENT ANALYSIS

Fig. 5.waveforms of three velocities on different measure points of front
surface
A. No Load Test

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 Waveforms of three velocities on different measure points (S7,
3,S7, 4, S7, 5) on the front surface are shown in Fig. 5. It is
apparent that the velocities have different phases, which
indicates that the vibration on the surface is not synchronous
and when one point vibrate to a peak, other points may go to
opposite or same direction, but do not reach their peaks.
Velocity spatial distributions on the surfaces at 100Hz and its
harmonics are presented in Fig. 6. Instantaneous velocity
depends on two-dimensional position on the surface. Each
figure was acquired at a certain time. Some parts have positive
velocity while some have opposite direction and vibration
presents as a wave. The magnitude at 100Hz is much more
significant than that at 200Hz and 300Hz, however, they all
have high signal-noise ratio. There are more half-waves with
higher frequency and larger area.

(a) 100Hz

(b) 200Hz

(c) 300Hz
Fig. 6.Velocity spatial distributions at 100Hz and its harmonics of the front surface (left) and side surface (right) in no-load test

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B. Load Test
In load test, vibration of oil-tank surfaces mainly origin from
winding vibration which is due to electrodynamic forces caused
by the interaction of the current in a winding with leakage flux.
The forces are proportional to the current squared so that
fundamental frequency is twice of power supply frequency
while harmonic components in vibration are caused by the
nonlinearity associated with core material.
Velocity spatial distributions on the surfaces at 100Hz and its
harmonics are presented in Fig.7. Velocity distributions of
transformer surfaces also present as a wave shape and share
similar characteristics with that obtained from no-load test.

(a) 100Hz

(b) 200Hz

(c) 300Hz
Fig. 7.Velocity spatial distributions at 100Hz and its harmonics of the front surface (left) and side surface (right) in load test

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 IV. DISCUSSION

When a voltage or a current is applied on the transformer, the

vibration has twice of power supply frequency and its
harmonics because of nonlinear factors. However, vibration
velocity phases are different on transformer surfaces. The
velocity distribution presents as a wave property. It is seemed
to be that a vibration wave is spreading from a vibrating source,
just like a water wave. Forces applied on the oil-tank surfaces
are transferred from core and windings through yoke or
transformer oil. The differences of phase infer that the forces on
surfaces are actually not synchronous. Considering with the
complex inner structure of transformers, it may be caused by
the reflection and refraction of oil and the different transfer
paths.

V. CONCLUSION

This paper provided the vibration velocity distribution

characteristics of a single-phase transformer in load test and no-
load test. Some results can be summarized as follows. The
velocity on a specific point is steady and periodic. The spectrum
analysis shows that the frequencies of vibration mostly
convergent from 100-500 Hz while the amplitude of vibration
reach maximal at 100 Hz. Velocities of different measure points
on oil-tank surfaces of a transformer are quasi-synchronous and
have same phases or reversed phase. The velocity distribution
presents as a wave shape. The maximum vibration amplitude
positions of different frequencies are different, which can
provide the guidance for the application of vibration method in
monitoring the condition of transformer winding. The vibration
velocity distribution could be applicable in estimating noise
level of transformers and proposing effective noise reduction
measures. The vibration form of transformer tank can also give
some advice for structural design of low vibration and noise
transformer.

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