New Techniques for the Monitoring of

Transformer Condition
Thomas Prevost OMICRON electronics USA
IEEE T&D Conference
Chicago, Illinois April 17, 2014

Agenda
Monitoring Expectations & Needs
Bushing Monitoring
Capacitance
Power Factor

Transformer Monitoring
Partial Discharge
Voltage Transients

Summary & Conclusions

Failure Rate

Scope of Monitoring Expectations and Needs

0
Classical
Diagnostics

Temporary
Monitoring

10

20

time / a

5a

3a

Permanent
Monitoring
Continuous
Diagnostics

Condition based
maintenance

Full utilization
of life span

Scope of Monitoring Expectations and Needs

Arguments and user expectations
> Continuous monitoring under service conditions
Reliable measurement data

> Diagnostic of errors before they appear

Condition based maintenance
> Knowledge about historical use
Fully utilize life span of equipment

Transformer Failure Statistics

[Viereck, Hillinger, Transform 2011]

Agenda
Monitoring Expectations & Needs
Bushing Monitoring
Capacitance
Power Factor

Transformer Monitoring
Partial Discharge
Voltage Transients

Summary & Conclusions

 According to the data from various researches and

electric power utilities, bushings failures make 5 to
50 %, or in average, one quarter of the total
number of transformer failures .These failures most
commonly cause transformer fires which may result
in huge collateral damages of switchyard.
Reference [3] indicates that 30 % of generator
step-up transformer failures are caused by a
bushing malfunction, and that they also cause
56 % of failures accompanied by fire.

Failure Mechanisms and Diagnostics

Partial breakdowns
Capacitance
Partial discharges

Voltage
[kV]

No. of
layers

%
change

123

14

7.1

245

30

3.3

420

40

2.5

550

55

1.8

Emax= high

without
layers

Emax= low

with layers

Failure Mechanisms and Diagnostics

Voids, cracks
Partial discharges
Capacitance

Ageing by-products, moisture

1,0
0,8

IEC60137
max: 0,7 %

0,6
0,4
0,2
0,0

typ: 0,25

OIP

typ: 0,35

RIP

1,0
Power Factor (%)

Dissipation Factor (%)

Dissipation factor / power factor

IEEE C57.19.01
max: 0,85

0,8
0,6
0,4
0,2
0,0

max: 0,5
typ: 0,25

OIP

typ: 0,35

RIP

Where Can I Get the Reference from?

Off-line test: Reference from HQ capacitor
Im

CR

CX,

IX

IR

IX

IR
u0(t)

UR(t)

Z1

Z2

UX(t)
j
Uo

Reference

Measurement path

On-line test: Reference?

Relative C/DF Measurement

> Sum of the bushing currents
> Three phase vectors are added up

> Bushing-to-bushing comparison

> Vectors of bushings in same phase are
compared

L1

L3

L2

from 2011-02-13 to 2011-02-15

Systematic error
0.65 %
plus instrument
inaccuracy 0.5 %
Capacitance?
DF impossible!

1,0
Systematic error

DF (%)

0,8
0,6

0,4
0,2
0,0

typ: 0,25

OIP

typ: 0,35

RIP

[P. Picher Integration of New Transformer Monitoring Technologies ...

TechCon Asia-Pazific 2011]

PAGE 12

Connection Diagram VT Reference

UVT+
90

IB

d
j

VT
Data Storage and
Analysis Unit

Bushing

TanDelta Measurement Phase U

Comparison to accurate
off-line tests:
DF
2.701 E-3
C (pF) 467.1

C/DF Measurement over 1.75 Years

1,0
DF (%)

0,8

0.7 % IEC Warning

0,6
0,4
0,2
0,0

typ: 0,25

OIP

RIP

0,27 +/- 0,05 %

Measurement

Capacitance (pF)

500

400

478 pF Warning
467 +/- 2 pF
Measurement

DF Temperature Correction

[ABB Guide for Bushing diagnostics and conditioning, Ludvika 2000]

Agenda
Monitoring Expectations & Needs
Bushing Monitoring
Capacitance
Power Factor

Transformer Monitoring
Partial Discharge
Voltage Transients

Summary & Conclusions

Reasons and Effects of Partial Discharges

Reasons
Failures of design or during manufacturing process
Aging of equipment
Electrical stress
Thermal stress
Mechanical stress

Effects of PDs:
Heating
Creeping destruction of the insulation material
Treeing, chain reaction
Insulation breakdown, short circuit

Treeing in polyethylene

PD Activity
over 4 Days

Q in nC

10
1

L1
L2
L3

0.1

0.01
00:00:00

01:00:00

02:00:00

03:00:00

04:00:00
t in dd:hh:min

05:00:00

Fighting PD Noise: UHF Gating

Corona

Electr. PD

Internal
PD

UHF PD

EM Field

Combination of the Methods

IEC
UHF
IEC PD Measurement

&

Corrected IEC PD Measurement

UHF PD Measurement

3PARD: PD Discrimination by Amplitude

Corona

MPD1

MPD2

MPD3

Internal
PD

EM Field

3PARD and Back Transformation

3FREQ: PD Discrimination by Spectrum

Corona

0.5M
0.5M

2M

8M

MPD1

8M

2M

Internal
PD

EM Field

PD Risk Assessment

Noise
rejection

Galvanic
decoupling
Gating
UHF
RTD

Source
separation

3 PARD
3 FREQ

Pattern
classification

PD
localization

Manual
Automatic

Asset
Phase
Acoustic
localization

Agenda
Monitoring Expectations & Needs
Bushing Monitoring
Capacitance
Power Factor

Transformer Monitoring
Partial Discharge
Voltage Transients

Summary & Conclusions

Switching Transients
IEEE PES Transformers
Committee
Tutorial March 2014

Dr. Robert Degenneff

Switching Transients
Voltage in kV

200

-200
0

40

t in ms

80

17

100

15

t in ms

24

Voltage in kV

200

-200
0

50

t in ms

t in ms

29

Case Study: Combined Generator and

Transformer Monitoring
Generator
900 MW
21 kV

GSU
1100 MVA

Substation

Transmission line
400 kV
6 km

Grid
400 kV

G
UMTS

Voltag Transformers

OMS843
- C/DF
(Reference)

Generator

PDM600

ca. 10 m

OMS843
- PD
- Transients
- C/DF

OMS843
- PD
- Transients
- C/DF

Transformer 1

Transformer 2
UHF620 + UVS

UHF620 + UVS

C/DF and PD Couplers

Generator:
Capacitive couplers
Transformer:
Capacitive bushing
adapters and UHF
drain valve sensor

Monitoring Results
UMTS

1,0%

V
Voltage Transformers

Generator

0,6%

OMS843
- C/DF
(Reference)

0,4%

0,0%
11-20-2012

0.01
0
100

10

t in ms

20

ca. 10 m

Transformer 1
1

OMS843
- PD
- -60
Transients
- C/DF

P in dBm

0.1

U in V

0,2%
PDM600

10

QIEC in nC

DF / %

0,8%

11-25-2012

11-30-2012

OMS843
- PD
- Transients
- C/DF

Transformer 2

-100

UHF620 + UVS

UHF620 + UVS

-120

0.001
0

10

t in ms

20

500

f in MHz

1000

Influence of Environmental Conditions

1

40

0.9

35

0.8
30

0.7
25

0.6
0.5

20

0.4

U-phase
0.3

15

W-phase
10

0.2

V-phase

0.1
0

10

time / days

0
15

temperature in C

dissipation factor in %

IEC60137 max: 0,7 %

Transient Over-Voltages
> Oszillation frequency 10 kHz,
beat frequency 600 Hz
> Several times a day
GSU
1100 MVA

Transmission line
400 kV
6 km

Substation

Voltage in kV

Generator
900 MW
21 kV

C Phase

400

BAT20

200
0

Grid
400 kV

B Phase
-200

A Phase

-400
0

12

BAT10

400
Voltage in kV

t in ms

18

BAT10

200
0
-200

-400
0

t in ms

12

12

t in ms

18

Agenda
Monitoring Expectations & Needs
Bushing Monitoring
Capacitance
Power Factor

Transformer Monitoring
Partial Discharge
Voltage Transients

Summary & Conclusions

Summary
On-line monitoring as
future trend
C/DF monitoring
The reference problem
Solution: VT reference
Accuracy +/- 2pF

On-line PD monitoring
The noise problem
Possible solutions:
UHF-gating
Software separation
Pattern recognition

Voltage Transients

Questions??

Thomas Prevost
thomas.prevost@omicronusa.com