4

Subject

Subject

Transformer oil
flows in his veins
Innovative failure analysis of a 220 kV transformer
with Michael Krger
The energy generated in power plants has to be transported to consumers. To secure low-loss energy transmission over long distances, the generator voltage (which
is between 6 kV and 27 kV in power plants) must be transformed to the European
voltage levels of 110 kV, 220 kV and 380 kV. This conversion is performed using generator transformers at power plants and using coupling transformers at transformer
stations. A short circuit was triggered in one of these transformers at the transformer
station in Brs (Austria) operated by Vorarlberger Illwerke AG. Michael Krger was
able to use OMICRON testing procedures to demonstrate that repairing this transformer would be extremely costly and definitely not a viable option. When the transformer was opened, the extent of the damage became clear.

The destructive force of martens

Damage analysis

The transformer in question was used for three voltage

To clarify the extent of the malfunction, OMICRON was

levels: 220 kV, 110 kV, and 10 kV. The 10 kV winding

commissioned by Vorarlberger Illwerke to perform

served as a tertiary winding for covering the transform-

diagnostic measurements on the transformer. The

er station's own power requirements. Often bushings

objective here was to determine whether it would be

for the 10 kV windings are attached to the cover of the

possible to repair the system. The resistance measure-

transformer tank. In the past, the busbars for the ter-

ments of the various insulations showed that the 10 kV

tiary windings were often not protected against direct

windings, which are connected in a delta configura-

contact. Therefore in winter, small animals such as mar-

tion, were shorting to both the core and the tank.

tens could climb onto the warm transformer tank and

trigger a short circuit between two bars or between

In addition to the insulation resistance measurements,

one bar and the tank. This is exactly what happened to

the no-load currents of all phases were measured. The

the damaged transformer. The protective relays detect-

no-load current of the U phase immediately stood out

ed the short circuit and the circuit breakers shut down

here, since it was around 34 times higher than that of

the transformer correctly in about 100 ms. However, a

the V and W phases. This indicated a short circuit in

short-circuit current of 54 kA flowed through the 10 kV

one of the windings of the U phase. The measurement

winding for a brief period.

of the transformer ratios between the high-voltage

Magazine | Volume 3 Issue 2 2012

Subject

windings and the tertiary windings indicated a deviation of -24% for the U phase, which meant that the
measured voltage on the tertiary winding was 24%
too low. This low voltage indicated that parts of the
winding had been rendered ineffective by the high
short-circuit current and were therefore shorted or
burnt. A test of the transfer function, performed using
a frequency response analysis (FRA), confirmed this
assumption. The damage had therefore been localized,
although it had not been determined precisely.
Precise analysis using an innovative process
To gain a more accurate analysis of the damage, a new
kind of testing procedure was used. This involved taking frequency-dependent measurements of the shortcircuit impedances, an approach first described in 2001
by Hydro Qubec, a Canadian electricity company. It
involves short-circuiting one side of the transformer,
e.g. the tertiary winding, and then measuring the

source which is capable of supplying the necessary

short-circuit impedance from the other side, e.g. the

voltage over a wide frequency range. In addition

high-voltage winding. This concept itself is noth-

to this, special testing equipment is needed for the

ing new, although one new aspect of it was that the

measurement of complex impedances. OMICRON's

measurement was not taken at the usual frequency of

CPC 100 is ideally suited for this, since its power

The diagnostic
measurement results
led the operators to
the decision to scrap
the transformer.

50/60 Hz, but rather over a broad frequency range. The

curves for the three phases were then compared with
one another. Another new aspect of it was that the
impedance was broken down into effective resistance
(real part) and reactance (imaginary part) for the evaluation. To do this, it is necessary not only for the impedance value to be determined from the voltage and
current, but also for the angles to be measured with
high accuracy. This measurement requires a powerful

CPC 100: Universal

testing device for
electrical diagnostics.

Magazine | Volume 3 Issue 2 2012

Subject

When the transformer was opened, it

became clear that the assumptions made
based on the results of the diagnostic tests
were correctand the extent of the damage was immediately apparent.

Johannes Berthold
Director of the Brs transformer station
operated by Vorarlberger Illwerken.

Conductor damaged by a short circuit.

amplifier is capable of generating frequencies from 15 Hz to

HV winding

400 Hz and its measuring electronics are not only capable of

induced
currents are
compensated

measuring voltages and currents with complete accuracy, but

also the accompanying phase angles. As such, this compact
testing device includes all the functions necessary for the new
measuring process.

LV winding

The FRSL method

The real part of the short circuit impedance is highly frequency-dependent. At low frequencies of just a few Hz, the
The use of drill conductors allows induced circular currents and the losses
associated with them to be avoided.

real part is determined by the winding resistances. At high

frequencies, however, the losses in the gaps between the
windings also play an important role. This is also the reason
why this measurement is used when strands of windings con-

B
HV winding

nected in parallel are suspected of shorting to one another.

additional
losses
by induced
currents

These strands are normally insulated from one another to

prevent circular currents. However, if this insulation fails, high
circular currents can occur which in the worst-case-scenario
are capable of destroying a transformer.

LV winding

Since this measurement method evaluates the losses in the

gap, it is referred to as the Frequency Response of Stray
Losses (FRSL) method. In addition to this, the frequency
When a short circuit occurs between the parallel conductors, this leads to
losses caused by induced circular currents. However, the transformer ratio
and the winding resistance remain constant. It is not possible to detect a
fault of this nature either through ratio or resistance measurements.

response of the short-circuit impedance's reactance was also

measured. The plot of the short-circuit inductance relative
to frequency raised a number of questions. The value of the
U phase was completely different from the measurements of

Magazine | Volume 3 Issue 2 2012

Subject

Our knowledge and

experience are always
available to our customers.

Inductivity in H

0.10

U
V
W

0.09

0.08

0.07

0.06
0

100

200

300

400

Frequency in Hz
Dr. Michael Krger

The short-circuit inductance changes based on the frequency.

the V and W phases at low frequencies. On the other

Partnership with bright future

hand, at high frequencies the impedance values of all

Vorarlberger Illwerke were very happy with the ac-

phases were almost identical.

curate results of the diagnostic measurements. The

measurement procedures allow the extent of damage

A curve of this nature indicates the following issue: The

in defective transformers to be assessed accurately.

turns of the tertiary winding of the U phase are broken

Vorarlberger Illwerke are sure of one thing: They will

and in contact with various sections of the core. As

definitely continue to rely on OMICRON's knowledge

such, when measuring the short-circuit impedance the

and experience in the future.

test current must flow via the core. At low frequencies,

the entire cross section of the core is available for this,
which in turn leads to an increased inductance value.
However, at higher frequencies the skin effect forces

Dr. Michael Krger

Head of Engineering Services
Test & Diagnostics Solutions for Primary Assets

the magnetic flux toward the surface of the iron core.

This explains why the short circuit inductance is similar
to that of the undamaged V and W phases.
Clear results: Repairs not recommended
Based on the available data, Michael Krger, head
of the Engineering Services Primary Testing department at OMICRON, ruled out an easy and affordable

Vorarlberger Illwerke AG

repair. "The diagnostic measurements performed by

The company was founded in 1924, since

OMICRON using a completely new measurement pro-

which time it has been supplying peak load

cedure proved extremely helpful. Due to the age of the

and control energy to cover the requirements

transformer and the costs associated with transport-

that occur in day-to-day operations. The

ing it to the manufacturer's facility, we decided not to

company's headquarters is located in the

repair it," comments Johannes Berthold.

Austrian town of Bregenz.

Magazine | Volume 3 Issue 2 2012