See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224593612 TNB experience in condition assessment and life management of distribution power transformers Conference Paper · July 2009 DOI: 10.1049/cp.2009.0919 · Source: IEEE Xplore CITATIONS READS 13 5,159 3 authors, including: Young Zaidey Yang Ghazali Mohd Aizam Talib Tenaga Nasional Berhad TNB Research Sdn. Bhd. 23 PUBLICATIONS 105 CITATIONS 22 PUBLICATIONS 107 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Transformer condition monitoring View project Improvement of natural ester insulation oil properties View project All content following this page was uploaded by Young Zaidey Yang Ghazali on 16 February 2017. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. SEE PROFILE CIRED 20th International Conference on Electricity Distribution Prague, 8-11 June 2009 Paper 0686 TNB EXPERIENCE IN CONDITION ASSESSMENT AND LIFE MANAGEMENT OF DISTRIBUTION POWER TRANSFORMERS Young Zaidey YANG GHAZALI Tenaga Nasional Berhad – Malaysia young@tnb.com.my Mohd Aizam TALIB TNB Research Sdn. Bhd. – Malaysia mohdaizam@tnbr.com.my ABSTRACT Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), an electric utility company in Malaysia has embarked on condition assessment and life management program for 707 units of in-service oil immersed free breathing distribution power transformers with on-load tap changer. The program consists of threetiered approach. The first tier involved transformer population screening by means of on-line diagnostic techniques through assessment of the insulating oil, physical, thermal and operating performance. The second tier focused on off-line diagnostic testing on few identified transformers from the fleet using basic electrical testing techniques. The third tier involved more advanced diagnostic techniques namely frequency response analysis and partial discharge test. Results of the condition assessment on individual transformer were analyzed and transformer health index was formulated to provide engineering solutions and asset management direction. Hannah AHMAD ROSLI Tenaga Nasional Berhad - Malaysia hannaha@tnb.com.my measurement. Partial discharge (PD) activities in the transformer winding, core and other active parts can be detected directly by on-line PD testing either by means of acoustic signals detection or measurement of the electrical signals. The mechanical integrity of the core and winding assembly structure can be confirmed by Frequency Response Analysis (FRA). Problems in insulation system can be detected by dielectric dissipation factor or tan delta, Recovery Voltage Measurement (RVM) and Frequency Dielectric Spectroscopy (FDS) techniques. Finally, thermal condition of the external surface temperature and problems such as cooling system blockages, loose electrical connection, unbalance loading effect and hotspots can be detected by infrared emission testing. This paper presents TNB experience in conducting condition assessment and life management program on distribution power transformers through diagnostic approach and formulation of transformer health index. INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND With the restructuring of the electricity sector into profit oriented business entity, condition based maintenance (CBM) strategies are now gaining importance. The main goal is to reach a cost effective solution through effective asset management. In the case for power transformers, an effective CBM program is crucial as more transformers have reached their service life. Diagnostic techniques able to reveal their degradation state are a prerequisite to an effective transformer life management program [1]. Diagnostic techniques such as Oil Quality Analysis (OQA), Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) and Furfural Analysis (FFA) are widely used to assess the insulation condition of transformers. The Degree of Polymerization (DP) measurement is also applied to predict the end-of-life of transformers. However, direct DP measurement is not always possible and diagnostic testing on insulating oil only provides partial information about condition of the transformers. Condition assessment program on power transformers in TNB distribution system involved 707 units of in-service oil immersed 3-phase free breathing power transformers with on-load tap changer (OLTC). The voltage and capacity rating of the transformers and the age distribution are shown in Table 1 and Fig. 1 respectively. The program applied a CBM methodology proposed by CIGRE Transformer Committee (SC 12) [2]. The three main stages of the program involved 1) transformer population screening through assessment of the insulating oil, physical, thermal and operating performance, 2) electrical diagnosis on few transformers from the fleet which could not definitively be classified as normal, and 3) evaluation on the remaining life and ranking of the transformers to provide asset management direction and engineering solutions. Various basic to more advanced on-site electrical diagnostic techniques are also available. The combination of chemical and electrical diagnostic testing can provide a better assessment on the condition of the transformers. Any fault in the transformer core, winding and tap changer for example, can be diagnosed by excitation current, turns ratios, winding resistance and insulation resistance CIRED2009 Session 3 Paper No. 0686 CBM DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES The selection on the diagnostic techniques adopted for the CBM program used a Failure Mode Effect and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) and is discussed elsewhere [3]. These techniques are divided into three practical levels or tiers as described below. Even though various diagnostic techniques are available, the ones selected were also subjected to availability of the instruments and financial constraint. CIRED 20th International Conference on Electricity Distribution Prague, 8-11 June 2009 Paper 0686 Table 1: Voltage and capacity ratings of power transformers Voltage Capacity 30 MVA 15 MVA 7.5 MVA 12.5 MVA 12.5 MVA 7.5 MVA 5 MVA 3.5 MVA 3 MVA 33/11 kV 22/11 kV 22/6.6 kV 11/6.6 kV No. of Units 474 138 23 24 39 3 3 2 1 Inspection on Physical Conditions and Operating Performance Transformer life is affected by electrical loading profiles and thermal effect. Other factors such as mechanical damage, corrosion, oil leaks also have strong effects. In addition, the transformer maintenance and performance historical records such as OLTC maintenance records and records of transformer internal and external tripping are also essential in assessing the condition of the transformers. 299 No. of Transformers 300 250 200 150 oil or FFA was performed. By measuring the quantity and types of furans present in a transformer oil sample, the insulation’s overall DP and remaining life estimation can also be inferred with a high degree of confidence since it is not practical to obtain a paper sample from de-energized distribution power transformers [7]. 117 91 100 62 60 42 50 16 11 7 2 0 ≤5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 ≥ 46 Age (Year) Fig. 1: Age distribution of distribution power transformers Tier 1 Diagnostic Techniques Tier 1 diagnostic techniques were applied on all 707 energised units as baseline audit to assess for presence of faults, quality of the insulating oil, degradation level of insulating paper as well as physical, thermal and operating performance of the transformers. Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) DGA is an establised technique to detect presence of fault in the transformers. DGA results for transformer main tank were analysed for key gases and total dissolved combustable gases (TDCG) concentrations as well as key gases and TDCG rate of generation in accordance with IEEE Std C57.104 [4] and IEC 60599 [5] limits and interpretation. To enable the assessment of rate of gas generation, diagnosis was performed based on minimum two oil samples at different time intervals. Results were also analysed and interpreted for presence and type of faults using IEC ratio and Duval’s Triangle methods. Oil Quality Analysis (OQA) In OQA, oil samples were tested for breakdown voltage, water content, acidity and power factor. These tests are the basic routine tests for mineral insulating oil in accordance with IEC 60422:2005 [6], and are sufficient to indicate the condition of the insulating oil. Limits and interpretation of test results in accordance with IEC 60422:2005 were used. Furfural Analysis (FFA) As the life of the cellulosic material is directly related to the life of the transformer, analysis of the furanic compound in CIRED2009 Session 3 Paper No. 0686 Thermography Infrared thermography is a technique that can provide the first indication of thermal problems due to overheating of conductor or between bad contacts. Infrared scanning is applied on the external components such as tanks, bushings, radiators and cooling systems. The hotspot temperature difference was used as main criterion for the assessment. Tier 2 Diagnostic Techniques Tier 2 diagnostic techniques were applied on few problematic transformers from the fleet which Tier 1 diagnosis could not definitively classify these transformers as normal. Transformer Turns-Ratio Measurement Transformer turns-ratio was measured at every tap position of each phase against calculated nameplate values [1]. The deviation between the measured and calculated ratios at each tap position was captured to detect shorted turns or open circuit in the transformer main and tapping windings. Winding Resistance Measurement Winding resistance test is a dc test performed at every tap position to detect broken conductor strands, loose connections, and bad contacts in the tap changer. Test results were compared between phases or with factory results at corrected temperature and deviations were measured at all tap positions for primary and secondary windings [1]. Assessment was carried out by considering the maximum deviation between any phases at each tap. Dielectric Dissipation Factor/Tan Delta Measurement Paper insulation in transformer winding forms an effective capacitance network and it has a measurable amount of dielectric power loss regardless of age [8]. The dielectric loss will develop heat in the insulation during transformer operation that can cause deterioration of the insulation. In this test, the tangent of the insulation dielectric loss angle is CIRED 20th International Conference on Electricity Distribution Prague, 8-11 June 2009 Paper 0686 measured between primary and secondary windings (CHL), primary winding and ground (CH), as well as secondary winding and ground (CL) at different test voltages depending on the rated operating voltages of the winding. The tangent delta measured for each CHL, CH and CL was taken from the mean values at different test voltages. Start Tier 1 Tests Poor/Very Poor Oil Oil Quality reconditioning or regeneration. Health Index All Good/Fair Poor/Very Poor Excitation Current Measurement The purpose of this test is to detect short-circuited turns, core and winding problems and poor tap changer contacts [8]. On a 3-phase core type delta-star or star-delta connection, the excitation current pattern will have two phases on the outer limbs of a 3-legged core, higher than the phase on the center limb. Test results of the two higher currents at each tap were compared between phases. Minor repair/calibration of external components Tier 2 Tests Health Index Poor/Very Poor Frequency Response Analysis (FRA) This test is used to detect faults such as short-circuited turns, movement, mechanical deformation or displacement to windings or core and loose turns. It provides a picture of the frequency transfer function of the transformer. Results in the form of the cross correlation index (CCI) were assessed either by comparison to previous measurements, or comparison to transformers of similar design and construction, or between phases. The CCI limits recommended by the instrument manufacturer were used. Partial Discharge (PD) Measurement Insulation failure inside transformers is preceded by PD activity which is commonly related to moisture in the insulation, cavities in solid insulation, metallic particles, and gas bubbles generated due to some fault condition. A significant increase in the PD level can provide an early indication of a failure. PD measurement with acoustic signals detection method was applied in the assessment. Good/Fair Poor/Very Poor Reduce Loading and prepare for major repair, upgrade or replacement/relocation End CBM workflow for in-service power transformers TRANSFORMER HEALTH INDEX With so much data provided by various diagnostic techniques, asset managers are having difficulties in evaluating the risks and prioritizing the corrective solutions on problematic transformers in a consistent manner. Hence, health index is formulated for capturing and quantifying the test results to provide a qualitative indication of the condition of individual transformer. In order to provide the overall health condition, the transformer age was also taken into account. The process for arriving at the Transformer Health Index (THI) is as shown in Table 3. The transformer health index is ranked based on the Transformer ConditionBased Ranking in Table 2, to determine the next recommended mitigating actions. Table 2: Transformer condition based ranking THI 85 ≤ THI ≤ 100 55 ≤ THI < 85 10 ≤ THI < 55 THI < 10 Indication Recommended Mitigating Action Maintain normal frequency of current tier Good tests Revise frequency of current tier tests to 6 Fair months interval or as recommended by the expert Poor Perform next tier tests (2nd priority) Very Poor Perform next tier tests (1st priority) RESULTS CBM IMPLEMENTATION The workflow practised by TNB for implementing CBM for in-service free breathing power transformers is as illustrated in Fig. 2. CIRED2009 Session 3 Health Index Fig. 2: Tier 3 diagnostic techniques are advanced techniques applied on few problematic transformers after Tier 2 and Tier 1 diagnosis could not definitively classify these transformers as normal. Frequency of Tier 1 Tests Tier 3 Tests Insulation Resistance and Polarization Index (PI) The insulation resistance measurement can be of value in determining the presence or absence of harmful contamination, degradation as well as failure of the insulation. Since insulation varies inversely with temperature for most insulating materials, PI was applied as a method to assess the transformer insulation condition [8]. Tier 3 Diagnostic Techniques Good/Fair Maintain/Revise Paper No. 0686 From the assessment, 63 units out of 707 power transformers from the fleet required Tier 2 tests and out 63, 50 units identified for Tier 3 tests. The Final THI was then determined for all the 707 power transformers. Based on the CIRED 20th International Conference on Electricity Distribution Prague, 8-11 June 2009 Paper 0686 Table 3: Transformer health index calculation TIER 1 Condition Indicator Weighting Ranking factor (a) (b) 1.2 3,2,1,0 1.2 3,2,1,0 1.2 3,2,1,0 0.6 3,2,1,0 Amplified ranking number (c) 20,12,-18, -20 20,12,-18, -20 20,12,-18, -20 20,12,-18, -20 Total Ranking Score (d) (a) x (c) (a) x (c) (a) x (c) (a) x (c) DGA OQA FFA Thermography Physical & operating 0.4 3,2,1,0 20,12,-18, -20 (a) x (c) condition Age 0.4 3,2,1,0 20,12,-18, -20 (a) x (c) Tier 1 THI (Sum of individual ranking score) THI 1 Subtract % estimated life used above 100% (-10,-15,-20,-30) A Final Tier 1 Transformer Health Index THI 1-A Tier 1 Weighting Factor 0.5 TIER 2 Turns-ratio 1.2 3,2,1,0 20,12,-18, -20 (a) x (c) Winding resistance 1.2 3,2,1,0 20,12,-18, -20 (a) x (c) Tangent delta 1.2 3,2,1,0 20,12,-18, -20 (a) x (c) Excitation current 0.6 3,2,1,0 20,12,-18, -20 (a) x (c) I. Resistance & PI 0.8 3,2,1,0 20,12,-18, -20 (a) x (c) Final Tier 2 THI (Sum of individual ranking score) THI 2 Tier 2 Weighting Factor 0.5 Total THI (Sum of individual indices) {(THI 1-A) x 0.5} +{THI 2 x 0.5} TIER 3 Frequency Response Analysis (FRA) 0,-5,-10,-15 X Partial Discharge (PD) 0,-5,-10,-15 Y Final Transformer Health Index Total THI – X – Y 1 100% 9 5 Relative Proportions 3 33 22 9 89 80% 2 22 8 5 3 19 53 60% 9 12 40% 43 1 4 4 21 3 75 152 2 47 5 25 20% 7 1 5 Fig. 3 shows that, as the transformer aged, the condition of the transformers deteriorated. However, a number of inservice transformers aged 5 years and below, were also diagnosed as in “Poor” conditions. Most of these transformers were found to have considerably high concentration of gases that relate to overheating. On the contrary, most common problem found for transformers aged above 30 years were paper degradation and deterioration in physical conditions. Based on the problems found from the assessment, the corrective actions that were recommended and carried out are as shown in Fig. 5. 120 102 100 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 31-35 36-40 41-45 ≥ 46 Fig. 3: Fair Poor Very Poor Transformer health index according to age Very Poor (33) 5% Poor (206) 29% Fig. 4: Fig. 5: CIRED2009 Session 3 View publication stats Paper No. 0686 Monitor furanic content Monitor gas generation Monitor thermal & loading conditions Recondition oil Mitigating actions on problematic transformers CONCLUSION Through condition assessment based on CBM methodology, TNB was able to plan and implement a life management program for its distribution power transformers. With the use of transformer health index (THI), TNB was also able to perform a more effective and consistent assessment on the entire transformer population. THI has become a tool not only in determining the correct remedial actions but also in prioritizing the most appropriate engineering solutions. REFERENCES [2] [3] [4] [6] [8] Condition of transformers population based on THI Refurbish transformer Mitigating Actions [7] Fair (119) 17% 11 Replace transformer [5] Good (349) 49% 36 0 Age (Year) Good 60 20 1 26-30 66 19 0% ≤5 80 40 [1] 7 133 140 No. of Cases final THI, the transformer condition were ranked as “Good”, “Fair”, “Poor” and “Very Poor”. The conditions of the transformers according to age and the entire population are illustrated in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 respectively. M. Wang, A.J Vandermaar, K.D Srivastava, 2002, “Review of Condition Assessment of Power Transformers in Service”, IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine, Vol. 18, No. 6 CIGRE W.G 12.18 “Life Management Techniques for Power Transformers”, CIGRE SC 12 Y.Z Yang Ghazali, M.A Talib, H.A Rosli, 2008, “Condition Assessment of Power Transformers in TNB Distribution System and Determination of Transformer Condition Index” CEPSI IEEE Std. C57.104, 1991, “IEEE Guide for the Interpretation of Gases Generated in Oil-Immersed Transformers” IEC 60599:1999, “Guide to The Interpretation of Dissolved and Free Gases Analysis”, 2nd Ed. IEC 60422:2005, “Mineral Insulating Oil in Electrical Equipment – Supervision and Maintenance Guidance”, 3rd Ed. R.D Stebbins, D.S Myres, A.B Shkolnik, 2003, “Furanic Compounds in Dielectric Liquid Samples: Review & Update of Diagnostic Interpretation & Estimation of Insulation Ageing”, IEEE Proceeding on Properties and Applications of Dielectric Materials M. Horning, J. Kelly, S. Myers, 2001, ”Transformer Maintenance Guide”, 2nd Ed.