Is it time to change that transformer?

The USA is the largest power consumer in the world. Unfortunately a large portion of the aging USA
power distribution grid was installed prior to 1990. That being said, a large installed base of transformers
are nearing the end of their useful life expectancy and change-out or replacement should be part of
every owner’s strategy for system reliability.

Modern liquid filled transformers are a critical link in the energy delivery chain between power producers
and end users. These transformers have no moving parts and they convert power with efficiencies that
exceed 99%, thereby leading to their useful life being measured in decades not years. Considerable
costs, however, can be associated with transformer failures, especially if such failures happen without
warning and no action for a planned outage can be taken.

How do you know if your transformer is in eminent danger and how did it get there? Let’s answer the
second question first.

Modern liquid filled transformers utilize a combination of oil impregnated, thermally upgraded cellulose for
conductor insulation, insulation between layers, insulation between coils, and insulation between current
carrying parts and ground within the magnetic circuit. When cellulose is dry, free from gas, and immersed
in oil, it’s the toughest physical insulation system available. It is, however, the weakest link in the
transformer insulation system. This is not a “new” discovery. The Electric Journal of April 1920 states that
“the arch enemies of solid insulation are moisture and heat”.

If asked, a chemist would name moisture as the biggest threat. If you ask an electrical engineers the
same question, they would respond that heat is the single largest threat. Both answers would be correct.
Moisture in combination with heat will destroy an insulation system. Limiting moisture and excessive
heating are the keys to getting the longest service life from your transformer.

Moisture in the solid insulation can come from three sources: 1) residual moisture from inadequate drying
during manufacture; 2) as a by product of cellulose decomposition; 3) and recombining with latent
moisture in the oil.

Heat, on the other hand, comes largely from loading the transformer beyond it’s designed rating. Other
contributors can include debris within the transformer blocking oil cooling ducts, blocked cooling radiator
openings which restrict flow or oil leaks which lower oil to a level below the radiator openings thus
effectively stopping the normal convective cooling process.

Preventative steps that can be taken to extend the life of your transformer should include:

 Regular scheduled maintenance that includes a visual check for oil leaks
 Recording temperature readings and noting the maximum temperature indicated by the drag
hand on the top oil thermometer.
 Since 90% of cellulose deterioration is thermal in origin, periodic inventory of connected loads
should be conducted to ensure recent expansions have not added loads that exceed the
transformers designed capability. Evidence indicates that overloading beyond a hottest spot
temperature of 140 ºC causes formation of gas bubbles which in turn lower dielectric withstand
and will precipitate a flash over and premature failure.
 If you rely on additional cooling fans or oil pumps to extend the transformer rating, be sure they
are operating as needed to limit insulation temperatures.

Limiting moisture starts during the design and manufacturing of the transformer.

 Manufacturers should design to eliminate standing water around gaskets, preventing the egress
of moisture via gasket absorption.

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  Oil leaks should be aggressively prevented, as such leaks not only allow oil to escape and
contaminate the environment, they also provide a path for harmful moisture to enter the
transformer and migrate into the insulation. The same is true for ruptured diaphragm type
pressure relief devices, or less frequently, the mis-opertation of self-resealing type pressure relief
devices.
 Manufacturers should utilize a combination of heat and vacuum to reduce the residual moisture
from the insulation during the assembly process. Insulation that has been exposed to ambient
conditions during manufacture, and subsequently not dried, can have as much as 10% by weight
moisture content. Insulating paper with 1% moisture content ages 10 times faster than one with
only 0.1% moisture content by weight. Consensus opinion says that the paper insulation of a new
transformer leaving the factory should contain between 0.3% and 1% moisture content by weight.
Therefore, it is necessary to use dry heat in the rage of 100ºC in concert with vacuum levels of
between 1 to 3 torr to achieve less than 1% moisture in the paper before impregnation with
insulating oil.

How do you know if your transformer is a candidate for replacement? If your records show that you have
been systematically overloading your transformers, you should replace them with ones of greater
capacity. Continuing down that path will only result in a thermally caused failure, and quite
possibly at the most inconvenient time.

If you have not included oil sampling in your routine maintenance program, you should begin by taking an
oil sample and having it analyzed for moisture content. This, combined with an insulation resistance test
or an insulation power factor test, will give you an indication of insulation dryness. Insulation power
factors of older transformers should not exceed 4%, since at that threshold it is highly likely wet insulation
is the cause.

Secondly you should take an oil sample for dissolved gas analysis (DGA). When oil immersed cellulose is
subjected to heat, the cellulose deteriorates, resulting in formation of water, acids, carbon dioxide and
carbon monoxide. Your sample might give indications of several gases which could indicate other
problems not to be overlooked, but the presence of CO² and or CO will indicate your transformer’s
insulation has been overheated and possibly compromised.

Extending the useful life of a transformer is the single most important strategy for enhancing the reliability
of a company’s power distribution infrastructure. Power transformers are expected to be long-lived
equipment. Twenty to thirty years is a fairly common transformer age. If a unit has been subjected to
severe duty, including numerous faults, periods of overloading, and leaks that allow moisture egress, the
lifespan could be considerably shorter. It goes without saying that replacing a transformer can be an
expensive undertaking, which is made only more expensive if the transformer should fail unexpectedly
and the replacement must be made during an unscheduled and costly outage. Taking the simple
measures suggested can ensure the continued operation of your transformer for years to come.