7/7/2017 Sweep Frequency Response Analysis Test | SFRA Test | Electrical4u

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Sweep Frequency Response Analysis Test | SFRA Test

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This is very reliable and sensitive method or tool for condition monitoring of the physical condition
of transformer windings. The winding of transformer may be subjected to mechanical stresses
during transportation, heavy short circuit faults, transient switching impulses and lightening
impulses etc. These mechanical stresses may cause displacement of transformer windings from
their position and may also cause deformation of these windings. Windings collapse in extreme
cases, such physical defects eventually lead to insulation failure or dielectric faults in the windings.
Sweep Frequency Response Analysis Test or in short SFRA Test can detect efficiently,
displacement of transformer core, deformation and displacement of winding, faulty core grounds,
collapse of partial winding, broken or loosen clamp connections, short circuited turns, open
winding conditions etc.
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Principle of SFRA Test

The principle of SFRA is quite simple. As all the electrical equipments theoretically have some
resistance, inductance and some capacitance values hence each of them can be considered as a
complex RLC circuit.
The term 'theoretically' means some equipment may have very low or zero resistance compared to
their inductance and capacitance values again, some equipments may have very low or zero
inductance compared to their resistance and capacitance and again some equipments may have
very low or zero capacitance compared to their resistance and inductance but theoretically all of
them can be considered as RLC circuit although may be R = 0, or L = 0 or C = 0. But in most
cases the resistance, inductance and capacitance of an equipment have non zero values. Hence
most of the electrical equipments can be considered as RLC circuit hence they response to the
sweep frequencies and produce an unique signature. As in a transformer each winding turn is
separated from other by paper insulation which acts as dielectric and windings themselves have
inductance and resistance, a transformer can be considered as a complicated distributed network
of resistance, inductance, and capacitance or in other words a transformer is a complicated RLC
circuit.

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7/7/2017 Sweep Frequency Response Analysis Test | SFRA Test | Electrical4u

Because of that each winding of a transformer exhibits a particular frequency response. In Sweep
Frequency Response Analysis a sinusoidal voltage Vi is applied to one end of a winding and output
voltage Vo is measured at the other end of the winding. Other windings are kept open. As the
winding is itself an distributed RLC circuit it will behave like RLC filter and gives different output
voltages at different frequencies. That means if we go on increasing the frequency of the input
signal without changing its voltage level we will get different output voltages at different
frequencies depending upon the RLC nature of the winding. If we plot these output voltages
against the corresponding frequencies we will get a particular patter for a particular winding. But
after transportation, heavy short circuit faults, transient switching impulses and lightening
impulses etc, if we do same Sweep Frequency Response Analysis test and superimpose the
present signature with the earlier patterns and observe some deviation between these tow graphs,
we can asses that there is mechanical displacement and deformation occurred in the winding.

In addition to that, SFRA test also helps us to compare between physical condition of the same
winding of different phases at the same tap position. It also compares different transformers of
the same design. Analysis Low frequency response
1. Winding behaves as a simple RL circuit formed by series inductance and resistance of the
winding (At low frequencies capacitance acts as almost open circuit).
2. At low frequencies winding inductance is determined by the magnetic circuit of the transformer
core. High frequency response.
3. At high frequencies winding behaves as RLC circuits.
4. Winding exhibits many resonant points.
5. Frequency response is more sensitive to winding movement.
Different Connection During SFRA Test
Signal applied across transformer terminals Conditions

HV Red phase to Neutral LV Red Yellow Blue phases are open

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7/7/2017 Sweep Frequency Response Analysis Test | SFRA Test | Electrical4u

HV Yellow phase to Neutral LV Red Yellow Blue phases are open

HV Blue phase to Neutral LV Red Yellow Blue phases are open

HV Red phase to Neutral LV Red Yellow Blue phases are shorted

HV Yellow phase to Neutral LV Red Yellow Blue phases are shorted

HV Blue phase to Neutral LV Red Yellow Blue phases are shorted

LV Red to Yellow phase HV Red Yellow Blue phases and LV Blue phase are open

LV Yellow to Blue phase HV Red Yellow Blue phases and LV Red phase are open

LV Blue to Red phase HV Red Yellow Blue phases and LV Yellow phase are open

Example Data Sheet for SFRA Test Result

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7/7/2017 Sweep Frequency Response Analysis Test | SFRA Test | Electrical4u

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