Moisture in Transformers

Sources, Risks and Measurements

Dr. Maik Koch
1. Risks, Sources, Distribution
2. Measurement Methods and Comparison
3. Case studies
Temperature / C
50 70 90 110 130
0,1
1
10
100
1000
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%
2
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3
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4
%

Risks of Water in Transformers
1. Dielectric strength decreases
- PD inception voltage
- Breakdown voltage

2. Accelerated aging of cellulose
Depolymerization by hydrolysis
Short circuit current forces may
destroy winding

L. E. Lundgaard, Aging of oil-impregnated paper in power transformers,
IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, J an. 2004
x
B
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k
V
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 20 40 60 80 100
Moisture saturation / %
HOSO
FR3
Midel 7131
Midel eN
NN3000X
HOSO
FR3
Midel 7131
Midel eN
NN3000X
Risks of Water: Bubbling
External player
3. Bubble evolution
from wet paper
PD or breakdown
may occur
4. Standards like IEC 60422
Sources of Water
Breathing
Leaky seals
Installation, repair
Water from aging
Residual moisture
How Wet Are Transformers?
0
1
2
3
4
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6
7
0 10 20 30 40 50
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Age / years
D1.0 M1.5
R3.0 P3.0
WCO WSO
61 Transformers, some measured several times
6 different measurement techniques
Statistical evaluation possible
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
5
10
15
20
25
Solvent and
free water
Increasing pressure
and/or temperature
Strongly bound
monolayer
Less strongly bound
water layers and
capillary adsorbed water
A
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Relative humidity (%)
W
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Page: 6
Water Absorption in Oil and Cellulose
20 30 40 50 60 70 80
0
200
400
600
800
20 30 40 50 60 70 80
0
200
400
600
800
M
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S
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[
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Oil 1 Oil 1
Oil 4 Oil 4
Oommen Oommen
NN 0,49
Silicone Silicone
Temperature [C]
Capillar
condensation
Physical
adsorption
Chemical
adsorption
H
H
H H
H
O
O
O
O
O
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
C
H
H
H
O
O
O
H
H
H
H
H
O
O
O
H
H
H
O
O H
H
O
H
Oil: Saturated hydrocarbons
Nonpolar molecules very low
water solubility (ppm)
Increases with aromatics,
aging products (acids)
Cellulose: Glucose rings with OH-groups
Polar and therefore hygroscopic,
Water receptivity 2000-fold to oil
Moisture Distribution
OMICRON Seite 7
[Ryzhenko, V. Sokolov, V.: Effect of Moisture on Dielectric Withstand Strength of Winding Insulations in Power
Transformers. Electrical Stations (Electric Power Plants) No. 9, 1981]
125/95C
85/65C
Temp.
1,4/2,1%
2,4/2,9%
Moisture
270/420
441/1105
DP
T+ T
Oil 16 ppm
1,1 kg H
2
O
cellulose W =3 %
210 kg water
Example:
150 MVA, 7 t cellulose,
70 t Mineral oil,
Temperature 40C
Important to know how wet
the paper/pressboard is,
rather than the oil!
Moisture in Transformers
Sources, Risks and Measurements
Dr. Maik Koch
1. Risks, Sources, Distribution
2. Measurement Methods and Comparison
3. Case studies
History of Moisture Estimation Methods
1935 Karl Fischer titration
Determination of water in liquids and solids
Regular testing of oil samples
Equilibrium Diagrams
1960 Fabre Pichon,
based on ppm, often redrawn
Various uncertainties
1995+first on-line RS probes
RS instead of ppm

Dielectric Response Analysis
1927 Schering bridge
C/DF/PF at 50/60Hz
1991 RVM today not used
1995 PDC
1999 FDS
2007 Combination PDC+FDS
Frequency
D
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Karl Fischer Titration
Reference for other methods
Measures water content
Water relative to weight
[g, %, ppm]
Possible errors:
Transportation to laboratory
Sample preparation
Titration system
Measurement of bound water depends
on heating temperature and time

Scattered results obtained by
Round Robin Tests

5,8
16,2
15,2
8,9
12,2
19,8
7,5
0
5
10
15
20
25
US B C D E F G
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Sample A Sample B Sample C
4,7
5,8
32,8
6,7
16,2
54,8
11,2
15,2
44,3
3,5
8,9
9,5
12,2 12,1
19,8
4,8
7,5
40
0
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20
30
40
50
60
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340
35,3
39,8
A
B
C
D
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-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
A B C D E F G
w
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C
Round Robin Test on Oil Samples
Comparability is dissatisfying!
Moisture in paper via equilibrium diagrams?
Calculation of Moisture in Paper:
Equilibrium Diagrams
1. Onsite oil sampling, transportation to laboratory
2. Moisture content determination (ppm)
3. Application of an equilibrium diagram
Sampling
Uncertainty of KFT
Equilibrium conditions
Literature sources
Absorption capacity
Aging
Aging
Improvement: Moisture saturation
Capacitive Probes
20 30 40 50 60 70 80
0
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600
800
20 30 40 50 60 70 80
0
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800
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Oil 1 Oil 1
Oil 4 Oil 4
Oommen Oommen
NN 0,49
Silicone Silicone
Based on moisture equilibrium Moisture relative to saturation
Hygroscopic polymer film
Change of capacity
Result: 0-100 % or 0-1 aw
Possible errors:
Diffusion of aging byproducts
Corrosion of electrodes
Calibration necessary
C
w,S
= 122 ppm
C
w,S
= 280 ppm
Calculation of ppm (g/g)
by oil specific coefficients
Example: C
w,rel
= 10%, 40C
New Oil: C
w
= 12 ppm
Aged oil: C
w
= 28 ppm
Calibration to oil essential
upper porous electrode
bottom electrode , glass substrate
polymer film
diffusion
Equilibrium Based on Moisture
Saturation
Aging of oil can be excluded
Onsite and on-line application
01.06.2003 05.06.2003 09.06.2003 13.06.2003 17.06.2003
0
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30
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65
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Time, date
Oil temperature
RS in cellulose
RS in oil
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Moisture relative to saturation/ %
0
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0 10 20 30 40
M
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Aged KP 21C
Aged KP 40C
Aged KP 60C
Aged KP 80C
2,2
4,1
Equilibrium conditions:
Long time constant
Only elevated temperatures
Not for factory test
Aging of cellulose
Dielectric Response Analysis
OMICRON Page 16
Tank
Guard
HV-winding
LV-winding
Voltage source
Main insulation
~
Current meter
Frequency/Hz
0.0001 0.01 0.1 1.0 10
0.002
0.010
0.100
1.000
1000 0.001
5.000
DF
0.12
0.0024
50
0.0036
New Moderate Aged
?
Dissipation factor vs. frequency
Interpretation and Analysis
OMICRON Page 17
f/Hz
0.001 0.01 0.1 1.0 10 100
D
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0.0001
0.001
0.01
0.1
1
10
0.0001
Overall response
1%, 1pS/m, X30, Y15
1000
Oil: carbon,
soot, hmw acids
Pressboard:
water, lmw
acids
Insulation
geometry
Pressboard,
connections,
guarding
Automatic Moisture Calculation
Automatic Moisture Calculation
Oil conductivity
Water content
Saturation
Assessment
Page: 20 October 13
Combined FDS-PDC Test
C
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Time [s]
Trans-
formation
Frequency [Hz]
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0,001
0,001
1
1000
1000 1
100
1
Frequency [Hz]
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1000
1
0,001
0,1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
PDC Combined
T
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0,0001
0,001
0,01
0,1
1
10
100
1000
F
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H
z
FDS
f >0,1 Hz frequency domain
f <1 Hz time domain
22 min for 1 kHz - 1 mHz
2:50 h for 1 kHz - 0,1 mHz
Page: 21 October 13
Moisture Content and Age
0
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%
Age / years
D1.0 M1.5
R3.0 P3.0
WCO WSO
DIRANA MODS
Water content
Water saturation
Dielectric Response:
Equilibrium:
Dielectric Response Analysis
Seite 22
Different data bases
However good agreement
Differences for aged transformers
0
1
2
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4
5
25 22 25 25 22 32 22 55 78 21 21 16 20 9 25 29 30 55 25 25 21
DIRANA MODS
W
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Temperature / C
Equilibrium Methods
OMICRON Seite 23
High moisture content using moisture content in oil ppm
Reasonable agreement between moisture saturation and
dielectric response analysis
Relative Deviation
Good agreement of dielectric response analysis with
paper samples
OMICRON Seite 24
-40%
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
Moisture in Transformers
Sources, Risks and Measurements
Dr. Maik Koch
1. Risks, Sources, Distribution
2. Measurement Methods and Comparison
3. Case studies
Page: 26 October 31, 2013
New Transformers
Very different DF curves
B / A
Same moisture content
0,4 % / 0,4%
Different oil conductivity
0,94 pS/m / 0,06 pS/m
PI would undervalue A
Stop at 1 or 2 mHz would
make analysis impossible
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000
Frequency / Hz
D
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0.0001
0.01
0.03
0.1
0.3
0.7
0.003
A B
Page: 27 October 31, 2013
Transformer in Meiningen/Austria
Manufactured in 1967
Rated power 133 MVA
230/115/48 kV
Cooling: Oil forced/air forced

Technical data
Drying required?
Page: 28 October 31, 2013
Measurement Instruments
Onsite oil samples
Capacitive probe Vaisala
HMP 228: RH =10,1%
KF titration C
W
=19 ppm
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
0 10 20 30 40
Moisture relative to saturation [%]
M
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K
r
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p
a
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[
%
]

21C
40C
60C
80C
Dielectric measurements
FDS, PDC
Analysis by DIRANA
Drying History
On-line drying with oil circulation for 1,5 years
0
1
2
3
4
5
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
M
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Year
Dirana CHL
Dirana CLT
RS equilibrium
PPM equilibrium
Page: 31 October 31, 2013
Heavily Aged Transformer
III. Dielektrische Messverfahren: Praxis
0
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Contradictory results

Oil sampling
Moisture in cellulose derived from oil
Dielectric methods
Moisture in cellulose from dielectric
properties (PDC, FDS, Dirana)
Manufactured in 1950
Oil: Shell K6SX from 1965,
acidity 0,5 mg KOH / g oil,
conductivity 1300pS/m @ 21C
DP 593 top / 718 bottom
DP from furane analysis: 237
O
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p
p
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O
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R
S

P
D
C

F
D
S

D
I
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A
N
A

Proved by paper samples
Moisture in cellulose by KF titration
K
F
T

Moisture in Transformers - Sources,
Risks and Measurements
Maik Koch
1. Measurement Methods
2. Comparison
3. Monitoring of the Factory Drying Process
Drying in the Manufacturing
Process
Vacuum ovens costly
Bottleneck in process
Drying time depends on ambient
humidity and raw material
Optimizing drying time saves
energy and costs!
Progress of Oven Drying
without vacuum is the lowest moisture content limited
lower values can be reached with vacuum
0
1
2
3
4
5
0 50 100 150
Drying Time [min]
Without
vacuum
With
vacuum
0.3
0.8
Summary
Utilities approach 1
Regular oil sampling
(ppm, preferably RS)
Dielectric response test
after indication
Utilities approach 2
Regular DR analysis along with
other electrical tests
Comparison to RS equilibrium
for confirmation
Dry
Moderately
wet
Wet
Extremely wet
0
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4
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6
7
0 10 20 30 40 50
M
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Age / years
D1.0 M1.5
R3.0 P3.0
WCO WSO
IEC60422