THERMAL AGING OF OIL INSULATION COMPARING CONVENTIONAL AND

THERMALLY UPGRADED PAPERS

Vera Lucia d'hlmeida e Silva
CEPEL - Centro de Pesquisas de Energia Eletrica
C.P. 2754, 20001-970 Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
ABSTRACT
Oil-paper insulating system is widely used in electrical
eguipments and, even though aging can be affected by heating
of oil, one should consider that the rate of degradation of
the paper is the main factor for life assessments.
This paper reports on experiments on two conventional
and four thermally upgraded kraft papers and naphtenic
mineral insulating oil. These materials were aged, in
specially designed glass cells, at 125, 140, 155 and 17OoC,
between 100 and 4000 hr, under nitrogen atmosphere.
Degradation was evaluated by tests on papers and oil.
The results available to date are presented and
discussed.
INTRODUCTION
Degradation of oil-paper insulating system affects
directly eguipments aging and may be responsible for
failures, increased maintenance costs or loss of reliability
or availability.
However both paper and oil take part in eguipments
aging, paper determines the end of useful life.
Accelerated thermal aging of oil-paper insulating
systems was studied, comparing conventional and thermally
upgraded papers, and results obtained were analysed.
TEST PROCEDURE
Materia1s
- Four thermally upgraded insulating kraft papers, named A,
B, C and D.

456/D4

- Two conventional insulating kraft papers, named E and F.

- Mineral insulating oil of a naphtenic base, in accordance
with Brazilian Specification CNP 18/85.
Experimental ProcedureEl]
The accelerated thermal aging of the oil-paper
insulating system was conducted in specially designed glass
cells, under constant temperature and nitrogen atmosphere.
The conditions were: 125OC - 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800 hr;
14OoC - 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 hr; 155OC - 100, 200,
400, 800, 1600 hr, for conventional papers and 14OoC - 150,
200, 300, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 2400, 4800 hr; 155OC - 200,
400, 800, 1600, 2900, 3200hr; 17OoC - 100, 200, 400, 800,
1600 hr, for thermally upgraded papers.
For each aging test, paper samples were prepared wih six
pieces of 1.5 x 30 cm, for tensile strength and elongation
tests, and one piece of 24 x 27,5 cm for burstiing strength
and degree of polymerization (DP) tests. Each cell contains
these paper samples and 1700 ml of mineral insulating oil.
Paper samples were dried directly in the test cell at
8OoC during 16 hr, followed by 24 hr under vacuum at 105OC.
After drying, the samples were vacuum impregnated with
insulating oil that had been previously degassified and
dehumidified.
The test cells, thus prepared, were returned t o the oven
for the moisture equilibrium process, in a super dry
nitrogen atmosphere at 105OC for 24 hr, after which oil
samples were taken for moisture tests.
After each aging step the following tests were
conducted:
- insulating oil: moisture content, dissolved gas content, 2
- furfuraldehyde (FAL) content, neutralization number,
interfacial tension, dielectric breakdown dissipation
factor and color.
- insulating paper: tensile strength and elongation,
bursting strength and degree of polymerization.
Prior to the aging process, equally prepared samples
were tested to ascertain the initial values for paper and
oil. Nitrogen contents of new paper samples were also
determined.

457

RESULTS AND DISCUSSPONS

Too many test results were obtained and only the most
relevant are presented here.
The retention percentage of each paper property tested
was related to aging time, at different temperatures. From
these plots, paper end-point criterion of 80% of tensile
strength retention was taken. Corresponding criteria of
bursting strength, elongation and DP were also taken. After
construction of Arrhenius'curves for each paper, temperature
indexes (TI) were compared, as shown in Table I.

TABLE I

Temperature indexes of six oil-paper systems,

after accelerated thermal aging
I

Insulating Paper

I
I

Tensile
Strength

Elongation I

Bursting I
Strength I

FAL I
I ContentI

DP

Iin O i l I
I
,
1Initial I
4
,
IDesignationlNitrogenIInitial 1RetentionI TIIRetentionl TIIRetention1 TIIRetention: TI1 (ppm) I
!Content I DP
I
(8)
I
I
(8)
I
I (8)
I
I
(8)
1
:
I

I
I

(8)
~

3
I

,,

80

I1371
I

I 1090

2.90

1.65

I 1113

80

I1321
8

I - I - + ~ 1 _ ~ - 1 _ 1 - 4

1.20
~

80

I
~

0,22

0,ZB

I 911

1 951

80

i 1092

1-1

8 -I_

61

tC

I
!

,
I

63

63

<

1130:

I1231

66

0.05;

,
18-

I1051

0,051

&

I1081
(

I 941

I106I
I

0,051

50

I 531
I
I

38

___

99:

I
I_*-

I 881
I

0,5 1

58

I 941

76

1 951

31

1 951

44

I 991

I 581

52

I 861

35

55

,
8

1 841

62

n_ept

I1081
t

-1-1-If

36

73

,
_

60

8
t

I 851
I

-D

-1-1-I

I 60;
I

50

72
t

50

I
- 8

I
1

11321
I
,
_
(_Ipl_l-I
I1241

67

I1061

8
_

80

I 1226

69

I1071
I

I
,

_)-1_1-1

I 1254
b

I
1

72

I1111

60

I1331

,,

II

11341
I

80
~

61

I
I

I 1190

3,42

38

I
I

I_

#--I_

1.0 I
I
I

8,0

I 661

2,O 1

,,

I 911

8.0 I
I

I
I

I
I

All of the new paper samples were tested in accordance

with IEC 554 and the best mechanical properties were showed
by papers C and D.
The discussion will be focused on the FAL test, which is
the newest aging evaluation parameter. Figures 1 to 6 show
the relation of FAL content to aging time, for each paper
studied. FAL content values were obtained by high
performance liquid chromatography.
458

FIG2

- PAPER B

g 0.a

; I
2

FlL3

- PAPER C
0

155c

140 C

155c
17C C

0.15

01

0.10

i
[I

0.10

0.10

FIG4

- PAPER

r14UL

Fig.1 to 6-Relation of FAL content to aging time, with

papers A to F
Thermally upgraded papers A and B didn't show FAL
evolution with time.
Figures 7 to 12 show the correlation of FAL content in
oil and insulating paper DP, for each paper studied.
flG.7

- PAPER A

FIG.8

- PA

RB

* 140 C
155c

0.15

_I

0.05

..

a
I..

'bl"

.
~

FIG12

J 40

- PAPER F

..

155c
'bluk'

Fig.7 to 12-Relation of FAL content to DP of papers A to F

Comparative analysis of the data can be seen in Fig.13.

459

D!

0.

*\',

-..*__4

,D

b-=
E

INSULbTING PbPLR

Fig.13-Comparative analysis of TI, FAL and nitrogen contents

Temperature indexes showed to be similar for the four
properties studied and the lower dispersion was presented by
papers A, E and F.
Thermally upgraded papers showed higher TI than that
showed by conventional ones and coherent with nitrogen
contents: the higher nitrogen content, the higher TI.
FAL content at the end-point criterion also follows TI
obtained: papers with lower TI showed higher FAL contents in
oil.
CONCLUSIONS
However thermally upgraded papers with lower nitrogen
content showed the best initial mechanical properties, they
presented lower mechanical and chemical stability during
aging.
FAL content in oil follows TI obtained for papers
studied; the lower TI, the higher FAL evolution.
Correlation of FAL content in oil to aging time and
paper DP depends on the type and quality of paper studiedREFERENCES
[ll R. Morais and E. Engelstein, 10th Int. Conf. on Cond.
and Breakd. in Dielectric Liquids, France, 1990.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work is part of a research project of the
Transmission Department of ELETROBRAS, holding of Brazilian
Electrical Sector.
460