Case studies of transformers investigations with DGA
and winding resistances
Mohamed Belmiloud
Transformateur Service Vnissieux
Vnissieux, France
Mohamed.belmiloud@tsv-transfo.com
Abstract Power transformers, designed to transmit
electrical power, are key components for the electrical grid
and industrial processes. The transformers breakdowns
generally lead to important availability losses principally due
to difficulty to repair or exchange. Unavailability has a high
cost in term of productivity and service quality.
Unfortunately, due to their technical specificities and their
high costs, the trend is to keep them in service as long as
possible with lowest maintenance cost possible. To achieve
such objectives, transformer health management techniques
become more and more important. The transformer
diagnosis tools are traditionally based on measurement
analysis and expert knowledge.
Many tools give information to diagnose power transformers
such as chemical tools (oil analysis) and electrical
measurements. This article focuses on the expert use of the
Dissolved gas analysis to perform the diagnosis of the
incipient fault on the basis of two maintenance cases.
This study was done with high expertise of Transfo Lab of
TSV (Transformer Service Vnissieux) who collect a lot of oil
data analysis often associated with the transformer
reparation. This high knowledge activity with both
transformer health monitoring, diagnosis and maintenancy
has driven to high level expertise. This expertise was
formalized in two PhD work [11],[12] done with the Grenoble
Electrical Engineering laboratory.
Index Terms-- Power transformers, DGA, Oil analysis,
Assess management, Winding resistance, Maintenance
I. INTRODUCTION
The methodology of transformer diagnosis depends on
three levels of information: transformer design (MVA,
technology, years, etc.); results of transformer
measurements and their evolution (Dissolved Gaz Analysis,
978-1-4799-7300-2/14/$31.00 2014 IEEE
Bertrand Raison
Grenoble Electrical Engineering laboratory
Universit Joseph Fourier - UJF
Grenoble, France
Gilles Rostaing
SATIE-ENS de Cachan
Cachan France
compared to reference measurements), and finally the
maintenance history from the user (load, temperature, etc.).
Section II will present the main diagnostic tools that are
available.
This paper presents two case studies where oil analysis
first detects incipient faults, and afterwards electrical
measures can localize more precisely the main default. The
early detection of faults associated with appropriate
maintenance management had prevented irreversible failure
and improved transformer availability.
In these both cases, oil Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA)
had allowed to highlight a high temperature thermal fault,
then different diagnosis approaches had given many levels
of interpretation and fault hypothesis. Following those
results, some additional electrical measurements have given
more accuracy on incipient fault.
The presented fault cases (section III and IV) are both
hot spots faults, once on DETC and once on OTC (fig 2).
These diagnosis were visually confirmed after transformer
untanking at the end of the expertises.
Finally, a conclusion will be discussed in section V.
Figure 1. DETC
 III. CASE STUDY #1
A. Transformer characteristics
The power transformer is in service in a chemical plant
and is supplying one rectifier for the process. Its
characteristics are the following ones.

TABLE I. CASE #1 TRANSFORMER MAIN CHARACTERISTICS

Rating 22 MVA
Age 37 years
HV 20kV
LV 376V
Connection Yy
MR C type 35
OLTC
Figure 2. One Line Tape Changer scheme taps

II. DIAGNOTIC TOOLS

B. Investigations on oil analysis
The complete paper will address an exhaustive review
In a maintenance process some Dissolved Gas Analysis
of the various available diagnosis tools.
(DGA) of the transformer oil have been performed since
A. Oil analysis 2004 (Figure 3) and then over time.
The concentration of Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA)
enables to identify hot spots and arcing within the oil of
transformers. Some of the main gases that are analyzed are:
CH4, C2H6, C2H4, C2H2, CO. The concentration of these
gases is interesting for diagnosis purposes; some
methodology of analysis like the Duvals triangle can give
diagnosis results, mainly of incipient thermal faults.

B. Winding resistance
In fact, winding resistance is made with some contact
resistance (DETC or OLTC) plus real winding resistance.
This resistance is measured by current injection on one
winding, and can be compared to the other similar windings
Figure 3. Oil analysis
of the same transformer. If some differences appear, it may
mean a problem of short circuit or of a bad resistance of The acetylene (C2H2) concentration, around 300 ppm,
contact. is quite important and significant about some arcing within
the transformer. But it remains almost the same in time, and
C. Visual inspection
at the beginning the concentration of the other significant
It enables to precisely look at some mechanical faults, gases for hot spots (CH4, C2H6 and C2H4) are almost all
dusts or hot spots. It implies often an untanking of the less than 100 ppm.
transformer to get access to visual inspection of the
windings. It is a very efficient way to confirm some faults
when it is possible to do it.

D. DiagnosisMethodology
The transformer "on line" monitoring is generally done
by regular oil sampling and analysis. So, first diagnostic
information are results of oil analysis done in specialized
lab. In our study, TSV has his own lab (Transfo Lab). In
case of doubt on diagnosis, results can be discriminated by
electrical measurement. In this paper, diagnosis results have
been confirmed by an untanking of transformer, visual
inspection and fault identification.

Figure 4. Oil analysis

 According to the age of transformer that is 37 years old
and its intensive use in a production process, it has been
presumed that the oilproofness of the OLTCs diverter
switchs tank was not fully efficient any more. It implies
that when a tap is changed, mainly some acetylene is
produced and is moving then in the whole transformer.
At end of February 2007, acetylene was remaining still
the same, but all the three other significant hot spots gases
have been impressively increased. In normal service
conditions the other gases should not have increased, or at
least in a close proportion than acetylene. But as acetylene
is constant, it has been supposed that only diverter's
switch's arcing occurred in the transformer. This had lead to
the conclusion that a hot spot in the transformer was Figure 5. OLTC selector hot spot
formed. The CO concentration remaining around a few
hundreds of ppm, we could conclude that no cellulosic Following the reparation it is supposed that the cause of
insulation (winding paper) was engaged in this hot spot... the initial fault, due to its location, might be a slight
mechanical loss of the springs compression capability.
Following this assessment, DGAs were performed This spring is used to maintain as close as possible two
nearly every week to look at the evolution of the failure and metallic plates of the tap connection from the central
the transformer load was decreased to avoid accident, until collector to the tap.
the transformer may be removed from service for further
investigation. IV. CASE STUDY #2
C. Investigations on winding resistance and visual A. Transformer characteristics
inspection The power transformer is an autotransformer in service
In mid December 2007 this transformer has been in a chemical plant and is supplying one rectifier for the
moved to the TSV repair workshop for further investigation process. Its characteristics are the following.
and, finally, reparation.
On low voltage electric tests of failure investigation, TABLE III. CASE #2 TRANSFORMER MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
HV winding resistances (Table II), under 5 A, pointed out
some contact problem on the extremes and mid taps of the Rating 10.65 MVA
On Load Tap Changer. Age 33 years
HV 11kV
LV 6.5kV
TABLE II. FAULT INVESTIGATION ON HV WINDING RESISTANCES
(M) Connection Yy
MR D type 35
Tap AB AC BC OLTC
taps
1 115 114 142
18 127 118 135
35 148 149 159 B. Investigations on Oil analysis
1) Characteristics of the fluid
In normal conditions on a unique tap the winding The measures are presented in Table IV.
resistances should be almost the same on the three phases.
In this case differences can be seen especially on BC TABLE IV. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FLUID
resistance that is higher to AB and AC resistances.
According to the variations of winding resistances Result Unit
measures on every OLTCs taps, it has been suspected that Breakdown
the hot spot could be located on steel part of the OLTC. 65kV
Voltage
After transformer's untanking, during visual Water Content
10ppm
investigation, a carbonized hot spot (Figure 5) was found 20C
on the OLTCs selector at the base of an electric connection Total acidity 0.15 mg KOH/g
on the central collector side. This location enables the Number oil
connection of the different taps to the principal HV Dissipation factor
0.09
windings. Finally the OLTCs selector was repaired and 90C
then new winding resistances tests were performed. After
reparation, all the winding resistances were equal.
 The different results are in accordance with the standard
IEC 60422. The properties of the fluid are correct.
2) Furanic compound
Furanic compound are characteristic of the degradation
of cellulosic insulation. The content of furfural is 0.04 ppm
and is characteristic of an excellent cellulosic insulation.
3) Dissolved gas analysis
In 2007 and 2008, dissolved gases analysis were
realized; results are presented in Table V.
The measures realized on the three phases (Aa, Bb and
Cc) of the transformer reveals a higher resistance on phase
C (on position 1 or 2). This resistance increases when the
position of the switch is on the position 2.
The fault is probably located on the position 1 and 2 of
the LTC on phase C. The default is probably more
important in the position 2.

TABLE V. RESULTS OF DISSOLVED GAS ANALYSIS

03/200
Unit pppm @ 20C 05/2008
7
Hydrogen H2 358 14
Carbon monoxide
448 206
CO
Methane CH4 784 20
Ethane C2H6 269 16
Ethylene C2H4 1165 54
Acetylene C2H2 130 60
Figure 7. Winding resistances (m)
The values measured in 2008 are higher than the
acceptable typical values defined in the standard IEC D. Visual inspection
60599. The contents of dissolved gases have strongly After transformer untanking, Figure 8 presents the
evolved since 2007, ethylene in particular. The detail of the fault inside the transformer.
interpretation of the results following the Duvals triangle
is shown on Figure 6.

2008

2007

Figure 6. Representation of the Duvals triangle

The application of the triangle indicates that the results

are characteristic of a of high temperature thermal fault (T3
> 700C). This fault is often characteristic of a deficient
connection in the transformer.

C. Investigations on winding resistances Figure 8. Details of the DETC on phase C Position 1 up and position 2
connected
In 2008 during further expertise, measures of winding
resistances with changing the position of the off load tap
changer (position 1 and 2) were performed. The results are
presented on Figure 7.
 V. CONCLUSION [11] JeanJ.Sanchez 2011 : Aide au diagnostic
In those two cases, the efficiency of the DGA oil de dfauts des transformateurs de puissance PhD
analysis for detecting incipient thermal fault in the thesis INP Grenoble
transformer, without Buchholz relay trip, has been shown.
Moreover the DGA has been a highly efficient trigger for [12] M. Belmiloud 2013 : Analyse dhuile pour laide
further investigations. The winding resistances au diagnostic de dfauts des transformateurs de puissance
measurement enables more precise localization of contact PhD thesis INP Grenoble
resistances failure, here in Tap Changers. The DGA
analysis associated with winding resistance measurement
and transformer design information could localize easily
this kind of hot spot on no used DETC. In both cases the
importance of the regularity of the sampling of oil analysis
has proved to improve the transformer assessment.

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