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Figure 2. Extraction of dissolved gases from insulating oil using the headspace method [2].
components immobilized in stationary the phase travel with the gases such as H2, O2, and N2 [2]. Mass spectrometer detection
carrier gas. This occurs thousands of times for each gaseous using electron ionization techniques is very sensitive and is nor-
component during its travel along the column. The time taken by mally used for measurements on complex gaseous mixtures.
each gaseous component to pass through the column (the reten- Molecules such as methyl acetate, 2-methylfuran, phenol,
tion time) varies from component to component, and depends on methyl formate, furan, methanol, ethanol, acetone, isopropyl al-
the temperature of the column and the chemical structure of the cohol, and methyl ethyl ketone, present in the oil as solids, can
stationary phase. The separation characteristics of the columns also be detected [22]–[25].
and the detection sensitivity may vary with the carrier gas [21].
There are two main types of column, namely packed and Hydrogen On-Line Monitoring
capillary. Most users prefer capillary columns with a station- The hydrogen on-line monitor [16], [26] is a rugged low-cost
ary phase coated on the inner wall [17]. Capillary columns have device introduced by Syprotec and further developed by the In-
smaller diameters but are longer than packed columns and, there- stitut de Recherche d’Hydro Quebec. It is widely accepted that
fore, have substantially higher separation capacities. Separation a majority of faults in oil-filled electrical equipment lead to the
capacity is defined as the number of gaseous components that generation of hydrogen [8]; the hydrogen on-line monitor there-
can be separated between the carrier gas and the stationary phase fore focuses on key gases such as hydrogen and carbon mon-
within the column [17]. Smaller diameter and lengthier columns oxide [14]. In this way early detection of faults, especially hot
will slow the travel rates of gaseous components and hence slow spots, partial discharges, and arcing, can be achieved. Ethylene
the separation process. It is essential that the temperature of the and acetylene can also be detected but with reduced sensitivity.
column be kept constant, in order to achieve known and constant A hydrogen on-line monitor consists essentially of a sensor in
separation capacity. contact with the oil, and an electronic unit. The sensor is placed
The gaseous components are washed out of the column one in a rugged brass housing containing a fuel cell, a temperature
by one, depending on their retention time, and interact with the sensor, and a Teflon membrane (Figure 4). The sensor can be
heated detectors, generating electrical signals [21]. These sig- installed on a flange or valve on the transformer pipe work be-
nals are recorded by a data-collection system and plotted against tween the cooling bank and the main tank [16], or on the up-
elapsed time, producing a chromatogram. Gases can be identi- per part of the transformer [27]. Hydrogen in the oil permeates
fied using the retention time, and the concentration of a given through the Teflon membrane, along with atmospheric oxygen,
gas is determined by the magnitude of the associated electrical and is chemically burnt in the electrolyte cell, thus generating a
signal. small current proportional to the hydrogen gas concentration in
Several different types of detector are available, e.g., ther- the oil. (Simultaneously, water is formed as a result of the reac-
mal conductivity, flame ionization, nitrogen–phosphorus, flame tion between hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen.) The current is
photometry, electron capture, atomic emission, and electrolytic amplified and measured as a voltage drop across the load resistor
conductivity [17], [21]. R connected between two porous electrodes, the voltage drop
Flame ionization detectors are normally used to detect hy- yielding the hydrogen gas concentration in the oil. An alarm is
drocarbon and carbon oxide gases, due to their high sensitivity, activated if the hydrogen concentration reaches a predetermined
and thermal conductivity detectors are used to detect permanent level.
Figure 5 shows the basic operating principle, and Figure 6 shows vibration [31]. The advantages and disadvantages of GC, hydro-
some construction details [29]. gen on-line monitoring, and PAS are compared in Table 1.
PAS is a very stable diagnostic tool, suitable for monitoring
the condition of power transformers [12]. However, since each Interpretation of DGA Data
fault gas absorbs infrared light at a specific wavelength, select-
ing the center wavelength for each gas is a critical process [29]. Key Gas Method (KGM)
Figure 7 shows the characteristic absorption of various gases, The generation of fault gases within transformer oil requires
and water vapor. The detection sensitivity of the equipment var- sufficiently high temperatures (energy) to break chemical bonds
ies from gas to gas, and its detection accuracy is influenced by in the oil, which then reduces its dielectric insulation strength
the external environment, e.g., temperature and pressure, and by [28]. The KGM uses the individual concentrations of the six
Table 1. Comparison of Gas Chromatography (GC), Hydrogen On-Line Monitor, and Photo-Acoustic Spectroscopy (PAS).
GC • Able to detect and analyze every gas dissolved • Can be used only in the laboratory, due to the complexity
in transformer oil of the equipment
• Provides highest accuracy and repeatability • Long time required to complete a test on a transformer
Hydrogen on-line monitor • Rugged, low-cost, and continuous on-line monitoring • Can detect only H2, CO, C2H2, and C2H4
• Can detect incipient faults • Best concentration accuracy only within the monitor
temperature range 20–40°C
PAS • Continuous on-line monitoring • Results are sensitive to the wave number range of the optical
filters and their absorption characteristics
• Can detect and measure the concentration of a wide range • Concentration accuracy influenced by the external
of fault gases temperature and pressure, and by vibration
• Results can be used to identify the fault type • Still undergoing development
fault gases shown in Figure 8. The four common fault condi- RRM can be used provided the concentrations exceed the L1
tions are distinguished by the quoted percentage concentrations values in Table 3 [8].
of the six gases. These percentages are based on the practical The RRM originally used four concentration ratios, namely
experience of various experts. C2H6/CH4, C2H2/C2H4, CH4/H2, and C2H4/C2H6, leading to 12
These KGM charts look simple, but they are not widely ac- proposed diagnoses [9]. However, the condition C2H6/CH4 <1
cepted as reliable diagnostic tools for power transformers [32]. held for 10 of the 12 suggested diagnoses, i.e., the ratio C2H6/
Studies based on an IEC data bank of inspected transformers CH4 was of little diagnostic value [32], [35]. This ratio was
show that only 42% of KGM diagnoses are correct [33]. therefore omitted in the revised IEEE Standard C57.104-1991
[8], and the original 12 suggested diagnoses were replaced by
Doernenburg Ratio Method (DRM) six (including the normal state), as shown in Table 4 [34]. How-
This method [34], [35] uses the ratio of gas concentrations ever, inconsistencies have been reported [1], [7], the success rate
to indicate fault types. Predefined limits for the CH4/H2, C2H2/ for correct fault type identification being 58.9% [7].
C2H4, C2H2/CH4, and C2H6/C2H2 ratios are used to interpret the IEC Ratio Method (IRM)
DGA results (Table 2) [34]. This method uses the same three ratios as the revised RRM but
DRM diagnosis cannot be applied unless the concentration of suggests different ratio ranges and interpretations, as shown in
at least one of the key gases (H2, C2H4, CH4, and C2H2) exceeds Table 5 [36]. A new gas ratio has been introduced, namely C2H2/
twice the relevant L1 concentration (Table 3) and the concen- H2 to detect possible contamination from on-load tap-changer
tration of at least one of the two gases appearing in any one of compartments [38]. Another improvement is 3-D graphical rep-
the four ratios exceeds the relevant L1 concentration [8]. The resentation of ratio ranges, which yields more reliable diagno-
proposed fault diagnosis is based on the ranges of the four ratios ses, and diagnoses of faults associated with ratios outside the
shown in Table 2. ranges quoted in Table 5 [1].
Rogers Ratio Method (RRM) Duval Triangle Method (DTM)
This method is similar to the DRM. However, whereas the This method was developed from an existing IEC 60599 Ra-
DRM requires significant concentrations of the fault gases, the tio method and IEC TC10 databases [36]. It interprets DGA data
Suggested fault diagnosis Oil Gas space Oil Gas space Oil Gas space Oil Gas space
Thermal fault >1 >0.1 <0.75 <1 <0.3 <0.1 >0.4 >0.2
Arcing >0.1 to <1 >0.01 to <0.1 >0.75 >1 >0.3 >0.1 <0.4 <0.2
Figure 9. Coordinates and fault zones in the Duval triangle method [39].
Table 6. Comparison Among Key Gas Method (KGM), Doernenburg Ratio Method (DRM), Rogers Ratio Method (RRM), IEC Ratio Method (IRM), and Duval
Triangle Method (DTM).
KGM Uses individual gas concentrations, easy to implement, PD, arcing, overheated oil, overheated cellulose CO, CO2 ,H2, CH4, C2H2,
very conservative C2H4, and C2H6
DRM Uses four gas concentration ratios (CH4/H2, C2H2/C2H4, Thermal decomposition, PD, arcing H2, CH4, C2H2, C2H4, and
C2H2/CH4, and C2H6/C2H2) to indicate three fault types, C2H6
uses specified concentration limits to differentiate
between faults
RRM Uses three gas concentration ratios (C2/H2/C2/H4, CH4/H2, and PD, arcing, low temperature of thermal fault, thermal H2, CH4, C2H2, C2H4,
C2H4/C2H6) to indicate five fault types, uses specified <700°C, thermal >700°C and C2H6
concentration limits to differentiate between faults
IRM Similar to RRM but excludes the C2H6/CH4 ratio, indicates PD, low energy discharge, high energy discharge, H2, CH4, C2H2, C2H4,
six fault types, uses specified concentration limits thermal faults <300°C, between 300 and 700°C, and C2H6
to differentiate between faults and greater than 700°C
DTM Uses triangular map to indicate six faults, does not identify a PD, low energy discharge, high energy discharge, CH4, C2H2, and C2H4
normal state thermal faults <300°C, between 300 and 700°C,
and greater than 700°C