Winding Resistance Measurements

- How difficult can it be?

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Standards and recommendations

Winding resistance measurement (WRM) on power

transformers is one of the most common
transformer tests and covered in numerous
international standards e.g.

IEEE C57.12.90-2006, IEEE Standard Test Code for Liquid-

Immersed Distribution, Power, and Regulating Transformers
IEEE C62-1995, IEEE Guide for Diagnostic Field Testing of Electric
Power Apparatus - Part 1: Oil Filled Power Transformers, Regulators,
and Reactors (to be replaced by C57.152)
IEC 60076-1, Power transformers – Part 1: General

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 WRM – Why

 Measure the winding resistance in factory to verify design

 Use winding resistance measurement as tool to determine the winding
temperature (e.g. factory testing heat-run)
 Use winding resistance measurement to detect bad contacts in:
• Connections (e.g. Bushing to winding)
• LTC
• DETC

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WRM – When

 Factory test
 Installation/commissioning
 Routine (Scheduled) Transformer Maintenance
 Unscheduled Maintenance/Troubleshooting
 Internal Transformer Inspections

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WRM application and practices

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 WRM Basic theory

d   flux
U  R I 
dt

L
t
di(t ) dL(i(t ), t )
U  R  i(t )  L(i, t )   i(t ) 
dt dt
Winding Inductance × current × change of
resistance change of inductance.
× current Inductance is a
current (=0 if current is function of current
constant) AND time

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Principal relationship between applied voltage,
resistance and core saturation

OK

Avoid!

Time

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Selecting Test Current Range

 Try to saturate the core. This happens typically when the

test current is about 1% of rated load current (or about 2
times the no-load current)
 Never exceed 10% of rated current. This could cause
erroneous readings due to heating of the winding
 Typical test currents are 0.1-10% of rated current
 If test current is too low, measured resistance is not
consistent (pending magnetic status before the test is
started)

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Current ratings for typical transformers

HV LV
MVA
Description Configuration
rating
kV A kV A

Large GSU YNd5 1100 400 1590 27 23500

Medium GSU YNd11 220 78 1600 15 8300

Distribution YNyn0 20 21 550 11 1050

Small distribution Yyn0 0.5 10.5 27 0.4 720

~ 1% of rated current ~ 1 to 15 A on HV and 10 to 250 A on LV

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Winding resistance measurement – How
 Decide if single or 2-ch measurement/current injection (SWM) is
appropriate
 Connect current and voltage measurement cables to the actual
transformer winding(-s)
 Select test current
 Start test
 Wait for measurement results to stabilize
 When stable value, stop measurement/store result, discharging
starts automatically
 Wait until discharging is finalized before disconnecting any cables!
 Next measurement…
 When finished - Demagnetize

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Interpretation of Measurements

 Comparing to original factory measurements

 Comparing to previous field measurements
 Comparing one phase to another

Industry/factory standard permits a maximum difference of 0.5%

from the average of the three phase windings.

Field readings may vary more than this due to the many variables, in
particular the problem of determining exact winding temperature.
Suggested guidelines;

Absolute readings Within 5%

Relative readings between windings Within 1%

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Temperature dependence

 Measured resistance is pending winding temperature

 Resistance correction:
• R(initial)[1+ alpha (T(final) - T(initial)], where alpha(copper) is
0.0039 (0.39% per degree C)

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Demagnetization
 Described in IEEE C57.152
 Accomplished by switching the polarity of the DC current and then
repeating the same procedure while decreasing the current level
 Only necessary to connect to one of the HV windings/legs (with
highest exiting current)
 Important before SFRA and Excitation current measurements
 May effect TTR measurements
 Recommended in IEEE C57.152 to perform prior to excitation current
tests
 Recommended in upcoming IEEE C57.152 (former IEEE 62) before
reconnecting the transformer back in service (to avoid potentially
dangerous in-rush currents)
+100% of
Test current +10% Positive
+0.1% polarity
Etc…

-0.01% Negative
-1% polarity
-100%

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Adaptive demagnetization
 Measure/calculate voltage-time integral (V*s) at high current (above
saturation current)
 Create demagnetization cycles by reducing Vs value (typically 20%
reduction/step)
 Effective
• Verified against true AC demagnetization. Similar results in excitation current and
magnetic balance verification measurements

Magnetic balance after AC demag b-n Magnetic balance after adaptive demag b-n

a-n b-n c-n a-n b-n c-n

100% 68% 31% 100% 68% 31%

50% 100% 50% 50% 100% 50%

32% 67% 100% 31% 68% 100%

 Fast
• Significantly faster than static demagnetization algorithms for smaller transformers
(40 cycles demagnetization in less than 1 minute for 0.5 MVA transformer)

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Transformer magnetization influence

 500 kVA 10.5/0.4 kV transformer. 27 A rated HV current

 SFRA magnitude, HV [open], for 10 A to 5 mA magnetization currents
(36 to 0.02 % of rated HV current)
 Demagnetization should be performed down to at least 0.05 % of rated
current to avoid any effect on SFRA/excitation current measurements

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WRM field test guide
• Use a high accuracy dedicated winding resistance test set with
sufficient compliance voltage and test current
• Ground the instrument!
• Before you start measurements – Make a safety check
• Measure HV side (for all tap positions if LTC is on HV side)
• Continue with LV side (for all tap positions if LTC is on LV side). Use
dual injection technique if necessary to amplify magnetization
current
• Or use 2-ch and measure HV and LV simultaneously (SWM)
• Or use automated 3-w or 6-w measurement (MTO3xx)
• Never remove any cables before the transformer is fully discharged!
There is a lot of energy in a charged transformer!
• Demagnetize the core after test

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 Winding Resistance Measurements

Dual current injection/simultaneous winding

magnetization (SWM) application

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Delta winding configuration

Current flow Known issue:

LV windings on large
Yd transformers may
take very long time to
stabilize

MTO
Solution:
Simultaneous winding
magnetization (SWM);
Incject test current on
HV and LV
simultaneously!

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Increase magnetization and “effective test current”

Current Current

H0
H1 H0 H1
x1 x0 x1 x0

Electric
Current

Magnetic
Flux 10A ”110A”!
HV=1000 turns
LV=100 turns
Turn ratio=10
Single winding Dual winding
current injection current injection

Magnetization increases by factor of turn-ratio 19

10A test current X 10 Turn ratio = 110 A ”effective magnetization current” for the LV measurement!
WRM – LV delta measurement example (1)
220 MVA YNd11, LV 1-3, TTR=5.2, 10A test current (0.12% of rated)

mΩ
7.0

6.0

5.0
Single LV
injection

4.0 Dual HV-LV

injection

3.0 Dual ch
(out of
phase)

2.0

Actual resistance 2.50 mΩ

1.0

0.0
00:00 01:12 02:24 03:36 04:48 06:00 07:12 Minutes

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WRM – LV delta measurement example (2)
1100 MVA YNd5, LV u-v, TTR=14.8, 8A test current (0.03% of rated)

Single measurement
 Stabilization time > 25 minutes

SWM measurement
 Stabilization time about 5 minutes

Müller et. al, ”Optimized Tool for the

Measurement of Winding Resistance
in Power Transformers”, ISH 2011

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SWM Connection and Measurement
EXAMPLES ON TRANSFORMER CONNECTION SCHEMES FOR INJECTING TEST CURRENT AND MEASURING TWO WINDINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY
Measurement setup
Vector Group Current Connections Meas ch 1 Meas ch 2
+ Current Jumper - Current + - + -
H1 H3-X1 X3 H1 H3 X1 X3
Dd0 H2 H1-X2 X1 H2 H1 X2 X1
H3 H2-X3 X2 H3 H2 X3 X2
H1 H3-X0 X1 H1 H3 X0 X1
Dyn7 H2 H1-X0 X2 H2 H1 X0 X2
H3 H2-X0 X3 H3 H2 X0 X3
H1 H3-X1 X0 H1 H3 X1 X0
Dyn1 H2 H1-X2 X0 H2 H1 X2 X0
H3 H2-X3 X0 H3 H2 X3 X0
H1 H0-X1 X0 H1 H0 X1 X0
YNyn0 H2 H0-X2 X0 H2 H0 X2 X0
H3 H0-X3 X0 H3 H0 X3 X0
H1 H0-X1 X2 H1 H0 X1 X2
Ynd1 H2 H0-X2 X3 H2 H0 X2 X3
H3 H0-X3 X1 H3 H0 X3 X1
H1 H3-X1 X2 H1 H3 X3 X2
Dy1 H2 H1-X2 X3 H2 H1 X1 X3
H3 H2-X3 X1 H3 H2 X2 X1
H1 H0-X2 X1 H1 H0 X2 X1
YNd7 H2 H0-X3 X2 H2 H0 X3 X2
H3 H0-X1 X3 H3 H0 X1 X3
H1 H2-X0 X1 H1 H2 X0 X1
Dyn5 H2 H3-X0 X2 H2 H3 X0 X2
H3 H1-X0 X3 H3 H1 X0 X3
H1 H3-X1 X3 H1 H3 X1 X3
Dy11 H2 H1-X2 X1 H2 H1 X2 X1
H3 H2-X3 X2 H3 H2 X3 X2
H1 H2-X1 X0 H1 H2 X1 X0
Dyn11 H2 H3-X2 X0 H2 H3 X2 X0
H3 H1-X3 X0 H3 H1 X3 X0

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The doctor is in...

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