Transformer oil filtration procedure |

transformer oil regeneration / recycling |

transformer oil treatment
Do you know want to know what is Transformer Oil Purification ? how to do transformer oil
filtration? Or what is oil purification process?.

In this article you will understand transformer oil purification process , steps and methods involved
in oil purification process.

Transformer oil filtration machine

Transformer oil purification is a process to remove sludge, dissolved moisture and dissolved gases
from the oil.

Before we move to process details, Lets see why transformers need purified oil ?

Need for transformer oil filtration

As discussed in details Advantages of transformer oil filtration in post why transformer oil filtration
is required? here we will see in brief advantages for transformer oil purification :

 Improved insulation properties of the oil and hence the other media like paper/cellulose
insulation
 Better the insulation of transformer, longer the life of the transformer and lesser the
breakdown of the transformer
 Longer the life of the transformer asset, good returns on investment of the asset
 Lesser breakdowns and failure of the transformer results in uninterrupted power supply
For good performance of transformers we require filtration machines designed and manufactured
with standards. At NACH we manufacture Oil purification machines with Standard (BIS, NEMA,
IEEE, IEE, ASTM, ASME, IEC) for good performance of transformer.

Now lets move to, Transformer Oil Purification Procedure

Transformer Oil Purification Procedure

Transformer is one of the main asset in the electrical power industry which needs to be maintained
for guaranteed uninterrupted power transmission in order to get assured revenue benefits.

Transformer life mainly depends on the quality of oil volume it contains.

Regular transformer oil filtration assures long and consistent results from the transformer.

Transformer oil purification is a process to remove sludge, dissolved moisture and dissolved gases
from the oil. Transformer oil conditioning may also include to some extent improving the acidity of
the oil.

A good oil purification system is able to deliver filtered oil with parameters as per the standard
specification.

However, this revival of the oil by oil filtration plant to standard oil parameters is based on the
quality of unprocessed oil and its initial process. In case the unprocessed oil does not match the
standard oil parameters, then the effort of transformer oil filtration is all in vain. Alternate method of
regeneration of transformer oil should be adopted in this case.
Here we shall look at the method of the transformer oil filtration by vacuum type
dehydration and centrifuge type removal of solids and water separation.

Transformer oil conditioning is a stream line oil filtration process of sludge purification, moisture
removal and gas removal.

First step in the transformer oil purification

The first step in this serial process is to raise the oil temperature to a desired level, generally upto 65
Deg C. This aids to give the oil latent heat which later aids to dissociate the moisture and gases from
oil in the degassing chamber. Additionally the viscosity of the oil drops which aids in better filtration
to some extent. Recommended heater design should consider an area of heating of about 1 to 2
W/sq.cm. In the transformer oil purification plant, the heating system is protected against over
pressure built up and excess temperature rise.

Second step of transformer oil purification

The second step of transformer oil purification plant is removal of sludge and dirt from the
transformer oil.

Two methods have been used for removal of the sludge:

 Removal of sludge by filter candles. and/or

 Removal of sludge by centrifuging action.
Removal of sludge by filter candles.

Transformer oil filtration using filter candles in the transformer oil purifier machine can further be
classified as:

 Filtration using the classical edge filter

 Filtration of transformer oil using the depth type filter.

Both methods of cartridge type filtration are prevalent and owe certain advantages and
disadvantages.

The edge type filter system can be cleaned and be reused for at least three to four times, however,
cleaning and fitting of the edge filters involves considerable time and human effort. This system is
robust to handle large quantity of sludge. Edge filters can be cleaned by reverse pressurized dry
air/nitrogen flow in order to remove the contamination. After de-sludging the paper stack is removed
and dried in oven/ bright sunlight and reused. This operation demands experience and skill set.

New trends and technology in the market have driven transformer oil filter machines to use filter
cartridges instead edge type paper stacked filters. These cartridges are similar to those of the water
filter cartridges and can be selected from a variety of purification range say from 500 micron to 0.5
micron size.

The advantage using these cartridges over the edge filter is

 No moisture storage, since the filter media used can be non-hygroscopic

 Easy to replace with less human effort and easy availability.
Removal of sludge by centrifuging action.

An alternate method used for dirt separation from oil is centrifuge. Routine transformer oil filtration
or transformer oil conditioning is often confused with transformer oil centrifuging. Transformer oil
centrifuging is all together a different technology and has a little impact on improving the oil
parameters. Centrifuges used for separation of dirt from the transformer oil can be slow speed type
centrifuges that do not require additional electric motor to spin the centrifuge cone at high speed.

However, the dirt separation from oil with such centrifuging has limitations since these centrifuges
cannot remove the dirt less than 10 micron level. Thus a power driven centrifuge becomes evitable
which scales up the cost of the oil conditioning machine.

Only advantage of the centrifuges is that the recurring cost of changing filter elements is saved.
Power driven centrifuges can remove water from the oil that is in free form but not the dissolved
moisture. Manufacturers of power driven centrifuge also often do not guarantee removal of moisture
to a level less than 5 ppm.

Third step in the oil filter machine

The third step in the oil filter machine is dehydration of transformer oil and degasification of the
transformer oil.

Dehydration and Degasification of transformer oil

These processes of dehumidification of transformer oil and removal of gasses is executed in the
degassing chamber. The dissolved water oil separation or dissolved gas oil separation is possible at
reduced pressure, i.e. vacuum, due to difference of boiling point of water, gas and transformer oil. In
the process of separation of gases from the oil it becomes important to retain the aromatic
hydrocarbons so that the original properties of the oil are retained. When the water level in the oil is
above saturation level of the transformer oil, oil is observed in free water. Removal of free water can
be done by power driven centrifuge or by coalescing principle, where the later is more effective and
economical in practice.

Why NACH make oil filter plants

With the different processes involved in the transformer dehydration and degasification plant it is
evident that the processes should be neatly designed to tame different oil volumes to be filtered. With
increasing power demands and scaled up voltages transformer oil filtration is becoming more and
more demanding and sophisticated. With the advent of new technology now the water activity or the
water content in the transformer oil is measurable online and methods of laboratory testing like the
titration method are becoming limited. At NACH we are update with the recent trends and
technology pertaining to the oil filtration and also with requirements imposed for UHV and EHV
grade transformer oils.

Everything to know about Transformer Oil Filtration

Posted by Aaron Chen on 19/07/2017
 Transformers play an important role in the electrical
power industry. Transformers convert power to appropriate levels for other system components to safely
use. Transformers need to be maintained to guarantee long life. Moreover, a good quality and clean oil is
essential for the transformer to provide efficient performance.

Transformer oil tends to degrade over time. The oil is exposed to undesirable materials like acids, metal
dust, moisture etc. When transformers contain dissolved gases, dust, and other contaminants, it is time to
take action for the oil to be filtered and purified.

Transformer maintenance and services centres maintain high quality equipment for treating oil using in
line transformer oil filtration techniques. These techniques help sustain an excellent performance, safety
and ease of operation for transformer maintenance staff.

To know more about transformer oil filtration, here are the things that you should know.

Transformer oil and its functions

Transformer/insulating oil is often stable at high temperatures. Other than that, the following are functions
of insulating oil:

 As cooler
When voltage goes up/down, the temperature of the transformer’s windings increases, oil is used to cool
down the condition.

 As insulator
It acts as an insulator between the windings. It increases the resistance between them and avoids short
circuit.

 For security
It operates the level of oil inside the transformer. The temperature display of oil describes the inner
condition of transformer and shows any short circuit status. In this way, you will prevent the transformer
from being severe losses and damages.

Types of Insulating oil

 Paraffin based – derived from special crudes that contain substantial amount of n-paraffin. This type of
insulating oil is less oxidised than naphtha based.
 Naphtha based – derived from special crudes that contain low amount of n-paraffin.
 During the usage of insulating oil, it may be exposed to materials which can affect its quality. It fails to
function due to factors such as excessive high temperature, oxidation and many more.

Consequently, the oil darkens in colour and the acid in it begins to increase. Oil impurities are one of the
major causes of transformers deterioration.

To avoid transformer failure, your insulating oil should be free from any contamination, dirt and moisture.
Thus, transformer oil filtration process is needed.

In this procedure, insulating oil is tested and treated so that transformers will function efficiently.

Dealing with transformer oil purification

To treat and purify insulating oil, transformer oil filtration process is required. Insulating oil filtration is a
process of removing sludge and moisture from the transformer oil.

Benefits of transformer oil filtration

 Insulation properties of the oil is improved
 Longer life span of transformers
 Lessens transformer’s breakdown
 Good returns on investment for having a quality machine
Once the insulating oil fails to undergo this process, it can lead to:

 Arcing – formation of an electric arc which causes breakdown of the system

 Overheating – oil overheating
 Corona discharges – electrical discharge caused by the ionisation of fluid
 Insulating strength of the transformer oil will decrease
These properties are to be tested to determine the qualities of the insulating oil:

 Dielectric Strength or Breakdown Voltage (BDV)

 Water Content
 Neutralisation Value
 Interfacial Tension
 Colour and appearance
 Test for Oxidation Stability
 Specific Resistance (Resistivity)
 Flash Point
 Pour Point
 Viscosity
 Sludge Test
 Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA)
To further understand how the transformer oil is tested, below is the process.
 Insulating oil filtration process
1. Rising oil temperature
First step is to raise oil temperature up to 65°C to give latent heat which separates moisture and gases.
Heating the oil will make it easier to filter because of the decrease in oil viscosity.

2. Removal of dirt and impurities

Second step is to remove sludge and dirt from the insulating oil. There are 2 ways to eliminate dirt in the
transformer oil.

 By filter candles
Insulating oil filtration by filter candles can be classified by using classical edge filter or depth type filter.
However, new advancements were made in which transformer oil filtration machines use filter cartridges
instead of edge type paper filters.

 By centrifuging action
Another method for separating dirt from oil is through centrifuging. With this process, you can save
recurring cost of changing filters.

3. Dehydration and degasification of insulating oil

This is the stage of dehumidification of insulating oil and removal of gasses. This process is completed in
the degassing chamber.

Transformer oil deterioration should be minimised

Research shows that 80% of oil related failures and breakdowns are caused by contaminated oil.
Preventive oil maintenance is therefore an important factor to ensure optimum equipment reliability.

A successful insulating oil filtration procedure can be achieved by using a reliable transformer oil filtration
equipment. This will extend the effectiveness and reliability of your transformer.

Find a good transformer oil filtration machine

Transformer oil filtration is a great help to any businesses. Thus, a good transformer oil filtration
equipment is needed. There are many companies that offer different kinds of equipment. However,
choose a vendor that manufactures high quality insulation oil purification machine that can ensure high
Return on Investment (ROI).

Conclusion
Maintaining your transformer oil is necessary so that your transformers can function effectively. It doesn’t
just help prolong your equipment’s life span, but also improve its efficiency.

You could use a reliable Transformer Oil Filtration Equipment for Insulating Oil Treatment (IOT). This will
help you maintain your equipment in the long run.