FAILURES

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 FAILURES
Winding Failures
 Dynamic effect‘s deformation problems (operation problems)
• The axial and radial dynamic forces which are created by short
circuit currents, over excitation inrush magnetisinmg current,
faulty sychronozing currents cause winding and turns deformation
etc.
 Insulation and early ageing problems (operation problems)
• humidity, oxygen, high temperature and metallic parts as copper,
iron, steel catalyst effect, forming of sludge on windings, core and
cooling system ducts etc.
• the wetness / humidity of wooden parts and pressboards
• especially at EHV transformers , at high Electrical Field Stress
points between the phases of the same voltage level windings,
the wetness of pressboards or wooden comb parts cause
capacitive current discharges and burnings on insulation parts

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 FAILURES
Winding Failures
 Shipment problems ; broken key spacers, fallen wooden supports
etc.
 Conductor connection problems - joints , welds at transposing,
autotransformer‘s midpoint connections, neutral joints, selector switch
contacts etc.
 Wrong group connection or wrong polarity placement of winding
,especially after repair
 Wrong selection of the conductor cross section and winding
insulation cooling problems etc.
 Static electrification problems- Especially at high voltage and big
capacity power transformer, because of oil pumping circulation,
frictional charging causes accumulation of electrical charge and
discharge because of very dryness, circulation velocity , impurity ,
electrical charging tendency of oil etc.

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 FAILURES
Winding Failures
 Assembling problems - The fallen or forgotten metallic parts ,
spanner, ruler etc. on windings or core while installing or maintenance
of the transformer etc.
 Clamping problems - high pressure application on winding causes
turn to turn short circuit etc.
 Capacitive voltage transfer problems - especially if primary side is
EHV or HV, secondary or tertiary side is MV and if there is an earth
screen between windings the problems may come from insufficient
distance, poor ground connection etc.
 Static screen problems - wrong placement / assembling, wrong
design (axial or radial) etc.

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 FAILURES

Bushing Failures
 Stocking at site- humidity and dirt effects on the bottom part
(if it has been stocked open to air) , the stocking inclination of
the bushing is less than 5° ( for paper insulated type bushings)
 Short circuit between capacitance layers
 Tap problem as broken conductor , deteriorated Tap-flange
insulation - For %PF and capacitance tapped bushings
 Shifting of the insulators from flange, Broken of corona
cup / ring below bottom of the bushing - Feeder short-circuit
current causes dynamic forces on bushing‘s main conductors-It
cause shifting of gasket and oil leakage comes out
 Poor connection of winding head of conductors to
bushing‘s rod
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 FAILURES

• Core and Magnetic-Screen Failures;

• core;
- Core lamination problems -Short circuit between core
laminations because of mechanical damage or forgotten metal
parts (as spanner , ruler etc. after assembling or repair)
- Shipment problems - Shifting or bending of core laminations
causes air-gap and high magnetizing current
- Core lamination earth problems - the wrongly placement of
copper parts between laminations for earth, causes short circuit and
circulation current between laminated steels.
- Earth problems of the core- Directly or via resistance - poor
connection or broken earth conductor
- core clamping - The insulated rod wearing and rod short-
circuits the laminated steel.
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 FAILURES

• Core and Magnetic-Screen Failures;

• core;
- Insulation problems between the clamps and core - Fallen or
worn pressboard between them , causes secondary earth and
flowing of circulation current
- High frequency and high amplitude of harmonics -causes
heating problems (hysteresis & eddy currents losses on magnetic
circuit, skin-effect on conductors)
- the oil sludge problems on the core
• magnetic screen :
- magnetic screen problems - wrong placement, loosen rivet of
screen on transformer inside wall, insufficient of screen etc.
- Wrong placement or insufficient of the magnetic screen near to
high current conductor and core
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 FAILURES
•The other effects and operational problems;
•Ferroresonance , Atmospheric phenomenon and
Geomagnetic effects on transformers (passing the knee-point-
over excitation , inrush currents)
- Ferroresonance ;
In neutral isolated system problems- while opening and closing CB (circuit
Breaker)- when closing CB if one or two contacts has left open or when
opening CB one or two contacts has left closed (because of broken rod etc.),
the capacitance of cables / over-headlines of the other phases with
transformer magnetizing impedance/ reactance may cause series resonance
At EHV, between the open CB grading capacitors and power
transformer problems - when disconnector are closed, the CB is still open,
the series resonance may occur between grading capacitors of the CB and
transformer magnetizing impedance / reactance
At EHV mutual effect problems, if there are parallel overhead lines, one is
energized the other is dead, the mutual capacitive effects of nearest phases
of EHV lines causes Ferro Resonance on the dead line transformer.
GIS bus-bar capacitance and power transformer (it is also possible for
magnetic voltage transformer inside GIS) impedance will create Ferro8
resonance
 FAILURES
•The other effects and operational problems;
•Ferroresonance , Atmospheric phenomenon and
Geomagnetic effects on transformers (passing the knee-
point- over excitation , inrush currents)
-Atmospheric Phenomenon;
In stormy weathers; the dust, sand and snow causes friction on
transmission lines, static electricity will be induced on overhead-line or
induced voltage from charged cloud, the transformer knee-point will be
passed over excitation and inrush currents will be observed.
-Operational problems ;
While putting to operation, wrong synchronisation or wrong tap with
respect to system voltage causes knee-point and inrush currents as feeder
short circuit currents.

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– On Load Tap Changer problems
– OLTC
– In diverter switch;
- The dirt and sludge problems of oil in diverter switch
causes discharges, some tree carbonization or
cracks in switch cabinet (on herkolyte tube) may
occur and damage.
- The oil in the conservator may decrease or valve
has been forgotten closed and discharge may occur
(relay trip)
- Weared or broken contacts
- The broken transition resistors from connection or
anywhere
- Spring problems ( broken or taken off from latch)
- Mechanical problems as broken isolated fibber shaft

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– On Load Tap Changer problems
– OLTC
– In diverter switch;
- Wrongly adjusted shaft position,Mechanical and
electrical locking for end movement
- Alignment of vertical and horizontal shafts
- Bevel gear maintenance
- Unlubricated rotating parts
- Incorrect or insufficent connection
- Choen wrong current and voltage level (D or Y
connection, insulation voltages)
- Weared selector switch contacts and mechanical
damage as broken fibber etc.
- Commutator
- Not placing of correctly the commutator contacts
- Loosen connections 11
Winding Insulation Failures

Collapse of windings

»Some pictures from Doble

conference- ANKARA

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»Some pictures from Doble
Minutes
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• Main protections
- Main Tank Bucholz Relay protection
- OLTC Bucholz Relay protection
- Pressure Relief valve
- Oil Temperature protection
- Winding Temperature protection
- Oil level protection

• Complemantary protections
- Differential relay protection
- Restricted earth fault protection
- Over current relay protection
- Tank protection
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TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)
• Main Bucholz relay protection ( main protection of
transformer)
• Slowly gas generation
• Quickly gas generation

Transformer failures
- Bad connections,Broken conductors from
connections or joints
- Turn to turn short circuits in the windings
- Flashover inside the transformer from winding
to winding or winding to core (deterioration of
insulation , oil,papers,wooden blocks,press-
boards etc.)

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TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)

- Flash over or touching the earthed parts as

core,clamps etc. (because of axial and radial
deformation of windings)
- Core failures
- Partial discharges (because of insufficient
impregnated wooden parts, filling the transformer
with oil without applying enough level and time of
vacuum - papers , press-board etc.)
The operation of relay from other reasons

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TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)
- The mechanical problems of float -if there is no
gas / air inside the relay- damage while shipment,
wrongly adjusted mercury contacts , leak of float
- Vibration near to transformer - from dynamite
explosion of quarry , earthquake etc.
- Wrongly fixed of the direction of bucholz relay , or
closed position of valve
- Fall of oil level below bucholz relay float
- Entry of rain-water inside the cable terminal box of
the relay or cable short circuits.

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TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)
• Pressure Relief valve / device
- Phase to phase, phase to earth Flash over, turn to turn
short circuits creates high energy discharges by
burning of oil. This energy causes high pressure inside
the tank. The pressure must be exposed to atmosphere,
otherwise the tank will swollen , the gaskets will be
forced to leak oil, the bushings will be broken and
windings will be damaged.
The operation of relay from other reasons
- When the bucholz relay valve was closed.The expansion
of oil will create force on sides of tank and on cover
plate.

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TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)

- If the rain-water enters inside the cable box.

- * While the air cell ballon was swollen to take the air out
in conservator at erection or after oil treatment, if
application of nitrogen pressure exceeds the 100 mbar ,
the high pressure may cause operation of the valve.

• Oil Temperature protection

• Winding Temperature protection

• Oil level protection

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TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)
• Differential relay protection
It protects the zone between HV and MV CT’s (Current
Transformers).
If CT’s are in tank-under bushings (bushing-type CT), primary
equipments failures will not effect the relay operation.
Differential relay operates at condition given below.

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TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)

Relay operation at Transformer failures

- Broken conductors from connections or welding
joints
- Turn to turn short circuits in the windings
- Flashover inside the transformer from winding to
winding or winding to core (deterioration of
insulation of oil,papers,wooden blocks,press-boards
etc.)
- Flash over or touching to the earthed parts (as
core,clamps etc.) (because of axial and radial
deformation of windings)

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TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)
Relay operation at Other Reasons
Primary equipment failures
- Outer or inner Flash over or discharges from
equipments between HV and MV . (from CT, lightning
arresters, transformer bushings, supports, outgoing
cables etc.). (To prevent this wrong operation bushing
type CT’s are used.)
- Especially , if the distance between CT’s and
Transformer bushings are too long, phase to phase
flash over (or touching of the conductors) takes place
due to attraction forces between the conductors that
generated by short circuit currents.

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TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)
Relay operation at Other Reasons
Protection side / equipment failures
- Short circuit or open circuit of protection cables of
CT’s or relay.
- CT’s primary and secondary winding flash over or turn
to turn short circuits.
- Vibration of the relay causes closing of the contacts
(because of earthquake , dynamite explotion etc.)
- At feeders short circuit failures ( saturation of current
transformers),

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TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)
Relay operation at Other Reasons
Protection side / equipment failures
- Especially, during commissioning or loading - wrong
connection of the cables, at CT’s ; incorrect polarity,
ratio difference, saturation , at DY connection groups;
misconnections, wrong appointment of relay , or wrong
adaptor CT.
Operational faults
- Over-excitation causes (lack of second and fifth
harmonic filters in relay)

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 TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay
operations)
• Restricted earth fault relay
- This relay is more sensitive with respect to differential relay to
detect failure of the winding ( 5%) near to Neutral.
If the connection to relay ,polarity ,turn ratio,saturation of the CT’s
are wrong.The relay will trip at feeder on loading and at phase to
earth faults.

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 TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)

• Over Current Relay

It protects the transformers from over current and over loading.The
connection of CT’s for Over current and Earth Current relays are shown
below.

Vectorial sum of earth current is 0.

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 TROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)

Wrong Operations of earth current relay

- If one of the current transformer turn ratio is different, the
vectoral sum of currents will be not zero.
And when the transformer is loaded, it exceeds the set
value and the transformer CB trips.
- If one of the current transformer secondary terminal has
been unconnected, the vectoral sum of currents will not be
zero. And when the transformer is loaded, it exceeds the
appointed set value. And the transformer CB trips.
-If one of the current transformer secondary terminal has
been connected at wrong polarity,, the vectoral sum of
currents will be not zero.And when the transformer is
loaded, it passes the appointed set value. And the
transformer CB trips.

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 ROUBLE SHOOTING ( of Relay operations)

Wrong Operations of earth current relay

- When the transformer is overexciteted, operatonal point will
rise over the knee point of the H-B curve. As a result, due to
saturation of the core, large amount of magnetizing current
will cause operation of relay and CB trips.

- At feeder faults; if the CT saturation (n ) value is not

efficient. The saturation of CT core will cause unbalanced
secondary circuit current and will cause relay operation and
CB trip

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 PROTECTION OF INSULATION
• Lighting arresters ;
Arresters protect the insulation of transformers from
lightning, switching impulses and system over voltages.
MO ligthning arresters have many advantages respectively.

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