Transformers

VOL 2 ISSUE 2 APRIL 2015 MAGAZINE

Rotational
New method for magnetisation
2-furfuraldehyde
analysis
How to design
power transformers
efficiently?

Mineral insulating
oils in service
Cold start of a
5.5 MVA offshore
Application of passivators
transformer
in transformer insulating
mineral oils
ISSN 1849-3319
INTERVIEW with INTERVIEW with
Dr. Beatrix Natter Eng. Hassan Abdawani
MESSKO INSTRUMENTS.
The specialist in transformer solutions.

Testing, measuring, analyzing, evaluating – at MESSKO, a subsidiary of

Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen, these are the areas we specialize in. From oil level
indicators and pressure relief devices to thermometers and comprehensive oil
analyses, our customers can rely on expertise and state-of-the-art technology
in all our solutions, so that their transformers deliver maximum performance
24/7 the world over. www.messko.de
MESSKO GmbH
Gewerbegebiet An den drei Hasen, Messko-Platz 1, 61440 Oberursel, Germany
Phone: +49 6171 6398-0, E-mail: [email protected]
 CONTENT

12 24
INTERVIEW WITH ENG. HASSAN ABDAWANI,
12 INTERVIEW WITH DR. BEATRIX NATTER, HEAD OF
BUSINESS UNIT TRANSFORMERS AT SIEMENS
24 CEO AT VOLTAMP ENERGY, OMAN
In this interview, Dr. Beatrix Natter, Head of Business Unit Eng. Hassan Abdawani, Chief Executive Officer of Voltamp, a manu­
Transform­ers at Siemens, shares with Transformer Magazine facturer of an extensive range of power and distribution transformers,
reade­rs her views on the global transformer market and the low voltage switchgears and packaged sub-stations, communicat­
position of Siemens technology and innovations for smart grid es the strengths and value of his company and their position in the
and eco efficiency applications. MENA market.

8 NEWS

HOW TO DESIGN POWER TRANSFORMERS

17 EFFICIENTLY?
Simon Guicheteau
This article investigates different simulation possibilities using the
17 Finite Element Method to design various aspects of a power trans­
former, from the electromagnetic to thermal and mechanical behaviour.

COLD START OF A 5.5 MVA OFFSHORE TRANSFORMER

28 Pieter Jan Jordaens, Bram Cloet, Jama Nuri, Raymond
Van Schevensteen
Remote wind turbine farms in the extreme cold environment put
stress on all wind turbine components as well as the transformers.
To test for such an extreme environment, a Bio SLIM® transformer
28 was put in a large climatic test chamber to validate the perfor­
mance at extreme cold temperatures.

TAPMOTION® ED ISM®
36 Markus Bauer
A key component for reliable operation of the tap changer is the
motor-drive unit. The unit can also enable other relevant operating
data of the power transformer to be analyzed and recorded, such
as monitoring of the tap changer, temperatures, signals from the
36 motor-drive unit and the status of the protective devices, as well as
evaluating transformer utilization.

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Enhancing Transformer Reliability:

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Diagnostic Measurements on Power Transformers

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 CONTENT

COMMUNICATE AND GROW!

40 Mladen Banovic
Successful communication with the market has become more im­
portant than ever before. It allows companies not only to speed up
the product launch and leverage the business volume, but also to
change a negative business case to a positive one and create new
opportunities for growth.
40 ROTATIONAL MAGNETISATION
44 Stan Zurek
Rotational magnetisation is a phenomenon that occurs locally in
the magnetic cores of three-limb transformers. The power loss dis­
sipated under rotational magnetisation can be several times higher
than under usual magnetisation conditions of the electrical steels.
This article focuses on introduction, definition and discussion of the
phenomena of rotational magnetisation and losses in transformer

44
cores.

APPLICATION OF PASSIVATORS IN TRANSFORMER

52 INSULATING MINERAL OILS
Lance Lewand
This paper discusses the uses of passivators and how they work in
transformer systems. Presently, passivators are being used to control
issues with corrosive sulfur, but they have also been used to control oxi­
dation stability of the oil and static electrification. This paper will focus
mainly on the use of passivators to control corrosive sulfur.
52 MINERAL INSULATING OILS IN SERVICE
60 Bruce Pahlavanpour, Per Wiklund
There is precious little basic information openly available on how
insulating materials in transformers behave over longer periods of
time. However, such information is very important for ensuring that
aging equipment works adequately. It is valuable both from the per­
spective of transformer maintenance/asset management, and as
background information necessary for making informed choices on

60 which type of insulating liquid to employ in new equipment.

PREPARING VESSELS FOR DIELECTRIC FLUID TES-

68 TING
Paul Swinerd
Breakdown voltage testing is fast to carry out and is an invaluable
guide to the condition of dielectric fluids used in transformers.
Careful test vessel preparation is, however, the key to obtaining
accurate and reliable results.

68 74
NEW METHOD FOR 2-FURFURALDEHYDE ANALYSIS
Begoña Remartínez, Javier Jiménez
One of the most important factors in shortening the lifetime of a
power transformer is ageing of paper insulation used in transform­
er construction. This article will demonstrate the development
and validation of an analytical model based on ultraviolet-visible
(UV-VIS) absorption spectrophotometry for evaluating the con­
tent of 2-furfuraldehyde (2-FAL) dissolved in dielectric oil.

74 86 EVENTS CALENDAR

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 ADVERTISING

Transformers
VOL 2 ISSUE 2 APRIL
2015
MAG AZI NE

New method for Rotational

2-furfuraldehyde magnetisation
analysis
How to design
power transformers
efficiently?

Mineral Insulating
Oils in Service Australasia:
Cold start of a
Vince Hantos
Application of Passivat [email protected]
ors 5.5 MVA offshore
in Transformer Insulatin
Tel: +61 40 768 03 31
g transformer
Mineral Republic Of China, Southern Territory
Ye Wang
ISSN 1849-3319
INTERVIEW with [email protected]
INTERVIEW with
Dr. Beatrix Natter Tel: +86 156 9022 8274
Eng. Hassan Abdawani
France, Belgium & Morocco:
Mehdi Lebiad
[email protected]
Tel: +33 6 4541 6397
Subscribe now! Germany, Austria, Switzerland:
Tomas Arenius
Subscribe to Transformers Magazine and keep [email protected]
Tel: +491717328152
track of the latest news and trends in the power
India:
transformer industry. Ashutosh Kumar Govil
Print Edition – 4 issues (1 year) for $ 86 [email protected]
Tel: +91 99 750 975 34
Digital Edition – 4 issues (1 year) for $ 44
Online Edition – Free of charge subscription for registered users Italy:
Franco Marini
www.transformers-magazine.com [email protected]
Tel. +39 0861 370055
Middle East:
M. Shakeel Sadique Shaikh
[email protected]
Tel: +97 1508909031
Nordic Countries:
Tomas Arenius
[email protected]
Tel: +491717328152
Russian Federation:
Alexander Drobyshevski
[email protected]
Tel: +79 03 618 33 42
Southern Africa:
Peter Busch
[email protected]
Tel: +27 82 559 9970
Spain & Portugal:
Alfonso de Pablo Hermida
[email protected]
Tel: +34 91 715 77 92
USA:
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Tel. +1 724 654 3839
EMEA:
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Tel: +491717328152
www.facebook.com/transformersmagazine
www.twitter.com/TransformersMag ROW:
www.linkedin.com/groups/Transformers-772397 Marin Ante Dugandzic
[email protected]
Tel: +44 20 373 474 69
 EDITORIAL MESSAGE
TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL BOARD
Editor in Chief: Mladen Banovic, PhD; Croatia
[email protected]

EXECUTIVE EDITORS
Michel Duval, PhD; Hydro Quebec; Canada
Jean Sanchez, PhD; EDF; France
Jin Sim; Jin Sim & Associates, Inc.; USA
Juliano Montanha; SIEMENS; Brazil
Craig Adams; TRAFOIX; Australia
Arne Petersen; AP Consulting; Australia
Dear Readers,

T
he new issue of Transformers Maga- farms. The extreme cold environment puts
Art Director: Momir Blazek zine is in front of you. Again a great stress on all wind turbine components,
Photo: Shutterstock.com deal of work has been done by our including transformers. Therefore, they
Front page: Raw image by Simon Guicheteau, CEDRAT
authors, technical and language editors, put the transformer in a large climatic test
Language Editor: Marina C. Williams
designers, people from marketing, and chamber to validate its performance at ext-
many others. I hope that the result of our reme cold temperatures.
ADVERTISING AND SUBSCRIPTION work will be enough for you to find so-
Marin Ante Dugandzic mething interesting and that it will provide Dr Stan Zurek brings forward a descripti-
+44 20 373 474 69 a pleasurable reading experience. on of rotational magnetisation as a pheno-
[email protected] menon that occurs locally in the magnetic
Nevertheless, we know that we can do bet- cores of three-limb transformers, focusing
TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE ter. We want to do better and you are the on introduction, definition and discussion
Transformers Magazine is published quarterly
ones who know how we can achieve this. of the phenomena of rotational magnetisa-
by Merit Media Int. d.o.o., Setaliste 150. briga­ Therefore, please continue to guide us with tion and losses in transformer cores.
de 10, 10 090 Zagreb, Croatia. Published ar­ your suggestions and constructive com-
ments. Lance Lewand discusses the application
ticles don‘t represent official position of Merit
of passivators and how they work in trans-
Media Int. d.o.o. Merit Media Int. d.o.o. is not
This time we bring you two interviews and former systems. Presently, passivators are
responsible for the content. The responsibili­
ty for articles rests upon the authors, and the
several technical articles. being used to control issues with corrosive
responsibility for ads rests upon advertisers. sulfur, but they have also been used to con-
In the interview, Dr. Beatrix Natter, Head trol oxidation stability of the oil and static
Manuscripts, photos and other submitted do­
of Business Unit Transformers at Siemens, electrification. This paper focuses mainly
cuments are not returned.
shares her views on the global transformer on the use of passivators to control corro-
Subscription rate: market and the position of Siemens tech- sive sulphur.
Print Edition: $86 (1 year, 4 issues) nology and innovations for smart grid and
Digital Edition: $44 (1 year, 4 issues) eco efficiency applications. Dr. Bruce Pahlavanpour and Dr. Per
Online Edition: Free of charge for registered users Wiklund discuss results of their study of
In the second interview we bring you a inhibited and uninhibited oils conducted
www.transformers-magazine.com summary of what Eng. Hassan Abdawani, on samples taken from transformers in
Chief Executive Officer of Voltamp, said service. They analysed samples for acidi-
REPRINT us about the strengths and value of his ty, interfacial tension, dielectric loss factor
Libraries are permitted to photocopy for the company and their position in the MENA and peroxide content. The inhibited samp-
private use of patrons. Abstracting is permited market. les were also analysed for inhibitor content.
with credit to the source. A per-copy fee must
be paid to the Publisher, contact Subscription. Both interviewees show how modern Finally, Javier Jiménez Cervera and Be-
For other copying or republication permissi­ business leaders communicate with the goña Remartínez Zato describe the de-
ons, contact Subscription. All rights reserved. market. velopment and validation of an analytical
Simon Guicheteau provides fundamentals model based on ultraviolet-visible (UV-
Publisher: Merit Media Int. d.o.o.
on different simulation possibilities using VIS) absorption spectrophotometry for
the Finite Element Method to design va- evaluating the content of 2-furfuraldehyde
Setaliste 150. brigade 10,
10 090 Zagreb, Croatia
Contact: +385 91 222 8820 Croatia
rious aspects of a power transformer, from (2-FAL) dissolved in dielectric oil.
Contact: +44 20 373 474 69 UK the electromagnetic to thermal and me- Have a pleasant reading.
VAT number: HR09122628912 chanical behaviour.
Mladen Banovic, Editor-in-Chief
www.transformers-magazine.com
Pieter Jan Jordaens and his co-authors wri-
Bank name: Zagrebacka banka
te about tests for transformers intended
Bank identifier code: ZABAHR2X
Bank IBAN: HR8023600001102375121
to operate under extreme environmental
Director: Marin Ante Dugandzic conditions, such as in remote wind turbine

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m

7
 BUSINESS NEWS

Japan to sell GO electrical

steel to China
Japan, Tokyo: A purchasing team of a
Chinese leading transformer manufac­
turer is expected to visit Japanese steel
making companies Nippon Steel & Sumi­
tomo Metal Corp. and JFE Steel, accord­
ing to Steel Guru.

Siemens to make
$10bn investment in
D ue to a lack of high-grade grain oriented (GO)
sheets in China, the purpose of the visit is to nego-
tiate the purchase of GO electrical steel sheets directly
The Chinese Government plans to construct three
HVDC feeder lines a year from now on, which will
create a demand for a lot of transformers. It is estimated

Egypt from Japanese steel mills, reports Steel Guru.

The name of the Chinese company has not been
that a construction of three feeder lines will require 45
to 60 tons of high-grade GO sheets.
Egypt, Cairo: The Egyptian Ministry of revealed. Source: Steel Guru
Electricity and Renewable Energy has
s­igned four memorandums and deals
with the German Ministry for Economic
Affairs and Energy and Siemens repre­ RESA Power Solutions
sentatives, at the value of $10 billion. acquires Transformer
A s part of the agreement, Siemens will build a
4.4 gigawatt Beni Suef power plant and a wind
p­ower plant in the next couple of years, reports Daily
Testing and Repairs, Inc.
USA, California: RESA Power Solutions
News Egypt. has completed acquisition of Trans­
Under one of the memorandums, the company will former Testing and Repairs, Inc., a
also construct a factory to manufacture power trans- leading provider of west coast trans­
former stations with different voltages, and another one former maintenance which has been
to produce manufacturing tools for the wind plants. serving the Northern California area
The factories are expected to employ 5,000 people. since 1988.
Source: Daily News Egypt

„T he acquisition of Transformer Testing and

Repairs, Inc. and its addition to our own
Transformer Services business unit further expands
RESA Power Solutions’ main line of business is life
extension solutions for power distribution equip-
ment. RESA is comprised of business units across
RESA’s footprint into the California market and al- the United States and has several primary distribu-
lows us to provide our customers with the full scope tion facilities and service centres.
of our life extension solutions for electrical power RESA plans to operate Transformer Testing and Re-
transmission and distribution market,” said Dorian pairs, Inc. at the local facility in Northern California.
Alexandrescu, President and CEO of RESA Power Source: RESA Power Solutions;
Solutions, according to the company press release. Image: RESA Power Solutions

Siemens launches new

MR acquires Atlantic solution for offshore
Transformer Services Inc. AC transformer platforms
Germany, Regensburg: German power Denmark, Copenhagen: Having an­
engineering company Maschinenfabrik nounced a new, smaller and cost-saving
Reinhausen (MR) has acquired a major­ HVAC sol­ut­ion for offshore wind pro­
ity holding in the US service company jects, Siemens has launched a new al­
Atlantic Transformer Services (ATS) in ternating-current (AC) grid access so­
Bayville, New Jersey. lution for connecting near-shore wind
power plants to the grid.
T he main line of business of ATS is transformer in-
stallation and service work, and its shareholding
is in line with MR‘s global asset management strategy, T he new solution, which replaces the conventional
AC transformer platforms, consists of an offshore
nance of the platform by up to 40 percent, as it is one
third smaller in size and weight compared to a con-
states MR in the news announcement. transformer module (OTM) attached directly to a ventional AC platform.
This acquisition is a key addition to MR‘s service wind turbine, and acts as a distributed transmission The innovation is small and light enough to be moun-
portfolio in North America and it will enable MR to asset, reports Windpower Engineering. ted together with a turbine on the same foundation
further develop its transformer services in the USA. The new solution will also reduce costs of the const- and reduces installation time by around 20 percent.
Source: MR; Image: MR ruction, transport, installation, operation and mainte- Source: Windpower Engineering; Image: Siemens

8 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 ETD announces appointment
of new CEO
Czech Republic, Pilsen: ETD TRANSFORMATORY, Czech transformers manufacturer and
member of International BEZ Group, has announced the appointment of Chris Gerber as
new CEO.

O n his appointment, Gerber stressed the impor-

tance of strengthening current customer rela-
tions in traditional markets and using this as a base to
be held in Dubai. ETD is a Pilsen-based medium and
large power transformer manufacturer. It has a work
force of 190 staff members and manufactures around
develop new markets. 60 transformers per year. The company also manufac-
Considering the Middle East to be an important market tures shunt reactors, furnace transformers, traction
for the ETD product range, Gerber will personally at- chokes and other special transformers.
tend the ETD stand at the Middle East Electricity fair to Source: Transformers Magazine; Image: BEZ Group
transfromer magazine april 2015 WO PRINT.pdf 1 27/03/2015 14:56:39

HPS and National C

Material LP form a M

new company Y

Canada, Ontario: Hammond Power So­

CM

lutions Inc. (HPS), a manufacturer of MY

dry-type and cast resin transformers, CY

announced that it has completed the for­ CMY

mation of a new company, Corefficien­t K

S. de R.L. de C.V. (Corefficient), a joint

venture with National Material LP
(NMLP).

C orefficient will design, manufacture and market

energy efficient electrical cores, a major compo-
nent used in the manufacture of dry-type and liquid-
filled transformers, reports Digital Journal.
Corefficient will be based out of Monterrey, Mexico,
where the manufacturing facility is currently under
construction and will be fully operational by the
fourth quarter of 2015. The electrical core product
manufactured by Corefficient will meet new U.S. De-
partment of Energy efficiency regulations commen-
cing in 2016.
The joint venture agreement between HPS and
NMLP was signed in October 2014.
Products of M&I Materials Ltd.

Source: Digital Journal; Image: HPS

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 9
PRODUCTS NEWS

MR improves voltage
regulation distribution
transformer solution
Germany, Regensburg: Maschinenfabrik
Reinhausen (MR) has improved its GRID­
CON® iTAP® solution for voltage regulation
distribution transformers with new exten­
ded functions, announced the company
Doble launches new
portable Dissolved
T his product comprises an on-load tap-changer,
voltage regulator, and voltage and current mea-
surement and, when combined with a transformer,
number of different grid configurations.
The enhanced product has an improved communi-
cation ability, through both IEC 60870-5-104 and
Gas Analyser becomes a voltage regulation distribution transfor-
mer (VRDT), according to the press release.
MODBUS TCP, and now not only comes in a 30
A variant but is also available for a rated through-
USA, Massachusetts: Doble has launched One of the main extensions is the additional current of 85 A, both of which are suitable for alter-
the Delphi Portable™, a new portable voltage regulation algorithms which enable op- native insulation fluids.
DGA diagnostic tool which helps monitor timum independent voltage regulation in a large Source: MR; Image: MR
the health and condition of power trans­
formers and other oil-filled equipment.

T his portable device provides information on

dissolved gases in insulating oil, identifying and
ABB launches new
tracking faults through monitoring composite gas service solution for
levels and tracking individual gases when those le-
vels change, states Doble in the press release. transformer assets
The instrument features user interface within the de- Switzerland, Zurich: ABB has launched
vice, a printer built in to the test set for a hard copy Transformer Intelligence™, new sensor
of results, as well as built-in storage and data manage- based monitoring solution for transformer
ment, and is intended for use in the field or laboratory. assets, at its US Automation and Power
Source: Doble; Image: Doble World event in Houston, Texas.

T his solution is based on the latest technology

online monitoring system CoreTec™, which mo-
nitors transformer’s critical functions and performs
enhanced with the CoreSense™ sensor which conti-
nuously records hydrogen and moisture and provides
CoreTec with real-time data to optimize transformer
an evaluation of its operating conditions. It can also management.
simulate future service conditions and forecast their This smart technology can be deployed with existing
impact on transformer lifetime, enabling predictive and new transformers, and help enhance perfor-
maintenance, states ABB in a press release. mance, reduce failure risks and extend lifetime.
The Transformer Intelligence™ solution has been Source: ABB; Photo: ABB

b2hv launches new Vaisala launches a

voltage withstand new HV transformer
testing solution oil transmitter
The Austrian-based manufacturer of
high voltage equipment for simple Finland, Helsinki: Finnish manufacturer
cable testing, cable diagnostics and on­ of measurement equipment Vaisala has
site oil testing, has launched a new vol­ released a new Moisture, Hydrogen and
tage withstand testing solution HVA200 Temperature Transmitter MHT410 for on­
line transformer condition monitoring.
T he new solution features sinusoidal VLF out-
put voltage up to 200 kV peak, allowing voltage
withstand testing on assets with network voltages as
high as 132kV, reports the company.
M HT410 transmitter measures moisture, hydro-
gen and temperature directly in the high-vol-
tage transformer insulating oil, providing real-time
sors are positioned in direct contact with represen­
tative oil. Easy to install, the probe is ready to use
within minutes.
The device is upgradable with Tan Delta and Partial
measurements and trend data to facilitate reliable MHT410 is maintenance-free, with no calibration
Discharge Diagnostics, and offers a more compact,
decision-making, states Vaisala in press release. or adjustment required after installation. The unit
lighter and lower cost withstand testing solution at
Featuring an adjustable probe installation depth, will be available in the summer of 2015.
this voltage level.
which fits in a variety of transformer valves, the sen- Source: Vaisala; Image: Vaisala
Source: b2hv; Image: b2hv

10 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

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ELECTRIFYING
20 d
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Ergon's HyVolt Insulating Oils have been helping you

keep the lights on for decades.

Consistent products with consistent results.

ergonnsa.com | 601-933-3000 (+1 outside US)

ergoneurope.com | + 32 2 351 23 75
ergonasia.com | + 32 2 351 23 75
 INTERVIEW

12 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

Interview with
Dr. Beatrix Natter,
Head of Business Unit
Transformers at Siemens
TM: Dr. Natter, Siemens is among BN: Our manufacturing network con- assure that the quality of all plants remains
key players in the global transformer sists of dedicated facilities spread over at the same level and that there is always a
market. Where do you see the com- four continents, which are supported backup for each project. The factory net-
petences of Siemens Transformers? by our headquarter office in Germany. work also leads to shorter delivery times
This structure enables us to act locally and has already been advantageous in
BN: First and foremost, Siemens stands for according to individual needs of our cus- large tenders where we are able to split an
quality. Our transformers feature best in tomers while thinking globally in terms order of several transformers among dif-
class MTBF (mean time between failures) of trends and technology developments. ferent plants.
at values well beyond international stand­ Moreover, our central governance guar­
ards, guaranteeing the highest product antees that processes and quality levels TM: Siemens is famous for its so-
reliability and grid availability for our cus- are kept at a constant level across our called desert zone technology for
tomers. In terms of innovation, Siemens entire network, delivering the best per- large power transformers. This is the
is at the forefront of the industry with the formance for our customers regardless of technology for assembly of dry active
introduction of comprehensive solutions their location. part under very low and controlled
for the integration of renewable energy humidity. As humidity is critical in
sources, alternative insulation fluids, low TM: How does Siemens manage har- the manufacturing process of larg­e
noise transformers, as well as state of the monisation of processes and techno- power transformers, particularly
art HVDC (high voltage direct current) logy among different manufacturing due to differences in conditions in
transformers, which boost our customers’ sites? dif­ferent regions of the world, what
efficiency for long distance transmission. are the benefits of this technology for
BN: We have established a global engin­ you as the manufacturer, and what do
TM: With regard to the manufactu- eering centre and dedicated lead factories the customers gain from it?

„
ring sites, can you tell us a bit more for design and manufacturing technol­
about your global footprint? ogies across our network. This is how we BN: We have erected desert-climate halls
in several of our manufacturing sites,
where dried active parts are brought for
Our transformers feature best in class the assembly. The low humidity in these
areas allows our workers to make all in­
MTBF (mean time between failures) at values stal­lations on the active part cautiously
well beyond international standards, guara­n­ without having to hurry too much. The in-
sulation material will not absorb humidity
teeing the highest product reliability and grid from the air, and the active part can stand
availability for our customers in the desert-climate hall longer than in
regular assembly areas. At first, these halls

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 13
 INTERVIEW

were installed for the most complicated initiative recently published by the peak voltages from industrial customers
transformers exclusively. But now, all our E­uropean Union, represents an additio- on the load side, as well as distributed
customers benefit from them. This is one nal challenge for utilities to manage their sources on the generation side, need to
example of how our innovative research assets’ lifecycle costs more efficiently, es­ be introduced into the system. On the
and development at Siemens pays off for pecially in terms of electrical losses. other hand, more efficient products that
all of our customers. reduce electrical losses and use ecologic­
TM: What are the technological solu- ally friendly processes and materials
TM: The integration of renewable tions to this development? need to be introduced to help operators
energy sources is one of the obs­tacles reduce their total ownership costs.
your customers have to deal with at BN: On the one hand, the grid’s availability
the moment. What are the biggest needs to be secured. To this end, flexible TM: Speaking about innovations, what

„
challenges for the grid? solutions that are able to compensate for innovations has Siemens Transformers

BN: The biggest challenge today is the

shift to small-scale decentralised genera-
tion, partly driven by the introduction of The trend to increase the grid’s overall
renewables and mobile storage elements
such as e-cars. Combined, these factors efficiency, as exemplified by the Eco Design
put a large burden on the grid’s ability to initiative recently published by the Euro­
remain stable due to increasing voltage
fluctuations, endangering grid’s availabi- pean Union, represents an additional chal­
lity rates and exposing operators to hefty lenge for utilities to manage their assets’
penalties from regulators. Furthermore,
the trend to increase the grid’s overall ef- lifecycle costs more efficiently, especially in
ficiency, as exemplified by the Eco Desi­gn terms of electrical losses

14 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

recently brought to the market to
address the new energy challenges?
„ Siemens is once again at the forefront
of innovation, offering comprehensive
BN: Siemens recently commissioned the smart grid solutions to help utilities man­
first 420 kV ester insulated transformer, an
ecologically friendly variant to trad­itional age their operations more efficiently. Our
mineral oil, which is extremely hard to de- FITformer product line is a vital part of
grade in case of spills. In terms of flexibil­
ity and cost of ownership, Siemens is once these solutions
again at the forefront of innovation, offer­
ing comprehensive smart grid solutions to
help utilities manage their operations more fluids at the 400 kV level. Until re- the obvious environmental benefits.
efficiently. Our FITformer product line is cently, many people did not be­lieve Ester, for example, features an extreme-
a vital part of these solutions. FITformer that we would ever see a 400 kV ly high flashing point, which translates
ACT, for example, uses an amorphous transformer filled with natural or into considerable savings in fire-pre-
metal core that features best in class en­ synthetic ester. What stands behind vention and extinguishing applications
ergy saving characteristics, in compliance the Siemens’ commitment to alter- in the surroundings of the transformer.
with the European Eco Design directive. native fluids? Is it driven only by the This also means that the transformer
Furthermore, our FITformer REG regu- need to care about the environment, can be integrated at a much shorter
lated distribution transformers enable or do you also see a positive business distance to critical components, such
the integration of distributed generation model here? as a generating turbine in a combined
plants into the grid. cycle power plant, reducing the overall
BN: There is a direct economic advan- footprint of the substation and bringing
TM: Siemens has become a leader tage and thus a business case in the ap- additional savings in construction and
in the technology with alternative plication of alternative fluids on top of land acquisition costs.

www.siemens.com/press

420 kV Power Transformer with natural ester filling

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 15
 INTERVIEW

TM: And what about the distribution

transformers? Any news in this very
standardised product range?

BN:Our FITformer product line is a prime

example of innovation in this field. As
mentioned before, our FITformer REG
transformers are vital in the integration
of distributed generation to the grid, and
contribute greatly to reducing electrical
losses and operational costs for oper­
ators.

TM: Working together with end cus-

tomers, i.e. transformer users, we
often see that they make a purchase
based on the lowest product price. Is
this a threat for a transformer manu-
facturer like Siemens that invests a
lot in development? How do you cope
with this issue?

BN:Price certainly plays a strong role in

the purchasing decision for most custom­
ers. We do see this as an opportunity for
further design optimisation and innov­
Regulated Distribution Transformer “FITformer REG”

„
ation through lower noise and losses. www.siemens.com/press

Due to increasing pressure on operational

costs, combined with energy efficiency
initiatives going on globally, utilities are
looking for more efficient and more re-
liable transformers than ever before.
Price certainly plays a strong role in
More­over, increasing concerns in health the purchasing decision for most custo­
and safety also play an important role in mers. We do see this as an opportunity for
the purchasing criteria of most customers.
We are confident that our investment in further design optimisation and innovati­
research and development, which strongly on through lower noise and losses
focuses on addressing the needs of utilities
in the future, both in terms of technology
and safety, will pay off and enable us to re-
main a leading manufacturer in the trans- OEMs sector; with all this in mind, and will continue to shape the future of
former industry. what would you say about our mar- the power transmission industry.
ket? Is it really that conservative?
TM: We, people from the transform­ TM: One last question. Without any
er industry, consider our market as BN: We do see this market as competi­tive doubt you know your business. But
very conservative. From one point with huge opportunities for those who with all those physicists and mecha-
of view, this is true. But on the other can adapt quickly to the consequences of nical and electrical engineers sur-
hand, when we look at all the changes deregulation and a change in the energy rounding you at all times, how do you
we have seen in recent times and those mix. It is also conservative in demanding prevail in this business as a woman?
we are yet to see, such as electricity well proven, reliable products to cope with
market deregulation, eco-regulation these changes. Our economies depend, BN: Just as every person should: with
being introduced in Europe and ex- much more than in the past, on sustain­ competence and relentless focus on per-
pected soon to be seen in other large able electrical energy supply, which brings formance.
transformer markets as well, electri- many opportunities to innovate. On this
city market deregulation which sig­ basis, there is a lot that we can do, and we TM: Thank you very much for shar­
nificantly changes the rules of the are doing it: from innovation in insulating ing your views with us in Transform­
game in the transformer market, liquids to the integration of sophisticated ers Magazine and with our readers,
smart grid technology whose major monitoring systems, DC compensation many of whom are Siemens employ­
effects are yet to be seen, the mer- and plug-and-play transformers. Siemens ees or customers.
gers and acquisitions within both the transformers continue to bring answers to
utilities sector and the transformer our customers’ most pressing challenges, BN: Thank you!

16 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY Simon GUICHETEAU

ABSTRACT
Nowadays power transformers need How to design
power transformers
to optimise their efficiency to ensur­e
that a minimum amount of losses is
generated by various physical phe­
nomena. Finite element studies allow

efficiently?
transformer designers to accurately
analyse various losses (Joule losses,
iron losses, stray losses) in order to en­
hance transformer performance. Ther­e
are a few steady state and transient
tests which allow the assessment of Finite elements design and analysis of
electrical and mechanical constraints
that a power transformer will have to power transformers
endure during its life cycle. In add­
ition, thermal analysis can complete 1. Introduction slight improvement in efficiency can save
these studies to detect and prevent hot a lot of energy in the long life cycle of a
spots on the tank or in the windings. The fact that approximately 40 % of grid transformer. Nowadays, every aspect of
losses are dissipated by power transform­ power transformer design can affect its
ers [1], even though their efficiency is efficiency, such as global losses, but also
KEYWORDS around or above 90 %, has resulted in a accurate local quantities like eddy cur-
finite element, modelling, electromagne­ great need to analyse these important rents in a specific part of the transformer.
tic, thermal, design, power transformer components of the electrical network. A Indeed, losses in the windings or skin

17
„
DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

As about 40 % of grid losses are dissipated computation and deal with remanence
issues for transient aspects. In order to
by power transformers, only slight improve­ reduce the complexity of the tests, not all
ment of their efficiency can save a lot of of these models were used for the illus­
trated simulations.
energy in their long life cycle
Finally, multi-parametric studies permit
model solving directly and analysis of
different configurations of geometry or
effect are very difficult to estimate with Thanks to dedicated regions such as different physical parameters, allowing
traditional analytical methods. Finite laminated region, a thin conducting consideration of various transformers.
element analysis has become an essen- and impedance surface, it is possible to
tial tool for considering most aspects of a m­odel the skin effect in conductive parts
p­ower transformer and optimising its be- (e.g. transformer tank, frames, shunt fas- 3. Various tests to design a
haviour. Some losses are still very difficult tening) up to several MHz. For lamin­ power transformer
to measure experimentally and require ated materials, for instance, there is a
an application of the simulation methods specific region so that the designer does The two main tests used in 2D and 3D
discussed in this article in order to be not need to represent and mesh every design of any kind of transformer, No
evaluated. thin layer of this region: the anisotropy Load and Short Circuit tests, are run
is considered during the model solving. in a steady state study, Figure 1. From
This article illustrates different tests used In addition, a model of hysteresis can these tests, it is possible to determine an

„
in steady-state and transient studies to increase the accuracy of the iron losses equiva­lent circuit for the transformer.
characterise a power transformer, deter-
mine an equivalent circuit and design it
so as to handle transient electrical and
mechanical constraints. The article also Finite element tools enable quick and ac­
gives insight into the thermal simulations
that can complete the whole design of a
curate achievement of the requirements of
power transformer. power transformers with fast and accurate
design and analysis for complete results
2. Specific physical models
for power transformers
There are some specific models which
help transformer designers to represent
all the complex phenomena occurring in
their unit.

In order to define every different condi-

tion applied to the power transformer, a
circuit context embedded in the fini-
te element part allows the modelling of
p­ower sources, switches, diodes, induc-
tors, etc. Various coil conductors and so-
lid conductors are also represented in the
circuit context and are directly linked to
the corresponding region in the 2D/3D
model.

Another important aspect is the model-

ling of conductor regions. Homogene-
ous regions allow easier description of
the windings characteristics (number of
turns, material, filling factor, etc.). Some
advanced models permit evaluation of
the skin and proximity effects in the
coils without representing each wire,
which helps reduce the time and mem­
ory needed for the simulations and en­
sures accurate results. Figure 1: 3D power transformer model for No Load and Short Circuit tests

18 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

As illustrated in Figure 2, No Load test
is used to determine the components
„ Steady state and transient simulations are
marked in red, while those marked in important steps in transformer design opti­
green can be determined with the Short
Circuit test.
misation
Some transient simulations are also im-
portant in transformer design. For in-
stance, the Inrush Current test allows
determination of the current and mech­
anical constraints that the transformer is
subjected to during energisation, i.e. while
it is being connected to the network.

The first two tests were carried out on a 150

MVA HV transformer model (courtesy
of Wilson Transformer Company) (132
kV/14.1 kV). An example of a complete
3D model in a tank, with frames, yokes,
shunts and distribution bars is illustrated
in Figure 1. It combines different physical
regions and materials and illustrates all
the possible studies on a 3D power trans- Figure 2: Equivalent circuit for a real power transformer
former. The transformer is defined in a
circuit with voltage sources in the primary
and resistive loads in the secondary.

3.1. No Load test

In the first test, illustrated in Figure 3, the

transformer secondary is open, so the core
is saturated and it is possible to measure
the magnetising current in the primary
circuit. Also, in this situation the magne-
tic leakage can be neglected, which allows
reducing the complexity of the geom­
etry and representing only the core and Figure 3: Electrical scheme for No Load test
the windings. The other conductive parts
do not affect the results of this case. This
choice is rather time-saving and requires
Table 1. Results from the No Load test
less memory.
Magnetizing reactance of the primary Xm1 290.4 kΩ /phase
The magnetising reactances of the pri-
mary and secondary can be computed Magnetizing reactance of the secondary Xm2 3319 Ω /phase
thanks to the values of voltages and the Global iron losses 37.9 kW
result of the reactive power in the domain.
The magnetising current is also availa-
ble for measurement in the circuit. A
B­ertotti model [2] evaluates the iron
losses in every magnetic region. Table 1
to the left details some of these results.
The iron losses results are very difficult to
measure in reality and depend on many
manufacturing parameters. So, the obtai-
ned results are a good evaluation of the-
se losses but cannot perfectly take into
account some details from reality: for
example, specific air gaps with pressure
pads exist in the core but are quite hard
to model accurately. Figure 4: Electrical scheme for Short Circuit test

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 19
DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

3.2. Short Circuit test

In the second test (Figure 4), the situati-

on is opposite: the magnetising current is
neglected and the core is very slightly ma-
gnetised. However, there is an important
leakage of magnetic flux, which means the
occurrence of eddy current losses in all
the surrounding conductive parts. There-
fore, this test needs the whole geometry
to be correct. The model is also compo-
sed with distribution bars that supply the
power to the windings to model the effect
of these conductors on the global system.
The computation of stray losses is very
important because these kinds of losses
are impossible to measure directly and
the simulation is the only way to estimate
their value accurately. In order to model
this case, the values of the resistances at
the secondary are very low so that the vol-
tages tend to 0.
Figure 5: Arrows of induction in the core
As in the previous test, the leakage react­
ances are easy to compute from the volta-
ges and the reactive power in the domain.
Table 2. Results from the short circuit test compared with experimental measures The different losses in the conductive
Quantity Experimental measure Simulation result Difference (%) parts and in the circuit can also be com-
Short circuit voltage 8590 V 8390 V 2.3 % puted.

Leakage reactance
13.1 Ω /phase 12.9 Ω /phase 1.2 %
The magnetic field radiations outside
of the primary X1 the tank of the transformer can also be
Leakage reactance analysed, so that they do not exceed ra-
0.149 Ω /phase 0.147 Ω /phase 1.2 % diation regulation, in particular in some
of the secondary X2
countries, such as Switzerland, Italy or the
Netherlands, to name a few [3].

Table 2 details some of these results in this

particular case.

The arrows of current density illustrated

in Figure 6 can help a designer to under-
stand the direction and the intensity of the
currents on the tank surface. Thanks to
this information at each electrical phase,
the design can be modified to change the

„
path of the current.

In the post-proces­
sing, every quan­
tity is available to
be displayed, plot­
ted into a curve or
computed globally
on each part of the
Figure 6: Arrows of current density on the tank surface with phase = 0° model
20 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2
3.3. Inrush Current test Table 3. Global results from the short circuit test

Joule losses in the windings 413.6 kW

Different transient studies can be set up,
such as electrical defaults like the rupture Total eddy current losses in the windings 34.7 kW
of a coil or the disconnection of a power
Total stray losses 7.6 kW
transformer, for example.
Total stray losses without shunts 8.9 kW
In particular, the energising of an un­
loaded power transformer may have un-
desirable effects on power quality and may
1200
damage the transformer [4]. The third test
that was realised consisted in measuring 1000
these constraints provoked by the in­
rush current. This phenomenon brings 800
an important current for a short amount
of time and thus creates important forces 600
Current (A)

on the windings. The test was carried out Current Phase 1 Primary

on a 2D smaller transformer to yield faster 400

results in transient and observe the phe-

nomenon. This 3 kVA model (480 V / 240 V­) 200

is only represented with the core and win-

dings in the tank. 0
0,00 0,02 0,04 0,06 0,08 0,10 0,12

-200
A scenario of 0.1 second gives good re- Time (s)
sults to estimate the constraints on the
transformer. The peaks of current and Figure 7: Current in a phase in the primary in the Inrush Current test
forces also correspond to magnetic sat­
uration in the core. The results of max­
imum current and force are displayed in

„
the Table 4 below.

Energising a trans­
former can have
undesirable effects
on power qualit­y
and damage the
transformer.
Therefore, it is use­
ful to simulate such
event

These results are very important in order

to design the power transformer correct-
ly, so that it can endure transient con­
straints. Figure 8: Induction in the core for the peak value of current

Table 4. Results from the inrush current simulation in the 2D model

Inrush current in phase 1 in the primary 1118 A

Maximum Laplace force on the external winding of phase 1 1212 N

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 21
 DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

4. Thermal analysis

In addition to magnetic application, ther-

mal studies and couplings with other
applications are available to detect hot
spots on conductive parts.

For instance, the heating of the tank of a

transformer can be computed in a steady
state thermal application from the eddy
currents resulting from magnetic results.
Or else, it can be coupled much more
strongly thanks to a dedicated application.
This coupling with a thermal analysis can
also take into account the variation of the
material properties according to the tem-
perature. Magnetisation curves (B(H))
can be defined with specific coefficients
so that they depend on the temperature
at every node. Therefore, during the mo-
del solving there will be iterations so that
mag­netic and thermal simulations are ta-
ken into account simultaneously.
Figure 9: Isovalues of current density on the tank surface
Thermal properties and the coupling be­
tween magnetic results and thermal results
have been set on the basis of the analysis of
the previous 3D case. The current densi-
ty isovalues in Figure 9 give a hint of how
the tank will heat. The temperature on the
tank surface reached in steady state after

„
the m­odel solving is illustrated in Figure 10.

Thermal analysis
and couplings with
other simulations
are available to de­
tect overheating of
conductive parts
These thermal simulations can bring sig-
nificant information to a transformer de-
signer in order to prevent the heating and
ensure the resistance of the power trans-
former to these constraints. Consider­
ation of these results can help increase the
Figure 10: Isovalues of temperature on the tank surface (°C) life of a transformer [5].

Table 5. Results from the thermal simulation on the 3D power transformer

Maximum temperature on the tank surface in steady state 207.9 °C

Maximum temperature on the frames (in magenta in Figure 1) in steady state 370.2 °C

22 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

„ Using various algorithms it is possible to modelling and can help engineers who
handle the design and analysis of power
optimise the transformer performances by transformers.
modifying geometrical parameters (dimen­
sions of the core, the windings, the shunts, Bibliography
etc.) or physical parameters (number of [1] Mladen Banovic, Editorial Message,
turns, materials, etc.) Transformers Magazine, Vol 1, No.1, 2014
[2] F. Fiorillo, A. Novikov, „An improved
approach to power losses in magnetic
laminations under nonsinusoidal in-
5. Going further • Hysteresis modelling: The remanent duction waveform“, IEEE Trans. Magn.,
magnetic flux in a transformer when it Vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 2904-2910, 1990
Some other advanced simulations have is switched off can be taken into ac- [3] Rianne Stam, ”Comparison of inter-
not been detailed here. There are other count with a hysteresis model. This national policies on electromagnetic
kinds of studies or models that can com- can be useful to simulate a transient fields (power frequency and radiofre-
plete the set of simulations, such as: study to determine the losses due to quency fields)”, Laboratory for Radiati-
this phenomenon. Moreover, it could on Research, National Institute for Public
• Optimisation: After defining sev­ accurately simulate a transformer Health and the Environment, the Nether-
eral constraints and objectives, it is turn­ing off and starting again with lands
possible, for instance, to use various consideration of the remanent flux. [4] S. Dennetière, Y. Guillot, J. Mahseredji-
algorithms to optimise the trans- an, M. Rioual, “A link between EMTP-RV
former performances by modifying and FLUX3D for transformer energiza-
geometrical parameters (dimensions Conclusion tion studies”, International Conference
of the core, the windings, the shunts, on Power Systems Transients (IPST’07),
etc.) or physical parameters (number The different tests that have been conduct­ Lyon, France, 2007
of turns, materials, etc.). A complete ed provided a lot of information on the [5] Milagre, A. M., Ferreira da Luz, M. V.,
optimisation can significantly reduce behaviour and characteristics of power Cangane, G. M., Komar, A., & Avelino, P.
the number of computations needed transformers. They allow evaluation of A, (2012, September), “3D calculation
to determine the best configuration different losses and determination of the and modelling of eddy current losses in
of parameters to reduce all the losses. best configuration for an efficient design a large power transformer”, In Electrical
of a power transformer. Machines (ICEM), 2012 XXth Internati-
• Electrostatic study: The analysis of onal Conference on Electrical Machines
electric fields allows the prevention The modelling of transformers relies on a (pp. 2282-2286), IEEE
of dielectric breakdowns between great set of tools and techniques to evalu-
the coil windings. It also allows com- ate all electrical, thermal and mechanical
puting the parasitic capacitance be­ quantities that can affect the performance
tween each different part of the pow- and life of a transformer. All these solu- Author
er transformer. tions are made available by Finite Element Simon GUICH­ETEAU obtained his
M.Sc. degree in electrical eng­ineering
and grad­uated from Grenoble Insti-
tute of Technology
(INPG) in 2013,
where he develop­
ed various skills
in the School of
Energy, Water and
the Environment
(ENSE3). He spe-
cialized in energy systems, renewable
energies and associated markets. His
studies were concluded by a 6-month
work on the devel­opment of smart grid
solutions for the Smart Community
Project with ERDF in Lyon. Since Oct­
ober 2013, he has been part of the Ap-
plication Team of CEDRAT. Today he
is the referent for Power Transformers
and Green Energy applications.
Figure 11: Electric field between turns

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 23
INTERVIEW

Interview with Eng. Hassan

Abdawani, CEO at VOLTAMP
ENERGY, Oman
TM: Engineer Hasan Abdawani, HA: I extend you a warm welcome. my professional background, I hold a
we are very pleased to have the Master`s Degree in Electrical Power En-
opportunity to interview you and TM: Can you tell us a little bit about gineering from University of Manchester
learn a bit more about you, about your background? and Bachelor of Electrical & Electronic
VOLTAMP, the market, and the Engineering from University of Wales.
portfolio of transformers that you HA: I took charge as Chief Executive Of-
manufacture. ficer of Voltamp in May 2014. As regards I’m a member of the Institute of Elec-

24 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 „ Eng. Hassan Abdawani, Chief Executive
Officer of Voltamp since May 2014, holds a
Master`s Degree from University of Manchester
and a Bachelor‘s Degree from University of Wales

About the company onal trade shows attracting attention of

the electricity and oil & gas sector.
TM: Please tell us a few words about
VOLTAMP. What is your annual sales Voltamp’s success is mainly due to its core
turnover and how many people does philosophy of unflinching focus on build­
the transformer business employ? ing world-class products that meet speci-
fic customer requirements.
HA: Voltamp Group is one of the major
engineering, design and manufacturing Finally, we emphasize greatly on best ma-
companies in Oman, and the MENA nagement practices. All the three group
(Middle East and North Africa). Voltamp companies under Voltamp - Voltamp
manufactures an extensive range of power Energy SAOG, Voltamp Transformers
and distribution transformers, low volta- Oman LLC and Voltamp Power LLC - are
ge switchgears and packaged sub-stations IMS (Integrated Management System)
using state-of-the-art technology at our certified by the Geneva-based globally
manufacturing facilities in Sohar and Ru- acclaimed certification company SGS
sayl. With a capacity of 10,000 MVA, Volt- after a two-stage audit process, for seam-
amp has one of the largest manufacturing less integration of Quality Management
facilities in the MENA region. Innovation Systems (ISO 9001:2008), Environment
is in our DNA and we plan to introduce Management Systems (ISO 14001:2004),
new products, and endeavor to expand and Occupational Health and Safety Ma-
our presence in the export markets. nagement Systems (OHAS 18001:2007)
into their respective Integrated Manage-
We have achieved more than 35,000 in- ment System module.
stallations all over the MENA region,
which amply points to Voltamp‘s strong Going further, towards achieving highest
credentials in the regional market. Also, productivity, Voltamp has improved the
we export 30 per cent of our products to manufacturing practices which has resul-
GCC Countries. ted in increasing the capacity by over 40 %.

In a way, through all this, the Voltamp We have technical collaborations with
trical Engineers, and have served for Group exemplifies Oman’s manufacturing leading international technology leaders,
more than 25 years at the Senior Execu- prowess. including Tatung Taiwan, SIEMENS
tive management level in the electricity Germany, GE and Schneider, France.
sector in the Sultanate focusing mainly In this context it must also be menti-
on restructuring and unbundling of the oned that Voltamp has bagged several In terms of business growth we have
electricity sector. prominent industry awards for the best achieved annual sales turnover of $65 mil-
manufacturer in the electrical products lion last year, and the figures are expected
Prior to joining Voltamp, I had an eight- category in the last few years. We have to rise this year. Voltamp family is now

„
year stint with Electricity Holding Com- participated in various major internati- more than 450 people.
pany as Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
During this period I served as board
member of various electricity & power
companies such as MEDC, Majan, Ma- Voltamp Group is one of the major
zoon, Dhofar Power Co., Ghubra Power
& Desalination Co. and the GCC In-
engineering, design and manufacturing com­
terconnection Authority Board (GCC - panies in the MENA. Innovation is in our DNA
Gulf Cooperation Council). I also serve
as a member of various tender commit-
and we emphasize greatly on best manage­
tees. ment practices
w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 25
„
INTERVIEW

In terms of busi­
ness growth we have
achieved annual sales
turnover of $65 million
last year, and the fig­
ures are expected to
rise this year. Voltamp
family is now more
than 450 people
TM: How is the company organised?
How many manufacturing and engi­
neering sites do you have and where
are they located?

HA: The Group comprises three dis-

tinctive companies and one full-fledged
Engineering Services Division. Voltamp
Power LLC has been the latest addition with Tatung of Taiwan. Voltamp is the first kV class, distribution transformers up to
to the Group with a world-class manu- company in GCC to manufacture, test 3000 KVA and 33 kV class, special trans-
facturing facility for power transformers and supply 125 MVA 132 kV class power formers for the oil & gas sector and other
located at Sohar. Other strategic business transformers. special transformers including earthing
units are Voltamp Transformers and transformers, hermetically sealed trans-
Voltamp Energy, for distribution trans- FromourRusyalplant,VoltampTransform- formers and packaged sub-stations.
formers and switchgear respectively and ers Oman LLC manufactures medium The core technology was sourced from

„
are operating from Rusayl Industrial power transformers up to 15 MVA and 33 Babcock Transformers, UK.
E­state, near Muscat.

TM: Which markets do you serve and

how do you achieve customer satis­
We manufacture power transformers up to
faction in different markets? 500 MVA 220 kV voltage class, and we are the
HA:Apart from our leadership role in the
first company in GCC to manufacture, test and
energy sector in Oman, we have strong supply 125 MVA 132 kV class power transformers
presence in the entire MENA region. We
are exploring new markets as per a meti-
culously designed marketing strategy.

TM: Where do you see your compe­

tencies and in which markets do you
think you are strongest?

HA: As mentioned above, our core com-

petencies lie in manufacturing world-class
transformers and switchgears. We have
strongly established ourselves across the
MENA market through offering state-of-
the-art products and excellent 24/7 local
after-sales services.

TM: What types of transformers do

you manufacture at VOLTAMP?

HA: At our Sohar plant we manufacture

power transformers up to 500 MVA 220
kV voltage class in technical collaboration

26 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

Voltamp Energy SAOG manufactures low
voltage switchgear panels in partnership
with Schneider, France, at the plant in Ru-
„ Voltamp has supplied its products to
sayl. In addition, Voltamp Group has an numerous prestigious projects in the oil & gas
Engineering Services Division (ESD) cap­
able of repairing and maintaining trans-
sector as well as the utilities sector in Oman
formers up to 500 MVA 220 kV class. We and the rest of the GCC
will be shortly introducing 11 kV switch-
gear also. Voltamp has recently started a
Trading Division which can provide con- HA: Voltamp manufactures transformers HA: Voltamp has supplied its products to
trol & relay panels, DBs, bus ducts, battery and switchgear as per the latest IEC/ANSI numerous prestigious projects in the oil &
chargers, earth fault resistors and also dry Standards. Voltamp complies to the Shell gas sector as well as the utilities sector in
type cast resin transformers. Specification for the oil & gas sector. Oman and the rest of the GCC. Voltamp
is approved with most consultants and
TM: According to which standards do TM: What are your most important contractors and is a preferred supplier in
you design transformers? recent and current projects? the region.

TM: Do you have an in-house R&D?

HA: We have a Technology Department

which is responsible for identifying the
best available technologies for newer
products. However, as mentioned earlier,
we have technological partnerships with
leading technology giants like Tatung
Taiwan, SIEMENS Germany, GE, Bab-
cock Transformers, UK, and Schneider,
France.

TM: Thank you very much for sharing

your views with us in Transformers
Magazine and with our readers, many
of whom are VOLTAMP employees or
customers.

HA: It’s our pleasure to talk to you. We are

delighted to connect with your esteemed
readers. Thank you.

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 27
TRENDS
TESTS

Pieter Jan Jordaens, Bram Cloet, Jama Nuri, Raymond Van Schevensteen

Cold start of a
offshore trans
28 | ISSUE 1, VOLUME 1 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | VolumeMAGAZINE
TRANSFORMERS 2, Issue 2
 „
Jean SANCHEZ, Mladen BANOVIC

As most renewable energy systems are ABSTRACT

located outdoors, sometimes in harsh SLIM® transformers are compact liquid-
conditions ranging from the extreme cold immersed transformers according to IEC
60076-14 and customised for typical ap­
in Inner Mongolia to the scorching desert plications such as on- and off-shore wind
heat of Australia, a special attention must turbines. State of the art SLIM® wind
turbine generator transformers (WTGT)
be paid to the suitability and robustness have to operate in wind farms which are
of the components like transformers often located in remote locations with
harsh conditions and sometime very low
temperatures. After a few days of no wind
the transformer can be cooled down to
-30 °C or even -40 °C so these conditions
need to be tested in advance.
To ensure the reliability of CG Power Sys­
tem Belgium’s WTGT’s and the possibility
to start in cold conditions, several tests
were conducted in OWI-Lab’s large cli­
matic test chamber. OWI-Lab’s test faci­
lity is the first public test centre in Europe
that deals with extreme climatic tests of
heavy machinery applications up to 150
tonnes with a special focus on wind tur­
bine components.
CG wants to prove that when WTGT’s
have to operate in cold conditions, the
internal cooling is still working properly.
Due to higher viscosity at low tempera­
ture of the used cooling liquids, the na­
tural convection cooling of the internal
windings may be limited. According to
the properties of the cooling liquid that
is used inside the WTGT, it remains ‘li­
quid’ above -45 °C (pour point), but due
to the high viscosity, the natural convec­
tion may be limited and there is a pos­
sibility that the initial losses generated
inside the transformers’ windings cannot
be evacuated fast enough. To verify if the
natural convection starts, a full load cold
start test was conducted at -30 °C to pro­
ve that the natural cooling of the internal
windings starts immediately. During the
cold start test the internal pressure and

5.5 MVA
several temperatures such as the top oil
were measured. Also a storage test was
done at -40 ºC to check if the transformer
can resist this ambient temperature. This
storage test was conducted to prove that
no leaks or other visual issues occurred
on the tank and gaskets.

former
KEYWORDS
controlled cold climate testing, Bio-SLIM®
transformers, extreme cold start behavi­
our, live component testing

WWW.TRANSFORMERS-MAGAZINE.COM
w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m ISSUE 1, VOLUME 1 | 29
EVENTS
TESTS

1. Introduction 2. Description of test object

SLIM® transformers are highly reliable, low loss, high-tempera- The tests are performed on a synthetic ester filled off-shore WTG
ture liquid-immersed transformers according to IEC 60076-14, Bio-SLIM® transformer with the following properties:
customised for typical applications such as installation in WTG
[1] [2]. Their cooling liquid (silicone fluid in SLIM® and synthetic Rated power: 5560 kVA
ester in Bio-SLIM®) is fire class K3 as per IEC 61100. High voltage: 33 kV
Low voltage: 690 V
First, a storage test was done at -40 °C on a synthetic ester-filled Short circuit impedance: 12 %
Bio-SLIM® transformer. Secondly, a cold start test was done on Total losses: 50 kW
this Bio-SLIM® transformer to verify that the transformer is Total mass: Approx. 11 ton
able to cope with a full load start after the transformer had been Cooling Liquid: Synthetic ester (integrally filled)
cooled down to -30 ºC. These tests were conducted at the brand
new climate chamber of OWI-lab located in the port of Antwerp
[3]. 3. The need for cold start testing

In the following paragraphs the reasons to test transformer at ex-

Component suppliers sometimes treme cold environments is explained.
lack appropriate testing infra­ 3.1. Cooling performance at low temperatures
structure to verify all loads that
Although cooling problems are not expected at very low tem-
can occur on a wind turbine. This peratures, there is still a risk of reduced cooling due to the much
has been the main driver for OWI- higher kinematic viscosity of the used cooling liquids at low tem-
Lab to set-up a large climatic test peratures. A high kinematic viscosity prevents the cooling liquid
from flowing, thus the natural convection is limited and may not
chamber that can support multip­ evacuate the generated losses fast enough during start-up of a cold
le companies when it comes to this transformer. This may generate local hot spots inside the winding.
These hot spots may cause local production of dissolved gasses,
challenge insulation degradation and eventually, in the worst case scenario,
breakdown and failure of the entire transformer. This situation has
to be avoided at all times because the total cost of replacements or
repairs of the off-shore transformers can be several times the value

30 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

Physical cold start-up testing can 4500

be a good strategy to increase the 4000

3500

resilience and mitigate the risks

Kinematic V iscosity [ mm2/ s]

3000

associated with such extreme 2500

Synthetic ester

events as simulating these effects

2000
Mineral oil
1500 Silicone fluid

can be time consuming, complex 1000

and costly
500

0
-40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100
Temperature [C]

Figure 2: Kinematic viscosity of different types of cooling liquid

of the transformer itself, excluding the loss of production. Figure
1 shows the kinematic viscosity in function of the temperature. At
-30 ºC the kinematic viscosity is 60 times higher than at +20 ºC [4]. operation of the WTGT. In order to discover and understand
the effects of the higher viscosity at lower temperatures tests at
low temperatures have to be done.
The chart above shows higher viscosity of synthetic ester at lower
temperatures compared to other types of cooling liquids.

Testing the cooling performance

of wind turbine transformers dur­
ing extreme low temperature and
high kinematic viscosity is crucial
in order to guarantee safe and rel­
Temperature ºC
Kinematic Viscosity mm2/s
-30 -20
4200 1400
-10
430
0
240
10
125
20
70
30
43
40
28
50
19.5 iable power solutions for the wind
Temperature ºC 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 power industry
Kinematic Viscosity mm2/s 14 10.5 8 6.5 5.25 4.4 3.7 3.2 2.8

Figure 1: Midel 7131 kinematic viscosity versus temperature

In almost all cases synthetic ester is used in WTGT’s because 3.2. Lower operating temperatures required by OEMs
of their high fire point and environmentally friendly proper-
ties. These advantages have a much higher value than the disa- More and more OEMs require lower operating temperatures and
dvantages of the higher kinematic viscosity at low temperatures storage temperatures. As a supplier, CG Power needs to take this
compared to other fluids (see graph below). But the higher vis- into account to keep delivering high quality products. The table
cosity has to be taken into account in the design and practical below summarises some requirements of different OEMs.

Table 1: Some requirements of different OEMs

Transformers can be cooled down
to -30 °C or even -40 °C depending OEMs Minimum ambient temperature [°C] Application

on the location of the wind tur­bine. 1 -25 (operating) WTGT, On-shore

Due to a higher viscosity of the
cool­ing liquids at such low tem­ 2 -20 (operating), -40 (not operating) WTGT, Off-shore

peratures, the natural convection 3 -10 (operating), -25 (not operating) WTGT, Off-shore

cooling of the internal windings 4 -40 (operating and not operating) WTGT, On-shore
may be limited
The cold winters in the US [5] show that the low temperatures
required above are certainly possible.

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 31
 EVENTS
TESTS

Wind turbine OEMs require trans­ 4.1. First cooling sequence to -25 °C
formers that are able to operate at The first cooling sequence to only -25 °C was to evaluate the pres-
lower temperatures in comparison sure inside the transformer tank. We needed to be sure that the
negative under pressure was not too low for the tank. An under
with their requirements 10 years pressure which is too low could cause permanent deformation
ago; -30 °C operational limit and of the transformer tank or suck air into the transformer in case
of a leak.
-40 °C survival limit is not unusual
for many transformers
0
0,0 2,0 4,0 6,0 8,0 10,0 12,0 14,0 16,0 18,0

-50

3.3. Influence on operating pressures -100

Pressure [mbar]
The ambient temperature also has an influence on the internal -150
pressure of the WTGT. After, for example, a few days of cold wea-
ther and no wind, the WTGT can be cooled down to approxima- -200

te ambient temperature. In this situation the hermetically sealed

tank of the WTGT will be in under pressure. At low temperatures -250

this can be as low as -500 to -300 mbar depending on the tank de-
-300
sign. These large under pressures are rarely seen on normal dis- Time [h]

tribution transformers which are normally always loaded, espe- 1: Pressure

cially during cold periods when electricity use increases. When

wind picks up after such a period of no load and low tempera- Figure 4: Pressure profile (mbar) during cooling to -25 °C
tures, the pressure can increase rapidly to maximum 300 mbar.
Due to the higher temperature range, mainly extended to lower
temperatures and the more volatile load profiles of a WTGT, hig- In the pressure profile we see a pressure dip off -260 mbar. This
her pressure cycles occur more often than on a normal distribu- is caused by behaviour of the gas cushion inside the transformer.
tion transformer. These cycles can cause fatigue problems in the During the first hours the synthetic ester and the gas cushion
transformer tank which can lead to leaks. OWI-Lab and CG are are shrinking, which causes a higher under pressure. After a few
investigating the possibilities of performing HALT (highly acce- hours the gas that is dissolved in the synthetic ester will escape
lerated lifetime test) tests with pressure cycles at their test facility due to the under pressure and the low temperatures, which re-
in Antwerp. This will not be done only by changing the ambient sults in less gases dissolved in the ester. This explains why the
temperature because this process would be too slow. pressure starts to rise to about -100 mbar.

4.2. Second cooling sequence to -40 °C

4. Overview of the cooling sequences
After checking the under pressure, we proceeded to cool down
In this section an overview is given of different cooling sequences the transformer further to -40 °C to conduct the storage test. Due
performed on the 5.56 MVA off-shore Bio-Slim transformer. In to limited time, the temperature of the entire transformer was not
the next sections we will refer back to these paragraphs. yet stable at -40 °C when we had to start the next sequence.

15 0
0,0 1,0 2,0 3,0 4,0 5,0 6,0 7,0
10 -5

5 -10

0 -15
0,0 2,0 4,0 6,0 8,0 10,0 12,0 14,0 16,0 18,0
Temperature

Temperature

-5 -20

-10 -25

-15 -30

-20 -35

-25 -40

-30 -45
Time [h] Time [h]

1: Top Oil 2: Top fin 3: Bottom Fin 4: Ambient 1: Top Oil 2: Top fin 3: Bottom Fin 4: Ambient

Figure 3: Temperature profile during cooling to -25 °C Figure 5: Temperature profile during cooling to -40 °C

32 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

4.3. Final cooling sequence at -30 °C 5. Storage at -40 °C
In this cooling sequence the setpoint was at -30 °C ambient. As A storage test at -40 °C was conducted to control the transformer
you can see in the chart below, the entire transformer was cooled ability to cope with these temperatures without obtaining any
below -25 °C. This is the minimum ambient temperature accor- defects or leaks. The 5.56 MVA Bio-SLIM transformer weighing
ding to IEC at which a transformer should work normally. about 11 ton was stored at -40 °C for about 6 hours (see Figure
5) but it was not long enough to bring the entire transformer to a
steady -40 °C. The only reason we did not wait for a complete sta-
bilisation was the lack of time. Cooling down the transformer to
-40 °C took more time than we had initially thought. We needed
0
to proceed with the next steps to ensure there was enough time
0,0 2,0 4,0 6,0 8,0 10,0 12,0 14,0 16,0 18,0 for doing the most important part of the testing: the cold start test
-5
at -30 °C. When the ambient temperature was stable at -40 °C, a
-10
visual check of the transformer was done to detect possible leaks,
-15 cracks or other anomalies. During this check no visual defects
were noted.
Temperature

-20

-25

-30
6. Cold start test at -30 °C
-35

-40
6.1. Description of the test
-45
Time [h]
IEC 60076 requires that a transformer fully operates within
1: Top Oil 2: Top fin 3: Bottom Fin 4: Ambient
the designed parameters at a minimum ambient temperature
of -25 °C. With this cold start test, CG wanted to ensure good
Figure 6: Temperature profile during cooling to -30 °C functioning of a transformer and will take one step further and
preform the test at -30 °C. When temperature of the transformer
was stabilised around -30 °C, full load was applied on the trans-
former. The transformer was fed by a mobile generator and an
4.4. Cold start test at -30°C intermediate transformer. To simulate full load, low voltage con-
The chart below shows temperature profile during the cold start nections were short circuited and the generator was connected to
while the ambient temperature inside the chamber was maintai- the high voltage side. The generator output voltage was adjusted
ned between -30 °C to -25 °C. to have the nominal current in the transformer. Due to the inter-
nal losses of about 50 kW, temperature of the transformer started
to rise (see Figure 7).

60

50

40

30

20
Temperature

1: Top Oil
10 2: Top fin
3: Bottom Fin
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 4: Ambient
-10

-20

-30

-40
Time [min]

Figure 7: Temperature profile during cold start at -30 °C

In the chart above we can see that the top oil starts to rise after
about 15 minutes. This indicates that the natural convection starts
soon after the cold start to evacuate the losses of the transformers
windings. We have also noticed that on top of the cooling fins,
the temperature only starts to rise after about 25 minutes. This
indicates that the synthetic ester in the fins does not start to flow
immediately at low temperatures. Figure 8: 5.56 MVA Bio-SLIM transformer inside the climatic chamber at -30 °C

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 33
 EVENTS
TESTS

The IEC 60076 standard requires natural convection of the ester lags behind slightly at low tempe-
ratures. The temperature on top of the fins starts to rise later, after
that transformers can operate at a about 25 minutes. However we do not see strange temperature
minimum ambient temperature of excursions in the temperature rise. In [5] a cold start test is descri-
bed at -30 ºC on a single phase 167 kVA transformer filled with a
-25 °C. We push this testing limit to natural ester. The pour point of the natural ester is above -30 ºC.
-30 °C for operations and -40 °C for The temperature rises did not exceed the maximum allowable
temperature during this test. But a sudden change in temperature
storage and survival rise is seen after about 1-2 hours after the cold start and this is
due to the fact that the natural ester was not liquid at the start (see

6.2. Determining time constants

Temperature of the top oil measurement was used in Equation 1
to determine the thermal time constant of the transformer du-
ring full load.

Equation 1:

Toil = a(1- e τt)+b

Where:

Toil is the top oil temperature in °C

a and b are the fitted parameters
τ is the fitted time constant in minutes
t is the time variable in minutes

Fitting Equation 1 to the measurement of the top oil results in a

time constant of 112 minutes. Compared to the time constant of
492 minutes determined during cooling down to -25 ºC, this is
much faster. From this time constant we can estimate how long
it would have taken to cool down completely to -40 °C during
the storage test. If we repeated the storage test and cooling the
transformer completely down to -40 °C, we would need about 41
hours or almost 2 days (5 times 492 minutes).

6.3. Analysis of initial temperature rise behaviour

From experience we know that at normal ambient temperatures

of about 20 ºC, it takes less than 10 minutes for top oil to start ri-
sing. In this case it takes about 15 minutes and it indicates that the

15

10

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Temperature

-5
1: Top Oil
-10 2: Top fin

-15

-20

-25

-30
Time [min]
Figure 10: Temperature rise over -30 ºC ambient of core steel, secon­
dary winding, top oil, and primary winding cooling duct exit oil. Time
Figure 9: Initial temperature profile during cold start at -30 °C starts when transformer is energised at full load [5].

34 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

Figure 10). This behaviour is not seen in our case which indicates Conclusion
that the synthetic ester in our test was still liquid enough to start
the natural convection and to evacuate the generated losses from From this paper we learnt that there is a need for transformer
the windings. testing at low temperatures. Thanks to OWI-Lab’s large climatic
test chamber, a cold start test was done on a 5.56 MVA off-shore
WTGT. This test proved that the synthetic ester-filled WTG Bio-
7. Possible future test SLIM® transformer is able to cope with a sudden full load cold
start at an ambient temperature of -30 ºC. No abnormal behavior
This test can be repeated with some other sequences and extra was detected during this test. Even an ambient temperature of
measurements. For example: -40 ºC to test the storage conditions did not bring up any issues.

• Measurement of the winding temperature with several opti-

cal fibers installed inside the windings. References
• A voltage withstand test by applying the nominal voltage at a
cold ambient temperature. This would need an extra voltage [1] R. Van Schevensteen and J. Declercq, Performance and fire
source to feed through the low voltage side of the transfor- behavior of step-up transformers in wind turbines.
mer. [2] R. Van Schevensteen and J. Declercq, Transformers for off-
• When performing the cold start test, also change the ambi- shore multi megawatt turbines: discussion on specifications,
ent temperature to the maximum ambient temperature of safety and environment, in EWEC, 2005.
the transformer, for example +40 ºC or even +50 ºC to in- [3] OWI lab, Offshore Wind Infrastructure Application Lab,
crease the temperature leap of the transformer. This, for ex- http://www.owi-lab.be/, current 14.02.2014.
ample, simulates poor cooling of a small transformer room [4] M&I Materials, MIDEL 7131 - Kinematic Viscosity vs. Tempe-
where temperature rises quickly. rature, M&I Materials, http://www.midel.com/productsmidel/mi-
• Performing the cold start test even at lower temperatures, del-7131/thermal-properties/kinematic-viscosity, current 14.02.2014.
e.g. between -40 ºC to -60 ºC, be close to the poor point of [5] N. Carey and K. Palmer, Polar freeze grips United States,
the synthetic ester to look out for the effect on the natural disrupting travel, business, http://www.reuters.com/article
convection. /2014/01/06/us-usa-weather-idUSBREA000JC20140106, current
• Performing similar tests on WTGT’s with an external KFAF 03. 03.2014.
(K-class liquid forced, air forced) cooling system. [6] K. Rapp, G. Gauger and J. Luksich, Behaviour of Ester Dielec-
• Conducting HALTs test in the OWI-Lab to simulate mecha- tric Fluids Near the Pour Point, in IEEE Conference on Electri-
nical fatigue caused by pressure cycles. cal Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena, Austin, TX, 1999.

Authors
Bram Cloet has been working in the Nuri Jama graduated with a Master’s degree
transformer industry since 2007. He ob- in Electromechanical Engineering in 2006 at
tained his Master’s degree in Mechanical the EHB Brussels, Belgium. He started wor-
Electrical Engineering (option electrical king at Donaldson and then joined CG Pow-
energy) at the KULeuven in Leuven, Bel- er System Belgium in 2007. He gained his first
gium. After his studies he started working experiences there as an electrical designer of
in Pauwels Trafo Belgium, now CG Power distribution and small power transformers.
Systems Belgium where he worked mainly on the development He has worked as Project Engineer in R&D Center of Excellence
and improvement of distribution transformers.He is currently for Distribution Transformers of CG Powers Systems for the past
R&D Teamleader at the R&D Centre of Excellence for Distri- three years.
bution Transformers of CG Power Systems.
Raymond Van Schevensteen graduated
Pieter Jan Jordaens graduated with an as an electrical engineer in 1979 in Antwerp,
MSc in the field of Electro-mechanical Belgium and started his career at Pauwels
engineering at the KU Leuven - Group T- Trafo in 1980 as junior designer of Power
International University College Leuven. Transformers. Few years later he transferred
After his studies he joined an International to Distribution Transformers to become As-
Postgraduate Program in Entrepreneurial sistant Design Manager. In 1990 he joined
Engineering. He joined Sirris - the collecti- the Pauwels R&D team and worked on numerous developments,
ve centre of the Belgian technological industry in 2010 initially including the SLIM® line. After the acquisition of Pauwels by CG
as a project leader. Since then Pieter Jan has been responsible Power Systems, he became R&D Manager for EMEA-DT. Cur-
for setting up the Offshore Wind Infrastructure Application rently he is global Technology Head for Distribution Transfor-
Lab (OWI-Lab). He is currently working at OWI-Lab as a busi- mers reporting to the CTO. He is an active member of several
ness developer. IEC and Cenelec committees as well as an IEEE member.

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 35
TRENDS
ADVERTORIAL

„ Reliability meets automation. State-of-the-art

automation solutions are combined with tried
and tested MR drive technology in the new
TAPMOTION® ED ISM®

36 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 Jean SANCHEZ, Mladen BANOVIC

Markus Bauer

TAPMOTION®
ED ISM®
Reliable motor-drive unit. Integrated recording
of operating data

M
aschinenfabrik Reinhausen (MR) the field of electrical energy technology.
is the global market leader for
p­ower transformer control with This means that the TAPMOTION® ED
tap changers. A key component for re- ISM® not only ensures reliable operation
liable operation of the tap changer is the of the on-load tap-changer, but also en­
TAPMOTION® ED motor-drive unit, ables all relevant operating data of the
which has been installed over 100,000 power transformer to be analyzed and
times since it was launched in 1997. The recorded. This includes, for example, mo-
new TAPMOTION® ED ISM® combines nitoring of the tap changer, temperatures,
state-of-the-art automation solutions with signals from the motor-drive unit and the
reliable drive technology. status of the protective devices as well as
evaluating transformer utilization.
Stricter requirements derived from regu-
latory specifications, increasing system Added security and flexibility
load and interconnection, higher require-
ments on the availability and reliability of The data can be transferred directly to the
equipment, and an aging transformer fleet control system using IEC 61850-com-
all combine to make continuous monito- pliant methods. This greatly reduces the
ring and analysis of transformers increa- amount of wiring needed during installa-
singly important. tion and significantly cuts costs compared
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Intelligent motor-drive unit An integrated web server displays the data
so there is no need to install additional
This is why the new TAPMOTION® software packages for visualization and
ED ISM® is fitted with ISM® technology parameterization. Thanks to its flexibility,
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w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 37
TRENDS
ADVERTORIAL

„
The new TAPMOTION® ED ISM® not only ensures reliable operation of the on-load tap-changer, but also enables all relevant operating data of the
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In practice, this significantly increases provides the foundation for integrated

monitoring of transformers with the
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vented by means of early detection and system. This means that the relevant
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prevented by means of early detection that the system can be extended to suit units, and can be retrofitted quickly and
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oriented solution which facilitates both

38 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 Jean SANCHEZ, Mladen BANOVIC

Publish with us
Communicate value of your products and
services
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trends, with particular focus on green solutions and solutions
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w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 39
EVENTS
ADVERTORIAL

Communicate
and grow!
Introduction on that arises is whether our industry and On the other hand, there are strong dri-
market are still conservative or not. And vers that have influenced and changed
The Transformers Magazine team often if they are not, what changes are required the transformer market in recent times,
discusses with our customers and part- for business growth under the new cir- making it much more dynamic. These
ners the changes that we are experiencing cumstances? drivers include:
on the transformer market and those that
we are yet to experience. On the one hand, our market is still con- • electricity market deregulation;
servative. Things that have not changed • eco-regulation being introduced
We, people from the transformer indus- include a long lifetime required for the in Europe and expected soon to
try, used to consider our industry and equipment, which demands a high relia- be seen in other large transformer
market as very conservative. But wit- bility and availability of repairing service markets;
nessing all of the changes, a logical questi- and spare parts for the entire lifetime. • smart grid technology, etc.

40 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 Mladen BANOVIC

„ Successful communication with the market

has become more important than ever be­
fore because products and solutions have
to be presented and communicated on the
market more quickly and more efficiently

reasons force them to procure from sup- How communication

pliers which best fulfil their requirements. supports growth?
This affects all transformer OEMs and
their sub-suppliers in respective markets,
Shortening the product launch
making them achieve higher competitive-
ness and establish better communicat­ion As transformer market drivers make
with the market. the market more dynamic than ever
before, companies are forced to inno-
Eco-regulation vate and develop differentiating pro-
ducts. While this is a necessary deve-
The so-called eco-regulation calls for lopment, it can also become a trap if
products of higher efficiency, pushing the new product is too advanced for
companies to utilise better materials and the market and its launch gets signifi-
better design. This in turn requires better cantly delayed.
tools and better processes, and under the
competitive pressure, forces creation of Hence, a carefully planned and ba-
new tools and development of processes lanced communication campaign in
faster than ever. But shortening R&D cy- digital and print media that focus on
cles is not the only guarantee of success! the transformers arena will educate the
Successful communication with the mar- market and create opportunities for
ket is at least as important as successful application of products and services
R&D, because products and solutions much faster than in the absence of such
have to be presented and communicated campaign.
on the market more quickly and efficient-
ly than ever before. Leveraging business volume

Smart grid In a more dynamic and competiti-

ve market, there are more companies
Emerging smart grid technology is en- present and more products available.
tering the transformers industry from Companies which have better presence
many other industries, and its major ef- and higher quality of communication
fects on our industry and market are yet in the established print and digital
to be seen, but it certainly goes hand in media have better recognition on the
hand with other drivers, making the mar- market and better chances to find their
ket much more dynamic and dependent way to user specifications and finally to

„
on an efficient communication. users.
Market drivers
Electricity market deregulation
A carefully planned and balanced com­
Electricity market deregulation, which
has been introduced in many countries,
munication campaign in digital and print
is an important driver for the transformer media that focus on the transformers are­
market because it significantly changes
the rules of the game. Utilities have been
na will educate the market and create op­
transformed from national monopolistic portunities for application of products and
companies into players on an open mar-
ket, with no position to favour national
services much faster than in the absence of
suppliers anymore. Now the business such campaign
w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 41
„
EVENTS
ADVERTORIAL

Communication can 12000

change a negative to a

No. of unique visitoris

9000
positive business case
by shortening the de­ 6000
lay in launching the 3000
product or service,
shortening the ramp- 0
up time and leveraging

May 2014
Feb 2014

Apr 2014

Jul 2014

Sep 2014

Nov 2014

Feb 2015
Jan 2014

Jan 2015
Jun 2014
Mar 2014

Oct 2014

Mar 2015
Aug 2014

Dec 2014
the business volume
Month
Changing a negative business Historical view of the number of unique visitors to the Transformers Magazine website
case to a positive one
Communication can change a negative to a zine is providing communication services will find many of our communication ele-
positive business case. How is this possible? on the transformer market and supporting ments and messages, which helps us grow
companies in growing their business, as re- the magazine. This article forms part of
Major drivers for a business case are invest- flected in our slogan: Communicate and these elements, and its initial purpose is
ments, project duration, ramp-up time and grow! to communicate our observations on the
targeted business volume. Given a success- market changes and how we succeeded to
ful R&D model is in place, a delay in laun- One of the best examples of how Transfor- cope with them and grow. But this article
ching the product or service, the ramp-up mers Magazine can support the business also serves to communicate our available
time and business volume will be decisive growth is the magazine itself, which is gro- services for your company, which you can
for the business case – making it positive wing rapidly by many parameters. A good use to grow your business. To support your
or negative. These critical parameters for a indicator of its growth is the number of business growth, available to you are not
successful business case depend on many unique visitors per month to the magazine only services that we have developed, tes-
factors, such as market maturity (readiness) website, as illustrated above. ted, and utilised for our own growth, but
for the product or service, strength and also our team with its expertise in transfor-
quality of the organisation, available fun- Looking at this or any other issue of the mers industry, launching products into the

„
ding, etc. magazine, our website or eBulletins, you market and leveraging the business.

To reinforce, a solid communication cam-

paign educates the market and creates op- To support your business growth, available
portunities for application of products and
services in a shorter time. In this way, an to you are not only services that we have
effective communication will shorten the developed, tested, and utilised for our own
delay in launching the product or service
and shorten the ramp-up time, which is a growth, but also our team with its expertise
goal of any business. The more advanced in transformers industry, launching products
product or service, the better communica-
tion campaign will be required. into the market and leveraging the business
To leverage the business volume, it is im-
portant to cover as many markets as pos- Author:
sible, and take as high a market share as
possible. Launching a communication Mladen BANOVIC holds a PhD degree from the University
campaign in a global industry media pro- of Zagreb, Croatia. He is a Principal Consultant in Merit Media
vides an opportunity to inform the market Int., publisher of Transformers Magazine. In this role he sup-
on a global scale much faster than running ports development, testing, and deployment of communication
local or regional campaigns. Naturally, bet- services most suitable for the transformers market. He is also
ter communication products and services Editor-in-Chief of Transformers Magazine.
will provide the better chances to leverage In his previous roles he has managed development of transfor-
the business. mer insulation up to 1200 kV in the ABB insulation group, provided trainings to
transformer OEM and utility customers, developed systems for smart grid, automa-
The importance of communication for ted design, testing, diagnostic and monitoring systems, led launching of products
business growth is nowadays more than and services into the market, etc.
obvious. One of the services of the maga-

42 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 Coiltech 2015
23-24 September Pordenone

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Meet the leaders

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Insulation materials and resins
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Laminations - motors and transformers
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Transformer coils
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Accessories - motors and transformers

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w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 43
EVENTS
CORE LOSS

ABSTRACT
Rotational magnetisation is a phe­ Rotational
magnetisation
nomenon that occurs locally in
the magnetic cores of three-limb
transformers. The power loss dis­
sipated under rotational magneti­
sation can be several times higher
than under usual magnetisation
conditions as defined by manufac­
turers of the electrical steels. The
A phenomenon in three-phase three-
phenomena were discovered over
100 years ago and have been studied
limb transformer cores
since, but it is difficult to model it 1. Introduction therefore, such excitation is also referred
theoretically and apply the know­ to as alternating magnetisation.
ledge practically in transformer Transformer magnetic cores are built
design. This article focuses on the from strips of Grain-Oriented electrical Magnetisation of electrical steel can be
definition and discussion of the steel (GO). The cores are designed so that illustrated and explained with the help
phenomenon in order to introduce the excitation is applied along the “easy of a B-H loop (Fig. 1b). Such loop also
it to a wider audience of the trans­ magnetisation“ direction, synonymous illustrates the idea of magnetic saturati-
former community. with manufacturing rolling direction of on, where a further increase in excitation
each of the electrical steel strips (Fig. 1a) (magnetic field strength H) yields a di-
in order to optimise the performance and minishing increase of the response (flux
KEYWORDS minimise the magnetic losses. density B).
magnetic loss, iron loss, rotational loss, The cyclical magnetisation results from Measurements of magnetic properties
electrical steels, power transformers alternating currents in the windings – should be carried out under well-con­

44 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 Stan ZUREK

„ A commonly used
method to measure
the magnetic proper­
ties of materials is
the Epstein frame,
with which the meas­
urements should be
made under control­
led sinusoidal B

course, it is also possible to apply cont­

rolled sinusoidal H, but this condition
is far less important in practice because
it would require pure sinusoidal currents.
B-H loops resulting from such two con-
ditions are different and controlled sinus­
oidal H condition usually generates high-
er power loss for the same material.

Several magnetic quantities can be deri-

ved from a measured B-H loop: coercivity,
permeability, and core loss (directly pro-
portional to the area of the loop), to name
but a few. The core loss, also mostly called
the no-load loss, is a very important para-
meter for transformer design because any
heat dissipated in the transformer must
trolled conditions, so that the results are accurately the B and H waveforms used to be taken into account in the design of the
reproducible in different laboratories [1]. compose B-H loops. cooling system for the given transformer.
A commonly used method is the so-called
Epstein frame [2] on core samples, with It should be noted here that for electrical The magnetic losses are also used as the
which the measurements should be made steels only the controlled sinusoidal B basis of classification and grading of elec-
under controlled sinusoidal B. The meas­ condition is used, because it is more akin trical steels from which the magnetic cores
urement apparatus must be capable of to the real application where pure sinu- are built. For example, electrical steel de­
controlling such conditions and capturing soidal voltage leads to sinusoidal B. Of fined as M150-30S means electrical steel

Figure 1. Grain-Oriented electrical steel (GO) is usually magnetised along one direction (a); and a typical family of B-H loops (b)

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 45
„
EVENTS
CORE LOSS

It was experimentally verified that rotational in the core is generated by three phases.
Most of the magnetic flux is utilised for
magnetisation takes place in the so-called “useful“ work of interacting with the rotor,
T-joint, a point of connection between the but unfortunately some small percentage
circulates just in the stator itself, magnetis­
limbs and the yokes of the transformer core ing it in a rotational manner.

Three-limb, and more, power transform­

ers also combine three phases to create
magnetic fluxes. Each individual limb is
effectively excited by alternating magnet­
isation, but at the point of connection of
different partial fluxes a very local rotation
of the magnetic field can occur [7]. This is
in the so-called T-joint, which is the con-
nection between the limbs and the yokes
of the core, and it was experimentally ve-
rified that indeed such rotational magne-
Figure 2. Rotational magnetisation in three-phase machines: a) in an electric motor core; b) at the T-joint tisation does take place (Fig. 2b).
of a three-limb power transformer
Under alternating magnetisation the di-
(M), whose specific loss at 1.7 T does not 2. Rotational magnetisation rection of applied excitation is constant
exceed 1.50 W/kg (150), with thickness and only the magnitude and sense of the
0.3 mm (30) of conventional grade (S) [3]. alternating BALT vector changes (Fig. 3).
Armed with such information the desig- However, building factors are not the best Therefore at the instances of “zero cros-
ner can estimate how much loss should be tool for describing phenomena occurring sing“ of the field the length of the vector is
dissipated in the magnetic core and adjust very locally in a given core. One such lo- zero and the magnetic material is continu­
the design accordingly. cal phenomena is the so-called rotational ously magnetised, demagnetised, magne-
magnetisation. tised in the opposite way, and so on.
The specification provided by electrical
steel manufacturers only gives inform­ Three-phase electricity became widely Rotational magnetisation occurs if the
ation for magnetisation under ideal con- used because of its intrinsic ability to create length of the vector does not decrease to
ditions where the excitation is uniform a rotating magnetic field, which is the basis zero but the direction continuously chan-
and the material is free from mechanical of all three-phase motors and generators. ges, for instance within the plane of the
stress. Such conditions cannot be met in a Such a rotating field produces torque in the magnetic laminations. So, the magnitude
transformer core and transformer manu- rotor and thus converts electricity into me- can be constant, but the vector rotates [5-
facturers employ such methods as “build­ chanical force and vice versa. 11]. The rotation can be created with an
ing factors“ [4] (commonly named “k” arbitrary shape if the length of the vector
or “BF”) which are empirical coefficients But rotating fields can also occur in re­ does not decrease to zero (Fig. 3).
defining the differences between the spe- gions which do not contribute directly to
cified material values and those actually useful energy transformation, for instance As stated above, measurements of mag­
found in the magnetic cores subjected to at the back of the core teeth in motors and netic properties must be carried out
all required stages of assembly. Depending generators as shown in Fig. 2a [5, 6]. Such under controlled conditions in order to
on transformer construction such correc- rotating magnetisation is an unwanted ensure reproducibility. For alternating
tion values could exceed 1.25 [4]. side effect of the fact that the magnetic flux magnetisation this was controlled sinus­

Figure 3. Definition of alternating BALT, circular BCIR and arbitrary BARB magnetisation

46 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 „ The phenomenon is
so interesting that
there is even an in­
ternational scienti­
fic conference de­
voted to rotational
measurements

Rotational magnetisation does not have

to follow a purely circular shape. For
instance, as shown in Fig. 2b, the shape
can resemble a rhomboid caused by the
anisotropy of the Grain-Oriented elec-
trical steel as used in transformers core.
This can have an interesting consequen-
ces and it is discussed in more details
below.

The “B-H loops“ as detected under rota­

tional magnetisation experiments can
take quite peculiar shapes (Fig. 4), for
which notions such as “coercivity“ or “re-
manence“ become almost meaningless.
Firstly, the B and H can be decomposed
into two components for the orthogonal
X and Y directions so that the full set of
data becomes: BX-HX and BY-HY and two
families of B-H loops are produced si-
multaneously.

Under such magnetisation conditions

the power loss exhibits a somewhat
counterintuitive behaviour. Namely, the
intriguing aspect of rotational magnet­
isation is that the total loss dissipated
in magnetic material exhibits a peak,
after which it decreases towards zero, as
shown in Fig. 5. For alternating magnet­
Figure 4. Experimental data for rotational magnetisation for Conventional Grain-Oriented electrical steel isation the power loss always increases
(CGO) magnetised under controlled circular B: BX-HX (left) and BY-HY (right) roughly with the square of B.

This was initially shown by Baily as early

oidal B. A similar approach can be taken as cosine. If both components are appro- as 1896 [10]. At the time, the results were
for rotational measurements where the priately shaped, then a condition of con- so controversial that they were ridiculed
rotation can be created in a two-phase trolled circular B can be attained. In an and criticised by his peers. However,
analogous way, controlled circular H can

„
system with one phase applied to a sam­ further theoretical analysis by Ewing
ple at 0° as sine and the other phase at 90° be achieved for the same core sample. (1900) [11] as well as measurements with
improved accuracy and other techniques
proved that the effect is indeed real and
The intriguing aspect of rotational magnet­ that the rotational power loss vanishes
isation is that the total loss dissipated in mag­ when approaching saturation.

netic material exhibits a peak, after which it The phenomenon is so interesting from
decreases towards zero theoretical viewpoint that there is even
an international scientific conference de-
voted to rotational measurements [12].

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 47
 EVENTS
CORE LOSS

too excessive for practical use. Alloying

iron with silicon increases resistivity and
lowers the eddy currents, but the silicon
content cannot exceed 3 % for mechanical
and commercial reasons (the steel beco-
mes too brittle and hence too expensive to
process).

Hysteretic component of loss is generated

in all magnetic materials. During mag-
netisation and re-magnetisation the size
of magnetic domains changes, so that the
domain walls move accordingly (Fig. 6
and Fig. 7). In CGO the domain walls can
be several mm long but only hundreds of
Figure 5. Comparison of power loss characteristics for Conventional Grain-Oriented silicon-iron electrical atoms thick. Therefore, their movements
steel sheet for alternating and circular magnetisation [9] can be impeded (e.g. by chemical impur­
ities or crystallographic defects) and the
lost energy manifest itself as hysteresis. In
3. Rotational loss a varying magnetic field induces eddy cur- a first approximation the hysteresis com-
rents in the whole volume of such mate- ponent does not depend on frequency
Magnetic loss can be conceptually split into rial, as dictated by Faraday‘s law of induc- of magnetisation but is a function of the
three components: eddy current, hysteresis, tion. This loss depends on cross-sectional amp­litude of magnetisation.
and the so-called additional or excess loss. area (hence the thickness) of lamination
and it is therefore the primary reason why Additional loss component is generated
Eddy current loss occurs in any conduct­ all electrical steels must be used as lami- from very localised micro eddy currents
ing material, magnetic or not. Exposure to nations, otherwise those losses become generated around the fast moving domain
walls. The “normal“ eddy currents flow in
the whole width of the magnetised steel
strip, but the micro eddy currents are gen­
erated only in the immediate vicinity of
the domain walls, due to the local change
in magnetisation (Fig. 7). In Grain-
Orient­ed electrical steels the size of mag-
netic domain walls is comparable to the
thickness of lamination (around 0.3 mm)
and the so-called additional loss becomes
significant [13, 15].

Under alternating magnetisation, a sum of

all three components (eddy current, hys-
teresis and additional loss) creates a B-H
loop, as shown in Fig. 1.

„ Under alternating
magnetisation, a
sum of all three
components of mag­
netic losses – eddy
current, hysteresis
and additional loss
– creates a B-H loop
Figure 6. Magnetisation occurs because the magnetic domains (dark and light regions) change their size
and in a demagnetised state the “up“ and “down“ domains occupy roughly the same volume (left), but
during magnetisation the domains grow and shrink (right)

48 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 Measurements in research laboratories
can be carried out for any grade of GO
under controlled circular B, so that the
H vector loci resemble a “butterfly“ shape,
caused by the crystallographic anisotropy
of the material (Fig. 8). Along the “easy“
direction, the required H is smallest to
produce a given B – this direction is along
the X axes in Fig. 8. On the other hand, in
order to set up the same B in the “hard“ di-
rection, the required H is much greater (Y
axes in Fig. 8).

Figure 7. Conceptual illustration of domain walls extending through the whole thickness of laminations Another measurement can be taken
(see also Fig. 6) [15] under controlled circular H, and for
the same material the B loci become
“rhomboidal“ (Fig. 9) [8, 14, 16], again
However, under rotational magnet­ appear and the total loss decreases, as as dictated by the anisotropy of the Con-
isation, with approaching saturation shown in Fig. 5. ventional Grain-Oriented electrical steel
the domain walls vanish because one (CGO).
large domain is rotated in the plane of Unfortunately, the peak in the power loss
the lamination. As shown in Fig. 7 and curve in electrical steels tends to appear These two magnetising conditions (cont-
explained above, the presence of do- between 1.4 - 1.8 T, which is near the ope- rolled B or H) differ only by the way the
main walls is responsible for two loss rating point for power transformers, ty- excitation is applied. Namely, just the ma-
components: hysteresis and additional. pically around 1.7 T. So the effect of van­ gnetising currents have different shapes
With the absence of the domain walls ishing loss cannot be employed in most controlled in such a way as to produce re-
both of these loss components also dis- practical applications. quired shape of B or H.

Figure 8. Magnetisation of CGO under controlled circular B (left) leads to “butterfly“ shape of H (right)

Figure 9. Magnetisation of CGO under controlled circular H (right) leads to “rhomboidal“ shape of B (left)

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 49
„
EVENTS
CORE LOSS

Typical values of power loss under alternat­ to its nature it is very difficult to include it
into the design procedure of transformer
ing magnetisation vary between 0.7 - 1.0 W/ cores.
kg at 1.5 T for CGO electrical steel, but the Within scientific community there are
maximum value of rotational loss can reach rumours that in the past rotational loss
4.5 W/kg for circular B or 6.5 W/kg for circu­ contributed to catastrophic failures in
transformers, but because of confidenti-
lar H, which is probably more applicable to ality and commercial sensitivity under­
the T-joints of transformers standably the manufacturers are not
forthcoming with details. As a result, the
practical problem is not discussed in any
technical or scientific publication. Mostly
Typical values of power loss under alter- only to alternating magnetisation. Interest­ just the material behaviour or laboratory
nating magnetisation vary between 0.7 - ingly, this factor gets worse for better grad­ version of transformer cores are studied in
1.0 W/kg at 1.5 T for CGO electrical steel es of electrical steels and high-permeability isolation and further articles are published
(e.g. grade M4 or M130-27S). Grain-Oriented steel (HiB) exhibits even at each edition of the 1&2DM conference.
greater rotational losses with factors up to
But the maximum value of rotational nine times reported in the lit­erature [16]. As a transformer designer or manufactur­
loss can reach 4.5 W/kg for circular B (as er, have you experienced any such or simi-
shown in Fig. 10a) or 6.5 W/kg for circu- The rotational loss phenomenon is very lar unexplained problems with T-joints of
lar H (Fig. 10b), which is probably more difficult to model from a theoretical view­ three-phase transformers? Perhaps you
applicable to the T-joints of transformers point [17]. Also, the measurements are not witnessed elevated temperatures or some
– as evident from Fig. 2b (rhomboidal B). performed with accuracy comparable to unexplained behaviour around a T-joint?
Depending on the grade of the electrical the standardised and widely applied alter- Would you be able to give any inform­
steel these values can be even higher. nating measurements. So far, there is no ation about the problems with rotational
standardised method for measuring such magnetisation encountered in practice?
Therefore, under worst case scenario the losses because previous attempts at stand­
peak of the rotational loss can occur lo- ardisation failed due to large discrepancies
cally only in the T-joints of the cores (see (up to 50 %) in measured values between Bibliography
also Fig. 2b), which could lead to hot spots the participating laboratories [18].
in the T-joints of the cores. This is because [1] Tumanski S., Handbook of magne-
locally the loss could be around five times The phenomenon is real and continues to tic materials, CRC Press, 2011, ISBN
higher than for the rest of the core ex­posed be studied in laboratories. However, due 9781439829523

„
[2] IEC 60404-2:2008, Magnetic materials
- Part 2: Methods of measurement of the
magnetic properties of electrical steel strip
There could be hot spots in the T-joints of and sheet by means of an Epstein frame
[3] EN 10107:2014, Grain-oriented elec-
the cores, because locally the loss could be trical steel strip and sheet delivered in the
around five times higher than for the rest of fully processed state
[4] Hajipour E., et al., Power transformer
the core no-load loss prediction with FEM mo-

a) b)
Figure 10. Rotational power loss for CGO at 50 Hz for: a) circular B; b) circular H

50 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

deling and building factor optimization, Press, 2003, ISBN 0-7803-1032-2 [17] Appino C., et al., Can rotational mag-
Journal of Electromagnetic Analysis and [10] Baily F.G., The hysteresis of iron and netization be theoretically assessed?, Inter-
applications, Vol. 3, 2011, p. 430 steel in a rotating magnetic field, Philo- national Journal of Applied Electromagne-
[5] Radley B., et al., Apparatus for expe- sophical Trans. Royal Society of London, tics and Mechanics, Vol. 44 (2014), p. 355
rimental simulation of magnetic flux and Series A, 1896, 187, p. 715 [18] Sievert J., et al., European intercom-
power loss distribution in a turbogene- [11] Ewing J.A, Magnetic induction in parison of measurements of rotational po-
rator stator core, IEEE Trans. Magnetics, iron and other metals, 3rd edition, Van wer loss in electrical sheet steel, Journal of
Vol. 17 (3), 1981, p. 1311 Nostrand Company, 1900 Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, Vol.
[6] Anuszczyk J., Analysis of localisation [12] International Workshop on Two- 160, 1996, p. 115
of flux density and power loss in rotati- Dimensional Magnetic Measurement and
onal magnetisation in magnetic circuits Testing, www.2-dm.com, current 23 Feb
of electric machines (in Polish: Analiza 2015 Author
rozkladu indukcji i strat mocy przy prze- [13] Zirka S.E., et al., Viscosity-based ma- Stan Zurek com-
magnesowaniu obrotowym w obwodach gnetodynamic model of soft magnetic pleted a PhD in
magnetycznych maszyn elektrycznych), materials, IEEE Trans. Magnetics, Vol. 42 electrical engineer­
Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Lodzkiej, (9), 2006, p. 2121 ing in 2005 and
Nr 629, Rozprawy Naukowe z. 158, Lodz, [14] Zurek S., et al., Rotational power los- continued research
1991, Poland ses and vector loci under controlled high in magnetic ma-
[7] Kanada T., et al., Distributions on flux density and magnetic field in electri- terials at Wolfson
localised iron loss of three-phase amor- cal steel sheets, IEEE Trans. Magnetics, Centre for Mag-
phous transformer model core by using Vol. 42 (10), 2006, p. 2815 netics, Cardiff University, UK. He joi-
two-dimensional magnetic sensor, IEEE [15] Zirka S.E., Dynamic magnetization ned Megger in 2008 and is Manager
Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 32, No 5, models for soft ferromagnets with coarse of Mag­netic Development. He is the
1996, p. 4797 and fine domain structures, Journal of Ma- author and co-author of over 60 scien-
[8] Zurek S., Qualitative analysis of Px and gnetism and Magnetic Materials, (in press) tific publications related to magnetics
Py components of rotational power loss, [16] Zurek S., Two-dimensional magne- and magnetic materials. Dr. Stan Zurek
IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 50 tisation problems in electrical steels, PhD is a Senior Member of IEEE Magnetics
(4-2), 2014, p. 1 thesis, Wolfson Centre for Magnetics, Society.
[9] Bozorth R.M, Ferromagnetism, IEEE Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, 2005

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w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 51
EVENTS
INSULATING LIQUIDS

ABSTRACT
Electrical insulating mineral oils are
mainly manufactured from naphth­ enic
crude sources, with a small number
being produced from paraffinic crudes

Application of
and gas-to-liquids technology. The re­
sulting products are most frequently free
of additives, except for certain types of
phenol-based oxidation inhibitors, and
of a very low percentage by weight, only

transformer
up to 0.4 %. The main specifications for
electrical insulating oils, Doble TOPS,
ASTM D3487 and IEC 60296, only allow
oxidation inhibitors and any other addit­
ives must be agreed upon by the entities
involved in the selling and purchasing of
the product. Over the years, other addi­
tives have been used, sometimes unbe­
knownst to the purchaser, some of which
include pour point depressants, gassing
tendency additives, other types of oxid­
A technical review of how and why
ation inhibitors, passivators and metal
deactivators. This paper discusses the
passivators work in transformer min­
uses of passivators and how they work in
transformer systems. Presently, passiv­
eral oil and their effectiveness in
ators are being used to control issues with
corrosive sulfur but they have also been
retarding copper corrosion
used to control oxidation stability of the Introduction verely impacted. The phenomenon is not
oil and streaming (static) electrification. new and has been known since the early
This paper will focus mainly on the use Since about 1996, the electric power in- 1930s. Up until the 2000 time frame, the
of passivators to control corrosive sulfur. dustry has seen a rash of failures of large failures due to corrosive sulfur were spo-
power transformers, shunt reactors, load radic and manageable. However, from
tap changers and bushings due to con- 2000 through 2007, the rash of failures
KEYWORDS ditions caused by corrosive sulfur com- was so prevalent that several utilities
passivators, benzotriazole, BTA, Irgamet 39, pounds in electrical insulating oil. This were concerned with reliability on their
Irgamet 30, corrosive sulfur, copper sulfide, was a worldwide phenomenon with the system. As a percentage of the total po-
transformer oil, insulating mineral oil Brazil electric system being the most se- pulation of transformers the failure rate

52 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 „
Lance LEWAND

For the past 20 years corrosive sulfur in

insulating mineral oil has caused a rash of
failures of large power transformers, shunt
reactors, load tap changers and bushings

passivators in
insulating mineral oils
attributed to corrosive sulfur is still very United States and other parts of the quantities of core steel, copper, electrical
small but impactful. world, in some cases reduced available insulating paper and pressboard, among
spares. Thus, replacements for failed other components. The total weight of
Transformers are large industrial ma- transformers were not available and these materials can be several hund-
chines that are basically handmade, take compounded the issue. Those poli- red tons when finally installed. None of
many months to build and cost millions cies have since been revisited and the these internal components were meant
of US dollars, are specific to a utility amount of spare transformers available to be changed out over the life of the
system and cannot be easily replaced. has been readjusted. transform­er. Failures of transformers due
Transformers are designed and built to to corrosive sulfur compounds occur
last 20 years or more at nameplate ra- Transformers vary in size but large units because they react with the copper con-

„
ting with many of them operating over can hold from 35,000 to 100,000 liters or ductor in the transformer windings, lead
40 years. The corrosive sulfur fail­ures more of electrical insulating oil and large assemblies and silver components that
in recent years involved relatively new
electric apparatus, most less than 10 ye-
ars old and some with less than a year From 2000 through 2007, the rash of failures
in service. Spare transformer policies in
place during the 1990s and early 2000s,
was so prevalent that several utilities were
as a result of utility deregu­lation in the concerned with reliability on their system
w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 53
„
EVENTS
INSULATING LIQUIDS

Researchers suggested that copper sulfide complex forms at the copper surface,
causing the dissolution of copper in that
formation on insulating paper via the DBDS- location. Researchers that formulated this
copper complex occurs at lower tempera­ mechanism suggested that copper sul­
fide formation on insulating paper via the
tures, usually 135 °C and below DBDS-copper complex occurs at lower
temperatures, usually 135 °C and below.
When the decomposition of DBDS-
copper complex occurs, copper sulfide is
deposited and the radical intermediates
(benzyl radical and benzylsulfenyl radi-
cal) are generated [3].

Sources of corrosive sulfur

Copper Conductor
There are a variety of sources of sulfur in a
transformer, but not all sulfur compounds
are corrosive [4, 5]. Electrical insulating
mineral oil was at one time a major sourc­e.
Figure 1: Corrosive sulfur attack of copper conductor and ions (red=copper; yellow=sulfur)
Electrical insulating mineral oils are refi-
ned from crude and as such contain a
variety of undesirable nitrogen, oxygen
and sulfur compounds. Depending on the
can progress into several different failure ing the copper conductor. Copper sulfide refining technology and the crude source,
modes. Three failure modes are the most formed in the paper occurs when copper most reactive sulfur compounds such as
common. ions present in the paper react with the elemental sulfur, mercaptans, and some
corrosive sulfur compounds in the oil and sulfide and disulfide compounds can be
The first are those that involve coating of oil-impregnated paper insulation (Figure either destroyed, removed or converted.
conductors with a metal (copper or sil- 2). The conductive copper sulfide causes However, some corrosive sulfur com-
ver) sulfide film [1] (Figure 1). This film or a reduction in dielectric strength of the pounds may escape degradation in this
coating is resistive compared to bare metal paper insulation. Failure results when the process or be produced as a result of the
contacts and can result in their overheating. dielectric breakdown strength of the con- severe treatment.
ductor insulation is exceeded by the vol­tage
Another potential failure mechanism is stress which can be influenced by transient Other sources may include materials
the result of a thick coating of the copper voltages. The result is arcing between two of construction within the transformer
or silver sulfide flaking from the conduct­ or more strands or possibly disks [2]. such as gasket materials, glues, papers,
or into insulation structures. and others. It has recently been deter-
Another mechanism that produces cop- mined that stable sulfur compounds in
The third is the formation of copper sulfide per sulfide deposits in the paper occurs transformer oil such as thiophenes can
deposits in the paper insulation surround- where a dibenzyl disulfide (DBDS)-­c­opper be thermally degraded at temperatures

Figure 2: Mass transfer of copper to paper insulation (left); Corrosive sulfur compounds reacting with copper ions to form copper sulfide (middle); Corroded
copper and copper sulfide on paper insulation (right)

54 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

„ Sources of corrosive sulfur in the insulating bination of a passivating compound (an-
thranilic acid) and an oxidation inhibitor
mineral oil are, as a result of undesirable sul­ (phenyl-B-naphthylamine) [8] that had a
fur compounds, those that can breakdown synergistic effect. In 1967, J.J. Melchiore
and I.W. Mills of the Sun Oil Com­pany [9]
under specific conditions and reactive sul­ authored an article that dealt with the oxi-
fur compounds that leach from the mater­ dation stability of transformer oils in res-
ponse to accelerated oxidation tests such
ials of construction in the transformer as the DOBLE PFVO (power factor valu-
ed oxidation) test. The results of the testing
that they performed suggested that the use
in excess of 400 or 500 °C into corrosive apparatus that had been in service from 1 of a metal deactivator passivated the cop-
species such as elemental sulfur [6]. One to 7 years. During this window, the num- per surface that was used as a cata­lyst in
compound in particular, dibenzyl disul- ber of units with suspect oil that have been the experiment. The passivator decreased
fide (DBDS), has been found to be cor- placed in service could represent a large the catalytic effect of the copper and the
rosive under certain conditions and was monetary value even though it is a small amount of copper that dissolved in the
present in many of the oils involved in percentage of the total units in service. oil. This reduced the oxidation of the oil
transformer failures from 2000 to 2007. Not only is there the cost of the apparatus, and formation of deleterious byproducts.
It has been reported that DBDS is not a there is also loss of revenue and possible The passivator used was not identified, but
naturally occurring substance in crude or regulatory fines if power is not delivered it appears that it was not used in concert
normally present after refining [7]. as specified in contracts. with an oxidation inhibitor. Some utilities
in Australia continue to use passivators
to control oxidation, where­as the use of
Remediation Passivators and passivation them in the UK utilities was phased out
and replaced with only oxidation inhibi-
Utilities were faced with trying to reduce Although passivators have been around tors. Benzotriazole (BTA) has and conti-
their risk on transformers that possibly for a long time in the lubrication industry, nues to be used as a passivator to control
could be contaminated with corrosive their use is relatively new in transformers streaming (static) electrification in large
sulfur. Two major approaches were devel­ for the application of corrosive sulfur aba- power transformers since the late 1980s,
oped early on with a third one following tement. In this paper, the term “passiva- mostly by some transformer manufactur­
later. The early approaches were changing tors” is used to describe compounds that ers in Japan.
out all of the oil in the transformer and/ bind with reactive metal surfaces, coating
or passivating the oil. Changing the oil in a them and dissolved metals such as copper Passivators currently used in electrical in-
transformer is a costly endeavor and time ions, and reduce their rate of reaction. sulating mineral oils are primarily nitrogen
consuming but is mostly complete with This includes retarding oxidation reac- based and have been predominantly ben-
only 5 to 8 % of the oil containing corro- tions with organic compounds and reac- zotriazole (BTA) or similar chemistry. BTA
sive sulfur remaining in the winding. Pas- tions with corrosive sulfur. Passivators are is a granular solid at room temperature and
sivation is a process in which a chemical composed of two basic types: sulfur based requires heating and mixing to dissolve in
is added to the oil and binds with copper and nitrogen based. This paper deals with the oil, so it is less desirable than oil solu-
surfaces to form a boundary layer on the nitrogen based passivator compounds ble liquid based compounds. A triazole
conductor so that the corrosive sulfur in for these are the ones commonly used in derivative, Irgamet 30 (produced by CIBA,
the oil will not attack the copper. It should transformer systems. now BASF) has a hydrocarbon molecule
be recognized that corrosive compounds tail attached. The BTA derivative is liquid
in the oil remain unchanged and are just The first suggested use of passivators in at room temperature and therefore much
held away from the conductor surface by transformer oil that the author is aware of more readily mixes with transformer mi-
this boundary layer. Passivation, which is was in 1954 by the Manchester Oil Com- neral oils. The one passivator that is pri-
used in other industries such as lubrica- pany in the UK and also by the Shortland marily used for suppression of corrosive
ting oils, was not a common practice in County Council in New South Wales, sulfur reactions is a tolutriazole derivative,
oils used in transformers where the oil is Australia in order to control oxidation, Irgamet 39 (also produced by CIBA, now
in service for decades. However, passiva- not corrosive sulfur [8]. In reality, it ap- BASF), and is also oil soluble. The chemis-

„
tion can be done quickly and less expen- pears that the additive was really a com- tries of each are shown in Figure 3.
sively than other remediation efforts. As a
result, passivation became widely used for
corrosive sulfur remediation.
Passivators, first used in transformers as
One major concern is that there is a po-
pulation of transformers and reactors that
early as 1954, are compounds that bind with
are in service with oils that have excessive reactive metal surfaces, coating them and
corrosive sulfur or a propensity to form it.
Many of the failures seem to have occur-
dissolved metals such as copper ions, and
red in that 2000 to 2007 time frame with reduce their rate of reaction
w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 55
 EVENTS
INSULATING LIQUIDS

Figure 3: Common nitrogen based passivator compounds - Irgamet 30 (left), Irgamet 39 (middle), Benzotriazole (right)

„ Passivation is a process in which the nitro­ ecules [11]. A depiction of the passivator
chemisorption onto the copper surface
gen group of the passivator molecule chem­ was taken from Reference 11 and shown
ically binds with the copper and other react­ in Figure 5.

ive metal surfaces with no physical change Anything that prevents the passivator
of the copper from bonding to the copper surface will
impact the coverage of the passivator. So,
if copper sulfide formations have already
Corrosive sulfur attacks the copper in developed then the passivator cannot at-
such a way as to disrupt the copper surface dered to have Lewis acid-base site pairs, tach to this area. Passivator cannot remove
and then complexes with it to create cop- which means that is an electron pair ac- copper sulfide formations.
per sulfide, thus in part becoming a per- ceptor. Researchers have shown that the
manent change. Passivation is a process most common type of chemisorption of Presently, the current treat rates are:
in which the nitrogen group of the passi- the BTA molecule to the copper surface
vator molecule chemically binds with the is the interaction of what is called the mid • BTA: 20-30 mg/kg (ppm)
copper and other reactive metal surfaces nitrogen to the copper cation (identified • Irgamet 30: 10-50 mg/kg (ppm)
with no physical change of the copper. as position N-2 in Figure 3 for BTA). The • Irgamet 39: 100 mg/kg (ppm)
The passivator molecule is attracted to the chemisorption process is further stabil­
metal surface and is held to the reactive ized by hydrogen bonding from the N-3 The effectivity of the passivator should
site so that same site cannot be occupied position (Figure 3 for BTA) to the oxygen be tested by using ASTM D1275B, and
(attacked) by a corrosive sulfur molecule. anion on the copper surface. There is also the Doble covered conductor depos­ition
Passivator bonding is said to be 90 to 99 % hydrogen bonding between BTA mol­ (CCD) test or IEC 62535 (CCD test).

„
effective on clean surfaces in oils where
corrosive sulfur does not already exist.
An XPS study determining the coverage
of passivator on the copper indicated that Anything that prevents the passivator from
the copper was not fully saturated even at
a concentration of 100 mg/kg [10]. bonding to the copper surface will impact
the coverage of the passivator
Passivator bonding to copper and other
yellow metals is through nitrogen lone
pair orbitals that forms a highly ordere­d
copper-passivator polymer through
strong charge transfer interactions be­
tween passivator molecules. Most re-
search has shown that the passivation is a
monolayer, is highly ordered and does not
build upon itself (Figure 4).

The copper surface of a copper conduc-

tor has an oxide layer and thus is really
defined as copper oxide (Cu2O). Under
this configuration, this surface is consi- Figure 4: Diagram of passivator bonding to copper surface

56 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 BTA Molecule
wher­e BTA is used to passivate a copper or
copper alloy surface, there can be a con-
centration effect [12]. Because BTA and a
Hydrogen Bonding corrosive sulfur compound are compet­
Mid Nitrogen Bonding to ing for the same active sites on the copper
Copper Cation
N2 N2
Hydrogen Bonding to surface, if BTA concentrations fall below
Oxygen Anion
N2

a certain concentration level, corrosive

sulfur will overwhelm the passivator and
Copper Oxide Lattice
corrosion of the copper surface will start
to occur again [10]. The concentration at
which this will occur is unknown and it is
most likely related to the amount of corro-
sive sulfur available in that system. As the
Figure 5: BTA chemisorption onto copper oxide lattice amount of corrosive sulfur is different in
every insulation system, it would be dif-
ficult to assign a finite value.

There is a German method, DIN 51 353, cumstances, the passivation process can Transformers have failed after passivation.
which is sometimes used but it has been be undone (reversed). At high enough The prevailing theory is that these units
found not to be severe enough for the de- temperatures passivating compounds were passivated too late in their life cycle
tection of corrosive sulfur and is no longer can be degraded and rendered ineffective and the corrosive sulfur had already done
recommended. The addition of passivator although BTA appears to be more stable its damage. This is likely true, but it is pos-
is not always effective. Doble is aware of than Irgamet 39. Oxidation also renders sible that the passivator layer can also be
two cases in which the oil from a trans- passivation less effective. This might be disrupted along the edges of copper con-
former which was passivated was tested due to degradation of the passivator or ductor that has a rectangular shape. Figu-
via ASTM D1275B and failed the test. reduction of the active sites on the copper re 7 is a photograph of paper insulation
The addition of more passivator up to a surface due to the formation of the oxide in which copper sulfide has formed and
concentration of 250 mg/kg did not solve layer. As a result, constant monitoring of a diagram of copper conductor that the
the issue and the oil still failed the ASTM the passivator concentration is required as paper surrounded. It is unknown if the
D1275B test. These types of results are rare some transformer systems will consume it passivator was not as effective at the edge,
and in most cases the passivation process or degrade it rapidly, whereas in others it or if the corrosion reactions had already
is effective at least in laboratory tests, but will stay stable for years. As transformers advanced too far for passivation to be ef-
it does illustrate the point of conducting systems and their chemistries are com- fective in that location.
laboratory tests to confirm the effectivity. plex, the stability of the passivator is hard
to predict. Whether this is influenced by electrical
Care in adding the passivator is of import­ stress or is strictly a heating phenomenon
ance as it needs to be mixed well within There is some research that shows that is uncertain. The speed at which copper

„
the transformer oil system. Some oil pro- in other than transformer applications, sulfide is formed is influenced by heat.
cessing activities can remove the passiva-
tor. Simple dehydration or degasification
of the transformer oil will remove a small
percentage, but moving the oil through Given the right circumstances, the passiv­
clay filtration media (Fuller’s earth) will ation process can be undone (reversed),
typically remove it all. The effects of filter­
ing the oil through activated alumina or thus made to be ineffective
synthetic media are unknown.

Passivator molecules can also bind with

free copper ions or particles present in the
bulk oil. In effect, passivators and corro-
sive sulfur compete for the same reactive
metal sites, along with other compounds
(see Figure 6). It is believed that the passi-
vator can absorb into the surrounding pa-
per insulation setting up a dynamic equi-
librium between the paper and the oil. The
passivator in the paper will also react with
the copper ions that have migrated to the
paper from the copper conductor.

It should be noted that given the right cir- Figure 6: Passivator (BTA) and sulfur (S) competing for copper binding

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 57
„
EVENTS
INSULATING LIQUIDS

Some transformers long and successful history. These appli-

cations are different, however, than the
The concentration of passivator added to
the oil can be stable or it can decline over
have failed after one intended to control corrosive sulfur. time, and sometimes very rapidly, thus
passivation Upon discovery of an oil with corrosive
sulfur in a transformer, passivator should
being the reason to monitor the concen-
tration. Just from empirical evidence, it is
be added without delay so as to minimi- usually recommended to re-passivate at
ze corrosive activity as soon as possible. the following concentrations:
The higher the temperature, the more ag- Passivator does not limit nor reduce the
gressive is the attack of the corrosive sul- amount of corrosive sulfur in the oil, so • BTA: at 10 mg/kg (ppm) or below
fur forming dissolved copper and copper if there is any degradation in the effec- • Irgamet 30: at 10 mg/kg (ppm) or below
sulfide. However, the case as described in tiveness of the passivator, corrosive sul- • Irgamet 39: at 25 mg/kg (ppm) or below
Figure 7 is interesting as it shows copper fur will attack the copper. Some utilities
sulfide deposits only on the top of the have added passivator in the short term Manufacturers of liquid filled electrical
copper conductor and not the bottom, and then long term have made plans for equipment, laboratories or entities that
which shows a definite edge effect. The removal of the oil, substituting it with an provide the passivating compounds may
diagonal copper sulfide deposits going oil that is known to be essentially corro- provide other recommendations than the
from left to right in the center of the pa- sive sulfur free or applying oil processing ones provided above, and it has been re-
per in Figure 7 show that there is a slight equipment that can remove certain cor- ported that higher limits are being used.
gap where the deposits are fewer when rosive sulfur compounds from the oil. For example, 50 mg/kg has been reported
compared to the deposits on each edge Not all corrosive sulfur compounds are as the minimum level for Irgamet 39, at
of the top of the copper conductor. It is the same and some are less likely to be which time it should be replenished.
known that there is a skin effect in trans- removed than others, so laboratory pilot
mitting AC through a conductor and that studies should be conducted first in or-
most of the electron flow is on the out- der to determine the effectiveness of such Analytical methods
side of the conductor [13]. In round con- a process before it is performed on a large
ductor this skin effect seems to be equally power transformer. Several analytical methods exist to moni-
distributed as described in the literature. tor the concentration of passivators. An
The flow and distribution of electrons in Removal of corrosive sulfur compounds HPLC method developed by Doble can
a rectangular conductor might be diffe- by replacing the oil or oil processing is not be used to detect Benzotriazole and Irga-
rent and thus the reason for the depo- total and some corrosive sulfur remains met 39. A similar method was developed
sition pattern shown in Figure 7. This, in the oil in the paper insulation, though by the IEC and the details are provided in
however, would not explain why only the it is significantly diminished. On average IEC 60666. There are also some gas chro-
top edges of the copper conductor are af- about 5 to 8 % of it remains. It is therefore matography methods that can be used

„
fected and not the bottom edges. recommended to add passivator to these along with mass spectroscopy, but none
units as well. that have become a standardized method

Long term effects Passivator does not limit nor reduce the
The long term effects of the addition of amount of corrosive sulfur in the oil, so if
passivator are unknown. In countries there is any degradation in the effectiveness
such as Australia and Japan, use of pas-
sivators to control oxidation of the oil or
of the passivator, corrosive sulfur will at­
static electrification has had a relatively tack the copper

Buildup of
Copper Sulfide

Cross Section of
Copper Conductor

Figure 7: Copper sulfide deposits in paper of passivated transformer

58 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

as of yet. A method for the detection of References Doble Clients, Doble Engineering Compa-
Irgamet 30 has not been published. ny, Watertown, MA USA, 2010.
[7] Casserly, E., Rasco, J., Patrick, K., and N.
[1] Griffin, P.J. and Lewand, L. R., “An update Herlenius, Presentation Only “Corrosive
Conclusions on Understanding Corrosive Sulfur Effects Sulphur in Transformer Oil – A Refiner’s
in Electric Apparatus” in Proceedings of the Perspective”, EuroDoble Colloquium, Stock-
Passivators bind with certain reactive Seventy-Fifth Annual International Con- holm, Sweden, 2011.
metal surfaces to retard or delay attack by ference of Doble Clients, Doble Enginee- [8] Hughes, F., and P.T. Haydock, “The In-
corrosive sulfur. They have been used in ring Company, Watertown, MA USA, 2008. dustrial Use of Passivated Transformer Oil”
the past for other applications such as oxi- [2] Lewand, Lance, “Investigating Copper in Journal of the Institute of Petroleum,
dation stability and control of streaming Sulfide Contamination in a Failed Large Volume 50, Number 490, pp. 239-254, Oc-
electrification. Passivators react with cop- GSU Transformer” in Proceedings of the tober, 1964.
per sites through lone pair orbitals and Seventy-Second Annual International Con- [9] Melchiore, J.J., and I. W. Mills, “Factors
hydrogen bonding. As shown in Figures ference of Doble Clients, Doble Engineering Affecting Stability of Transformer and Cable
1 and 6 and as discussed, passivation does Company, Watertown, MA USA, 2005. Oils”, in Proceedings of the Seventh Electrical
not completely block all metal reactions [3] Toyama, S., Tanimura, J., Yamada, N., Na- Insulation Conference, IEEE, October 1967.
with corrosive sulfur compounds. Pas- gao, E. and T. Amimoto, “High Sensitive De- [10] Facciotti, M., Holt, A.F., Amaro,
sivation is a monolayer (single molecule tection Method of Dibenzyl Disulfide and A.P.G.V., Brown, R.C.D., Lewin, P.L., Wilson,
thick) protection from corrosive sulfur. the Elucidation of the Mechanism of Cop- G., and P.N. Jarman, “XPS Study on Direct
Passivators can be rendered ineffective per Sulfide Generation in Insulating Oil”, in Detection of Passivator Irgamet 39TM on
through various processes and cannot Proceedings of the Seventy-Fifth Annual copper Surfaces Aged in Insulating Mineral
remove copper sulfide that has already International Conference of Doble Clients, Oil”, IEEE 2013 Annual Report conference
formed. Passivated transformers can and Doble Engineering Company, Watertown, on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric
have failed, which may be due to: cop- MA USA, 2008. Phenomena, pp. 1097-1100.
per surfaces already attacked by corrosi- [4] Lewand, Lance R., “The Role of Corrosi- [11] Jiang, Y., Adams, J.B. and D. Sun, “Ben-
ve sulfur and far along in the corrosion ve Sulfur in Transformers and Transformer zotriazole Adsorption on Cu2O (111) Sur-
process, ineffectiveness of the passivator Oil”, Proceedings of the Sixty-Ninth An- faces: A First-Principles Study”, in Journal
especially in oils with poor oxidation sta- nual International Conference of Doble of Physical Chemistry B, Volume 108, pp.
bility, degradation of the passivator or a Clients, Boston, MA, Insulating Materials 12851-12857, 2004.
higher affinity of the copper surface for Session, 2002. [12] Allam, N.K., Hegazy, H.S. and E. Hs-
corrosive sulfur as opposed to the passi- [5] Lewand, Lance R., “Sources of Sulfur in hour, “Inhibition of the Sulfide Induced
vating compound. Transformer Systems”, NETA World, Fall, Pitting of Copper Nickel Alloy using Ben-
2003. zotriazole” in International Journal of Elec-
Transformers with DBDS in which passi- [6] Lewand, Lance R. and P.J. Griffin, “Case trochemical Science, Volume 2, pp. 549-
vator has been added should be tested not Studies Involving Insulating Liquids and 562, 2007.
only for the passivator but the DBDS con- Materials from the Doble Materials Labo- [13] Fink, D.G. and H.W. Beaty, Standard
centration as well. During formation of ratories”, in Proceedings of the Seventy-Se- Handbook for Electrical Engineers (14th ed.),
copper sulfide the DBDS is consumed. A venth Annual International Conference of McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-022005-0, 2000.
reduction in DBDS concentration means
that active corrosive sulfur attack is on-
going. Passivation should retard this pro-
cess and the DBDS concentration should
remain fairly constant. If the DBDS con- Author
centration continues to decline, then the Lance Lewand is the Laboratory Director for the Doble Insu-
passivator was not effective. lating Materials Laboratory. The Insulating Materials Laborato-
ry is responsible for routine and investigative analyses of liquid
Passivators can be removed through cer- and solid dielectrics for electric apparatus. Since joining Doble
tain oil processing activities, especially in 1992, Mr. Lewand has published over 75 technical papers per-
treatment with clay filtration media taining to testing and sampling of electrical insulating materials
(Fuller’s Earth), and thus may need re-pas- and laboratory diagnostics.
sivating after such a treatment. The levels Mr. Lewand was formerly Manager of Transformer Fluid Test Laboratory and PCB
of passivator must be monitored in order and Oil Field Services at MET Electrical Testing Company in Baltimore, MD USA
to adequately protect the transformer or for seven years. His years of field service experience in this capacity provide a unique
other liquid filled electrical apparatus. perspective, coupling laboratory analysis and field service work.
Mr. Lewand received his Bachelor of Science degree from St. Mary‘s College of Ma-
Further research is needed to determine if ryland. He is actively involved in professional organizations including the American
passivation is a good long-term solution Chemical Society, a representative of the U.S. National Committee for TC10 of the
for in-service oils with excessive amounts International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and ISO TC28, ASTM D-27 since
of corrosive sulfur. Transformers conside- 1989, is vice chair for the D-27 committee and is the sub-committee chair 06 on Che-
red at risk should be passivated or remedi- mical Tests. He is also a recipient of the ASTM Award of Merit for Committee D-27.
ated with a more extensive treatment.

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 59
EVENTS
INSULATING LIQUIDS

ABSTRACT
There is precious little basic informa­
tion openly available on how insulat­
ing materials in transformers behave
over longer periods of time. However,
such information is very important for
ensuring that aging equipment works
adequately. It is valuable both from
the perspective of transformer main­
tenance/asset management, and as
background information necessary
for making informed choices on which
type of insulating liquid to employ in
new equipment.

KEYWORDS
transformer oil, inhibitor, oil oxida­
tion, in-service oil, inhibitor top up

60
60 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2
 Bruce PAHLAVANPOUR, Per WIKLUND

In this study there is a total of 145 separate

oil samples from separate transformers (all
samples appeared around the same time for
analysis), 114 of which are inhibited and 31
uninhibited (as defined by IEC 60296)

MINERAL INSULATING
OILS IN SERVICE
Monitoring and their properties
Introduction In this study there is a total of 145 separ­ measurements, performed according to
ate oil samples from separate transfor- a method we have developed, should tell
Infrastructure of electricity grids in the mers (all samples appeared around the us more about oxidation behaviour and
hitherto industrialized world was to same time for analysis), 114 of which are efficiency of oxidation inhibitors.
a large extent built up in the decades inhibit­ed and 31 uninhibited (as defined
following World War II, with a peak in by IEC 60296). The inhibited oil samp-
investments around 1960 - 1980. This les, comparable to ASTM D3487 Type Monitoring and maintenance
means that the flotilla of power trans- II, came from transformers in the Nordic of insulating oils in service
formers is now starting to reach pro- region in Europe, whereas the uninhibi-
jected lifetime of around 40 years. Over ted samples came mainly from the Middle Insulating oil in a power transformer ac-
the last couple of decades there has also East. The age of transformers ranges from counts for only about 5 % of the initial
been an ongoing deregulation and pri- only a few years up to 45 years. cost of the complete system (information
vatization of electricity generation and collected from OEMs), but it is a very vital
distribution. This has led to higher utili- The samples were analysed for acidity (neu- part both for monitoring of the function­
zation of existing equipment to meet an tralization number), interfacial tension, ing of the transformer and for the ultimate
ever higher power demand. Demands dielectric loss (DDF or power factor) and lifetime under which the investment cost
for planned asset management, invest- peroxide content. The inhibited samples should be regained with interest. Ideally,
ments and reliability of power delivery were also analysed for inhibitor content. a high quality insulating oil should not
have also increased. The need to ensure contribute to premature ageing of non-
that aging equipment works adequate- All of these parameters except peroxide replaceable parts such as winding or solid
ly and will do so for some time yet has content are standard measurements, but insulation. Through DGA the oil also ser-
generated an increased interest in aging little information exists on how they re­late ves as an information carrier about what is
behaviour of power equipment. Yet the- to each other statistically. The peroxide happening inside the transformer.
re is precious little basic inform­ation
openly available on how insulating ma-
terials in transformers behave over lon-
ger periods of time. Such information
Ideally, a high quality insulating oil should
is valuable both from the perspective not contribute to premature ageing of non-
of transformer maintenance/asset ma- replaceable parts such as winding or solid in­
nagement, and as background inform­
ation necessary for making informed sulation
choices on which type of insulating li-
quid to employ in new equipment.

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 61
 EVENTS
INSULATING LIQUIDS

The principle of IEC 60422 is that not all tests Individual tests for each group are listed
in Table 1 of IEC60422 [1]. It should be
are always necessary and the tests for in- n­oted that if test results for Group 1 do
service oil are divided into three groups. IEEE not exceed recommended action limits,
usually no further tests are considered
C57.106 makes no such distinctions necessary until the next scheduled inspec-
tion period.

Classification of oils in service

However, it is vital to ensure that aging physical and chemical tests listed in this To assist in the assessment of the condi­
of the oil is not excessive and that it per- guide is significantly fewer than that in the tion and subsequent actions, oils in ser-
forms adequately. For this reason there IEC document (see comparison in Table vice may be classified into three catego-
are guides to follow to check the oil per- 1). The two standards also list dif­ferent li- ries, both according to IEC 60422 and
formance including IEC 60422 [1] and miting values depending on voltage class. IEEE C57.106.
IEEE C57.106 [2]. IEC 60422 is a much In this article the limits for highest volta-
more elaborate document with more de- ge classes have been used (IEC >170 kV,
tail than the corresponding IEEE docu­ IEEE >230 kV).
Aging of mineral oils
ment, which provides very few direct li-
miting values for physical and chemical The principle of IEC 60422 is that not all Even if there are different types of wear
properties. tests are always necessary and the tests and tear on the insulating oil, the main
for in-service oil are divided into three force of aging is oxidation. For oxidation
groups. IEEE C57.106 makes no such di- to take place there has to be something to
IEC 60422 oil vs. IEEE C57.106 stinctions. oxidise (oil), oxygen, and heat to provide
the activation energy.
IEC 60422 is a guide for supervision and Group 1 Minimum tests required to mo-
maintenance of mineral insulating oil nitor the oil and ensure that it is suitable Details of the oxidation process will not
in electrical equipment. This standard, for continued service. be covered here, and they can be found in
revised and published in 2013, is used the earlier contribution to TechCon AP
worldwide. The purpose of revision is to Group 2 Additional tests which may be [3], but a brief outline is nevertheless ne-
bring the standard in line with current used to obtain further specific inform­ cessary for the continued discussion.
methodology and best practice as well as ation about the quality of the oil and to assist
to ensure compliance with requirements in the evaluation of oil for continued use. When a hydrocarbon molecule (oil mole-
and regulations affecting safety and envi- cule) encounters the combination of heat
ronmental issues. Group 3 Tests which are mainly used to and oxygen (air), it can form a peroxide
determine suitability of the oil for the type (Figure 1). Peroxides are inherently unsta-
IEEE C57.106 has a different scope as it of equipment in use and ensure compli- ble and therefore rather reactive. They can
additionally includes acceptance tests for ance with environmental and operational easily form alcohols, aldehydes or ketones.
new oil in new equipment. The number of considerations. These are polar types of molecules that

Even if there are differ­

ent types of wear and
tear on the insulating
oil, the main force of
aging is oxidation.
For oxidation to take
place there has to be
something to oxidise
(oil), oxygen, and heat
to provide the activa­
tion energy
Figure 1: Principle of oil oxidation

62 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

will change the properties of the oil me-
dium in which this occurs. For instance,
Oxidation inhibitors (natural or synthetic)
this will affect interfacial tension and sol­ moderate or stop the reactions of peroxides
ubility of water in the oil. Water is also a
by-product of several of the reactions that
to protect the liquid from oxidative reactions
underlie these phenomena.

Aldehydes and ketones can react again

with oxygen to form acids directly, or be
oxidised and lose carbon dioxide to form
acids. Carbon dioxide is in fact the most cost. Other types of correlations may also had been gathered, the data was divided
oxidised form of carbon. However, both be interesting, especially to enable main- into two categories depending on whether
aldehydes and acids can react with each tenance decisions on less complete data, a the oil was inhibited (containing di-tert-
other to form complex compounds that situation that is all too common. butyl-paracresol (DBPC)) or uninhibited.
are not soluble in oil, i.e. sludge.
Once the values for age, IFT, acidity (neu- The data was then analysed for linear
This is in essence an oxidative reaction tralization number), peroxide concentra- correlations. This naturally does not give
in a mineral oil-based insulating liquid, tion, power factor and inhibitor content the whole truth, but even a weak linear
although in a very simplified form. What
is lacking in this simple picture is the po-
sitive feedback loop of the reactions of
peroxides; peroxides react and form even
more peroxides in the same process as
other oxidation products are formed. This
comes about by chain reactions of radicals
of peroxides. Ester-type of liquids follows
the same general pattern, but the details
differ.

Oxidation inhibitors (natural or synthe-

tic) moderate or stop the reactions of per-
oxides to protect the liquid from oxidative
reactions.

Among these different products one can

measure peroxides, the effect of polar
compounds formation on interfacial ten-
sion (IFT), acidity as well as carbon diox­
ide by DGA.

Study of field samples

The data for this study was retrieved from

the analyses database within Nynas In-
sulating Oil Management (IOM). In this
case, the peroxide content of oil samples
was also analysed using a Gas Chroma-
tography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)
based method developed by Nynas Group
Research Department [4].

For maintenance and reinvestment stra-

tegies, the development of different oil
parameters over time is perhaps the most
interesting insight to be elucidated from
this and similar sets of data. If asset man­
agers know what signs to look for and
what development to expect, at least on a
statistical level, this should be very helpful Picture 1: New vs. aged oil
to secure power delivery at a minimum

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 63
EVENTS
INSULATING LIQUIDS

For maintenance and reinvestment strat­ the samples the age of the transformer
(and the oil) was known. A total of 103
egies, the development of different oil param­ transformers were known to be of the
eters over time is perhaps the most interes­ free-breathing type with silica drying of
the ingoing air. Inhibitor content, acidity
ting insight to be elucidated from this and and peroxide content was measured for
similar sets of data all samples. 73 samples were analysed for
IFT, and 61 for DDF (dielectric dissipa-
tion factor, i.e. dielectric loss similar to
power factor).

The greatest correlation is found between

correlation between sets of data may indi­ Even if the data is a bit skewed because of IFT and inhibitor content. This actually
cate that there are other types of interes- the much higher number of inhibited oils, shows that the inhibitor really works. As
ting correlations. Finally, different data it is clear from what most of the numbers long as there is enough inhibitor left, there
sets were plotted against one another to indicate that inhibited oils remain much will be very little oxidation and, therefore,
enable elucidations of more complex cor- more pristine during the service life of a very few polar compounds affecting IFT
relations. The results were then compared transformer. It is very indicative to look are formed.
to the limits set in IEC 60422 and IEEE at the oldest complete data (oldest c.d.)
C57.106 for the highest voltage classes. wher­e the IFT of the uninhibited sample Age correlates best to DDF, and second
has gone down to alarming levels, where- best to acidity. The most likely explan­
The weakness of this approach is that it as the inhibited sample of almost the same ation is that it is chiefly ionisable com-
cannot provide any information on the age is still in very good shape. pounds like acids that affect DDF, but
development over time in the same trans- this seemingly high correlation should
former as it only provides statistical cor­ Also, take note of the fact that peroxide be taken with a pinch of salt because
relations. concentrations in uninhibited oils are at it is only based on 9 data pairs. In con-
least an order of magnitude higher than in trast, the correlation between age and
the inhibited samples. This indicates that acidity is based on 78 data pairs and is
Inhibited vs. uninhibited oils destructive oxidation processes occur to a there­fore much more real (see below).
much larger extent in uninhibited samples. Peroxide content shows a certain corre-
Before going into details of correlations of It also explains why the extreme values are lation to acidity, which might result from
different measurable parameters, a broad much worse for uninhibited oils as process­ the fact that during oxidation peroxides
comparison of the sets of oil samples pro- es of oxidation will yield these results. are first formed and then gradually tur-
perties should be considered (Table 1). ned into acids. From a chemical point of
Uninhibited oils in their true sense (with­ view, it should also be said that acids can
out any added synthetic oxidation inhibit­ Inhibited oils (corresponds to be f­ormed from aldehydes via peroxy-
or) only exist according to IEC 60296, but ASTM D3487 Type II) acids which contain a peroxide functio-
in some cases can be compared to ASTM nality. The correlation between inhibitor
D 3487 Type I oils (with maximum 0.08 % In this study 113 samples were used content and peroxide content is weakly
added inhibitor). from separate transformers. For 78 of negative. The explanation of why the cor­

Table 1: Comparison of inhibited and uninhibited oils (c.d. = complete data)

Even if the data is a
bit skewed because of
the much higher num­
ber of inhibited oils,
it is clear from what
most of the numbers
indicate that inhibit­
ed oils remain much
more pristine during
the service life of a
transformer

64 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 The greatest correlation is found between IFT that oil acidity could reach IEC 60422
fair region/IEEE C57.106 Class I limit
and inhibitor content. This actually shows (of the same value) after about 27 years,
that the inhibitor really works. As long as and would in that case pass into the poor
region after about 32 years.
there is enough inhibitor left, there will be
very little oxidation and, therefore, very few Other Correlations
polar compounds affecting IFT are formed
The greatest linear correlation found in
the data for inhibited oils was that be­
tween inhibitor content and IFT. IEC
60422 recommends that inhibitor levels
should be kept above 60 % of the original
relation is not stronger may lie in the fact ing trend with a few more extreme out- value in order for the oil to be considered
that they are not simultaneous; as long as liers. in good condition. The lower value under
there is enough inhibitor, there will be which the oil is poor is set to 40 %, which
very few peroxides. The only type of simple regression ana- for an oil that originally contained 0.40
lysis that gives a reasonable result for the % inhibitor would mean a limit of 0.16
complete data gives a logarithmic expres- %. The limiting value in IEEE C57.106 is
Development over time sion (black curve). For this to work, all much lower (0.09 %). Figure 3 shows this
values of zero acidity were substituted by dependence.
There is no point in showing all param­ the value 0.001 mg KOH/g, i.e. very close
eters as function of transformer age since to zero and in practice not measurable, Linear regression does not give a very
most parameters do not show any trend which ensures that these data are taken good curve fit, but the trend is very clear;
at all. This includes peroxide and inhibit­ into account in the regression analysis. lower inhibitor content is associated with
or contents, which are likely to be more This indicates that statistically the acid­ lower IFT. Presumably the reason is that
dependent on specific loading patterns ity would not reach the IEC 60422 fair oxidation, which consumes inhibitor,
and the resulting temperature than time region (0.10-0.15 mg KOH/g) until after leads to formation of compounds that
alone. the service life of 50 years, but the regres- decrease IFT. It is evident that in these
sion curve is very sensitive to the weight data there are only very few samples that
A certain linear correlation between of low values at low ages (which are also contain less than 0.16 % inhibitor, and
age and acidity was found (vide supra), more uncertain). also very few samples that would not
which calls for a more in-depth ana­lysis. be classified as being in good condition
The data for acidity over time clearly in- If the more extreme outliers are treat­ when it comes to IFT according to IEC
dicate that no acidity levels developed ed separately in an attempt to model a 60422 (IFT>28 mN/m). The limiting
before about 15 years of service (Figure worst-case scenario, a linear regression v­alue for IFT in IEEE C57.106 is higher
2). After this period there is an increas­ (red line) can be made. This indicates (32 mN/m) which is clearly not in line
with the lower limit for inhibitor content.

This data analysis shows that an inhibitor

content of at least 0.16 % is just enough to
keep the IFT within the fair limits accord­
0.30
ing to IEC 60422.
0.25

IEC 60422 recom­-

y = 0.0079x - 0.1055
0.20 R2 = 0.9732
Acidity (mg KOH/g)

IEC 60422 poor limit me­n ds that inhibi­

tor levels should be
0.15

kept above 60 % of
IEC 60422 fair limit = IEEE C57.106 Class I limit
0.10 y = 0.001e0.088x
R2 = 0.5773

0.05
the original value in
order for the oil to be
0.00
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 considered in good
Age (years)
condition
Figure 2: Development of acidity over time for inhibited oils

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 65
 EVENTS
INSULATING LIQUIDS

Authors
0.40 Dr. Bruce Pahla­
vanpour is a se-
0.35 nior technical co-
ordinator at N­ynas
0.30
Naphthenics.
0.25
Previous to this
y = 0.0065x + 0.0085
position he held a
Inhibitor (%)

R2 = 0.3785
0.20 university professorship in petroleum
chemistry at Cranfield University, UK.
0.15
IEC 60422 Fair
He had also worked for the UK Nati-
limits onal Grid and as a university lecturer
0.10
IEEE C57.106 Class I
heading the Department of Environ-
0.05
mental Studies. Dr. Pahlavanpour is
an internationally recognised expert
0.00 in the field of insulating oil. He is the
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 chairman of IEC, TC10 and BSI insula-
IFT (nN/m)
ting fluids GEL10. He is the UK repre-
sentative and chairman of several IEC
Figure 3: Correlation between IFT and inhibitor concentration for inhibited oils and CIGRE committees and IEC2006
award winner. Bruce published over
380 articles and reports in interna-
tional journals, as well as seminars,
This data analysis shows that an inhibitor con­ technical reports, Nynas transformer
tent of at least 0.16 % is just enough to keep oil handbook, two chapters in CRC
Rubber handbook (CRC publication,
the IFT within the fair limits according to IEC USA) and a chapter in Petro Analysis
60422 87 (Butterworth publication, UK).

Dr. Per Wiklund

is a technical co-
ordinator for the
Conclusion oils were found to have some correlation application field
to other measurable properties such as of electrical insu-
The first 15 years of service are totally free acidity and interfacial tension, and might lating oils within
of acids for inhibited oil, and in the worst- serve a similar purpose as measurement Nynas Technical
case scenario the acidity goes above the of inhibitor level in inhibited oils indica- Market Support.
fair-poor limit after about 33 years. The ting when natural inhibitors have been Per started his career in the Research
average development points to a service consumed. Department of Nynas working with all
life of more than 50 years for high quality aspects of naphthenic specialty oils, but
inhibited oils. has worked exclusively with insulating
References oils since 2008. He was active as a post-
This research confirms the lower limit doctoral scientist at the University of
of inhibitor content of 0.16 % in order to [1] IEC60422, Mineral insulating oils in Cambridge, UK before joining Nynas
keep the oil virtually free of acids. At the- electrical equipment – Supervision and in 2005.
se inhibitor levels there are also no acti- maintenance guidance, 4th ed, 2013 Per received a master’s degree in che-
ve peroxides to drive formation of polar [2] IEEE C57. 106, IEEE Guide for accep- mistry from Uppsala University, Swe-
compounds. This means that for inhibited tance and maintenance of insulating oil in den in 1997, and a doctoral degree in
oils measurement of peroxides adds no equipment, 2002 chemistry from the Karolinska Institu-
information. [3] P. Wiklund, A. Biverstål, Understan- te in Stockholm, Sweden in 2004. He is
ding oxidation in insulating oils, Tech- involved in material issues within CIG-
In the case of uninhibited oils acids form Con Asia-Pacific, 2008 RE and heads the Swedish IEC com-
from the start (which contributes to pa- [4] P. Wiklund, C. Karlsson, M. Levin, De- mittee for insulating oils. Per is the au-
per degradation), but it nevertheless, termination of hydroperoxide content thor of some 15 articles in international
even in (statistically) worst-case scenario, in complex hydrocarbon mixtures by peer reviewed scientific journals as well
takes 25 years of service before acidity GCMS, Analytical Sciences , Vol. 25, No. as many conference papers in the field
exceeds the fair limit if high quality oils 3, p. 431, 2009 of specialty oils.
are used. Peroxide levels in uninhibited

66 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

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w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 67
EVENTS
ADVERTORIAL

68 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 „
Paul SWINERD

The results of breakdown voltage testing

are reliable only if strict procedures are
followed to ensure the cleanliness of test
vessels and to guard against the contam­
ination of samples

Preparing vessels for

dielectric fluid testing
Introduction rinsed and then immediately filled alternative option of storing the vessels
with the sample to be tested empty in a dust-free cabinet. Immediate-
This article examines the need for care- • Protection of the sample against con- ly prior to testing, vessels that have been
ful preparation of the vessels used in the tact with air, and prevention of mois- stored full of fluid must be drained and
testing of transformer dielectric fluids to ture contamination all internal surfaces, including electrodes,
ensure that reliable results are achieved. It • Selection of the optimum stirring rinsed with fluid taken from the sample to
discusses the factors that most commonly option for the sample and for the test be tested. The vessel must then be draine­d
lead to unexpectedly low values for dielec­ standard in use again, and carefully filled with the test
tric breakdown and it gives practical in- sample, taking particular care to avoid the
formation about techniques that will help Neglect of any of these elements has the
to eliminate moisture and other forms of potential to cause an unexpected drop in
contamination. the measured breakdown voltage. It is es-
sential, therefore, to ensure that all of thes­e
factors have been carefully considered ABSTRACT
Sources of unexpected and correctly implemented. To help users Breakdown voltage testing is widely
results of dielectric fluid test sets to achieve this, used to assess the condition of dielec­
each of the factors will now be examined tric fluids used in transformers. The
When unexpected results are obtained in more detail. results obtained, however, are re­
while testing the dielectric breakdown liable only if strict procedures are
voltage of transformer dielectric fluids, the followed to ensure the cleanliness
cause can often be traced to inad­equate Vessel storage and cleaning of test vessels and to guard against
preparation of the test vessel. In particular, the contamination of samples, par­
it is likely that insufficient attention has IEC 60156 recommends that a separ­ate ticularly by moisture. IEC and ANSI
been give to one or more of the following test vessel assembly (Figure 1) be used standards propose slightly different
key elements of vessel preparation: for each type of dielectric fluid that is to approaches to achieving the required
be tested. This standard requires that test level of cleanliness but, correctly and
• Storage and subsequent cleaning vessels are filled with dry dielectric fluid rigorously applied as explained in this

„
• Setting the electrode gap of the appropriate type, then covered and article, either approach is, in practice,
• Ensuring that the vessel is thoroughly stored in a dry place. ASTM proposes the satisfactory.

Neglecting any of the elements of vessel KEYWORDS

preparation can cause an unexpected drop dielectric, fluid, oil, breakdown,
in measured breakdown voltage testing

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 69
 EVENTS
ADVERTORIAL

Figure 1: A typical modern test vessel assembly fabricated from shatter resistant materials

formation of bubbles. Vessels that have trodes should be checked for pitting or set where the electrodes can be locked in
been stored empty, and those that are to scratch­es that may result in the measu- place after setting.
be used for testing a different type of flui­d red breakdown voltage being reduced. It
from that which they were filled with du- is important to keep in mind that thes­e For setting the electrodes, the use of flat,
ring storage must be cleaned with an ap- cleaning guidelines apply to all parts smooth gap gauge is recommended (Fig­
propriate type of solvent before they are that will come into contact with the ure 2). The best gauges have a black ano-
rinsed and filled. flui­d sample during testing. dized coating that not only provides a
very smooth surface but also shows when
ASTM D1816 specifies the use of a dry the gauge is worn, as the base metal of the
hydrocarbon solvent, such as kerosene Setting the electrode gap gauge starts to become visible through the
(paraffin) that meets the requirements of coating.
D235. Solvents with a low boiling point Setting the electrode gap accurately is very
should not be used as these evaporate important; results are only valid if the gap
rapidly, cooling the vessel and increasing is set correctly. A common problem is Rinsing and filling the test
the risk of condensation. Solvents com- move­ment of the electrodes after the gap vessel
monly used include acetone and, in the has been set and, for this reason, many
USA, toluene. The use of toluene is, how- users of dielectric fluid test sets check the Before filling the test vessel, it is essential
ever, banned in Europe. electrode gap frequently – in some cases to rinse it with clean fluid or with fluid
before each test. While effective, this pro- taken from the sample to be tested. Rins­
Only lint-free clean-room wipes should cedure can be inconvenient and time con- ing should always be carried out before

„
be used for cleaning the vessel. Paper suming. A better approach is to use a test each test, even when repetitive testing is
towels are not an acceptable substi­
tute as they may introduce particles
that hold moisture, causing the break-
down voltage of the fluid to be drama- It is absolutely essential that the test ves­
tically reduced. Touching the electrodes
or the inside of the vessel should be
sel is filled with the fluid to be tested im­
avoide­d during cleaning, and the elec- mediately after it has been rinsed
70 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2
being carried out in a laboratory. When Selecting the optimum stir- ing testing. For example, dielectric fluid in
rinsing the vessel, attention must be given ring option a transformer is usually circulated while
not only to the vessel itself, but also to the the transformer is in use to help with coo-
impeller, magnetic bead, baffle plate, lid When testing to IEC 60156 ling, which may result in the fluid picking
and electrodes. Rinsing should be applied up debris and contaminants. To achieve
to all surfaces that will come into contact IEC 60156 allows the choice of either using the most realistic breakdown results with
with the fluid sample during testing. the stirring impeller, a magnetic bead stir- a fluid sample taken from such a device,
rer, or even no stirring at all. The standard the sample is normally stirred during the
After the test vessel and associated com- states that the differences between tests test, as this will provide the best chance of
ponents have been rinsed, it is absolutely with and without stirring have not been detecting any detrimental effects resulting
essential for the vessel to be filled imme­ found to be statistically significant. The from particle contamination. In static ap-
diately with the fluid sample that is to be use of a magnetic stirrer is, however, only plications, such as the dielectric fluid used
tested. In fact, ASTM D1816 specifies that permitted when there is no risk of it remo- in a circuit breaker, the sample is not usu-
the test vessel must be filled with the sam- ving metallic particles from the fluid sam- ally stirred during testing.
ple within 30 seconds of rinsing. This is ple under test. For applications where the
because any significant delay – even a few fluid is used as a coolant as well as a dielec- The use of a magnetic bead for stirring
minutes – can result in the film of fluid on tric, it may be useful to stir the sample dur­ when conducting tests in line with IEC
the vessel walls absorbing water from the
air. Since the vessel walls have a compara­
tively large surface area, this is likely to Figure 2: Using a gap gauge to set the electrode spacing
contaminate the fluid sample and reduce
its breakdown voltage. In this context, it is
worth noting that just 30 parts per million
of water in the fluid will halve its break-
down voltage.

When filling the test vessel, the fluid sam-

ple should be poured into the vessel swift-
ly while taking care to minimise turbu-
lence, as this will entrap air. After filling,
the vessel should be allowed to stand for
a few minutes before testing to give time
for any air bubbles to clear. It is, however,
important not to extend the standing time
unduly as, if this is done, the sample may
absorb water from the air in the headspace
above it, which once again will reduce the
breakdown voltage. As soon as a visual
inspection shows that the bubbles have
cleared, the baffle or lid should be fitted to
prevent further contact between the sam-
ple and the air.

Protection of the sample

against undue contact with
the air
When using an impeller-type stirrer that
employs a baffle plate to protect the fluid
sample against contact with the air, it is es-
sential to ensure that the sample does not
pass over the upper surface of the baffle
plate. It is, however, also important that
the fluid sample is in full contact with the
underside of the baffle plate (Figure 3). As
specified in the test standards, this will
prevent moisture being absorbed from
contact between the circulating fluid and
the air.

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 71
 EVENTS
ADVERTORIAL

60156 is recommended whenever pos­

sible, as it will circulate the fluid in the
lower part of the test vessel, whereas an
impeller will circulate all of the fluid in the
vessel. The magnetic bead therefore has
the advantage that any moisture absorbed
by contact between the surface of the fluid
and the air is not stirred into the sample,
which reduces the risk of contamination.
If an impeller must be used, it is vital that
air is prevented from coming into contact
with the surface of the fluid by fitting the
baffle plate correctly and ensuring that
the fluid level is sufficient to make contact
with the bottom of the plate without flow-
ing over the top surface.

When testing to ASTM D1816

ASTM D1816 specifies that the fluid must

be stirred throughout the test, using a
two-bladed motor-driven impeller. The
standard prescribes the impeller dimen-
sions and pitch as well as its operating
speed, which must be between 200 and
300 revolutions per minute. In meeting
these requirements, it is essential to take
precautions against the sample coming
into contact with the air, as described in
the section above that deals with testing to
IEC 60156.

When testing to ASTM D877

ASTM D877 does not specify stirring of

the fluid sample.

Impeller options Figure 3: Correct fitting of the baffle plate is essential

Many of the impellers supplied with die-

lectric fluid breakdown test sets adopt a
compromise design that is intended to al-
low testing with both the IEC and ASTM
test standards. A better option, however,
is to use separate impellers for each test
standard, as the design of the impellers
can then be fully optimised to suit each
standard (Figure 4).

Special impellers are also available for

use with heavily contaminated dielectric
fluids (Figure 5). These have larger blade­s
to help ensure the effective circulation
of particulates between the electrodes
during the test so that their full effect on
breakdown voltage can be assessed. When
these special impellers are used, it is im-
portant to bear in mind that vigorous stir-
ring can exacerbate the incorporation of
moisture captured on the surface film of Figure 4: The impeller on the left is optimised for ASTM D1816; the central impeller is designed for use
fluid left behind after rinsing at the vessel with heavily contaminated fluids, whilst the impeller on the right is optimised for IEC 60156

72 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 Fig 5 : Full set of electrodes including the magnetic stirrer bead and gap gauges

„ The best option for stirring is to use separ­ Conclusion

ate impellers, which can be optimised for Breakdown voltage testing of the dielec-
each test standard tric fluids used in transformers quickly
provides an invaluable first-line indica-
tion of the condition of the fluid. How-
preparation stage. This makes the need for conditions for applications where small ever, cleanliness and good preparation
rapid filling even more critical if accurate fluid volumes are used, as these do not in- are essential if accurate and reliable test
breakdown results are to be obtained. volve fluid circulation. results are to be obtained.

Small vessels

Breakdown voltage testing of the dielec-

tric fluids used in transformers is usually
carried out with test vessels of 400 ml ca- Author
pacity. However, some users of this type Paul Swinerd is Megger’s Power Product Portfolio Manager, in
of testing now find that, in certain appli- which role he manages product ranges including 5 and 10 kV
cations, it is advantageous to work with insulation testers, earth testers, dielectric fluid test tests and low
smaller test vessels, typically of 150 ml resistance ohmmeters. His responsibilities include introducing
capacity. This is a particular benefit, for new products into the market, sales and distributor training,
example, with tap changers that only use and producing technical documentation. Paul joined Megger in
a small volume of dielectric fluid, which 1984 as an Apprentice Technician Engineer and qualified as an
means that only small samples are avail­ electrical and electronics engineer. Over the past 24 years he has held many positions
able for testing. When these small vessels in the Megger Group, including post design, research and development, applications
are used, the sample is not stirred during engineering and product support.
testing. This corresponds to the operating

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 73
EVENTS
MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY

NEW method for

2-furfuraldehyde
ABSTRACT
Apart from abnormal faults detected by DGA, one of the
most important factors in shortening the lifetime of a p­ower
transformer is ageing of paper insulation used in transfor­
mer construction. The analysis of furans in transformer oil
is one of the best techniques to be used in the assessment
of the remaining lifespan of a used transformer. An easy, rapid and inexpensive
This technical article aims to describe the development and
validation of an analytical method based on ultraviolet­
spectrophotometric method to
visible (UV-VIS) absorption spectrophotometry, designed
to evaluate the content of 2-furfuraldehyde (2-FAL) dis­
analyse furans as paper degrad­
solved in dielectric oil. This is a technique which, despite ation indicator in transformer oil
not reaching the levels of resolution of the more commonly
used high-resolution liquid chromatography (HPLC), pro­
vides greater efficiency in terms of utilisation of resources, 1. Introduction
both financial and manpower.

T
he transformer insulating system is a combination of
mineral oil and cellulose paper - a combination which
KEYWORDS achieves an excellent dielectric and cooling capacity, at
a low cost. To perform predictive maintenance of these trans-
insulation ageing, dielectric oil test, life extension, asset
formers, it is necessary to periodically assess the occurrence of
management, 2-furfuraldehyde, degree of polymerisation abnormal faults and degradation of their insulation systems.

74
74 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2
 Begoña REMARTÍNEZ, Javier JIMÉNEZ

„ The analysis of furans in trans­

former oil is one of the best
techniques for the assessment
of the remaining lifespan of a
used transformer

development and validation of an analytical model based on

ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) absorption spectrophotometry to
be used in evaluating the content of 2-furfuraldehyde (2-FAL)
dissolved in dielectric oil. In comparison to the more frequent-
ly used high-resolution liquid chromatography (HPLC), this
method does not reach the same resolution levels, but it provi-
des greater efficiency with regard to utilisation of financial and
manpower resources.

The methodology used during the process was based on sev­

eral thermal degradations of the oil with the aim of achieving
the widest possible range of visual aspects, and the synthesis of
a colourimetric reagent so that it reacts with the sought com-

analysis
pound. Calibration curves were made with standard solutions,
in order for each visual aspect to permit real sample analysis. Fi-
nally, UV-VIS method data for real samples was compared with
HPLC method data, with good results. The main result of this
study was to validate the method for quantification of 2-fur-
furaldehyde concentrations not exceeding 5 parts per million,
dissolved in the oil of transformers used in power gener­ation.
In conclusion, the aim was to develop a new methodology for
determination of 2-furfuraldehyde, thus leading to significant
cost savings, both economic and material. This will enable
indirect determination of the status of the solid insulation of
transformers for power generation, through a more accessible
technique than those currently used.

2. Insulation degradation process

The most commonly used solid insulation (Kraft paper) is
composed of 90 % cellulose. This natural polymer degrades Selection of the most efficient predictive maintenance strate-
throughout the lifecycle of a transformer, resulting in oil sol­ gy requires a review of the insulation deterioration process and

„
uble subproducts. The degree of polymerisation (DP) is a pa- best methods for early detection. The active part of a transformer
rameter that evaluates a condition of the paper which deterio-
rates with ageing of the insulation. New insulation with a high
degree of mechanical strength will typically have a degree of
polymerisation (DP) from 1000 to 1300. „Middle-aged“ paper The new cost-saving method
will approximately be at 500, while paper with a DP of less than
250 is considered „old-aged“. These estimations are based on
will enable indirect determin­
a study on GSU mineral oil filled transformers, conducted by ation of the status of the so­
Chendong. Severely degraded insulation with a DP of 150 or
less will have very little mechanical strength and may result
lid insulation of transformers
in transformer failure. This is critical, because paper cannot for power generation using a
be altered or subjected to regeneration processes, and there-
fore degradation of solid insulation can lead to the end of
more accessible technique than
transformer’s life. The purpose of this article is to describe the thos­e currently used
w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 75
EVENTS
MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY

consists of several subsystems which are designed and tested to

sustain the electric and thermal stresses which occur during
„ There are several studies in the
normal operation. This is why most transformers will pro­ literature for determination of
vide years of faithful service without developing any problem.
However, some units subjected to unusual service conditions,
2-furfuraldehyde in dielectric oils
or which suffer from a manufacturing defect, excessive ageing using a colourimetric method.
or moisture ingress, may develop problems. These problems However, these methods can be
should be detected at an early stage to allow for orderly removal
from service, and subsequent repair. interfered by aged oils
Transformer insulation is mostly made of the time-proven
combination of cellulose paper or pressboard, fully impreg­
nated with insulating oil. When the insulation is overstressed
with high temperature or electric discharges, the chemical
bonds within oil and cellulose molecules can break down and
new molecules can be created. Such a reaction generates a vari- 3.0
colouration index 2
ety of gases that dissolve in the surrounding oil. 2.5
colouration index 4
colouration index 6
new oil
2.0

Absorbance
Any problems developing in the winding insulation, the con-
nections, the core or the shields will generate a localised high 1.5

temperature or electric discharges, resulting in the decompos­ 1.0

ition of oil and/or paper. The minimum amount of gas dissol-
0.5
ved in the oil can alert the operator about a developing prob-
lem, and the relative proportion of furans can also indicate the 0.0
400 450 500 550 600 650 700
location of the fault. Wavelength (nm)

3. Experimental methodology
Figure 1: New oil with 2-furfural added and three oils degraded in the laboratory
without 2-furfural and with colouration index 2, 4 and 6, respectively. Interfe­
New oil was degraded by being heated to 120-140 °C in the
rences increase with high oil colouration index; false positives may be reached
presence of copper, in order to achieve different colouration
indexes for eight different oils. Degradation time depends on
the degree of degradation to be obtained. The greater the time In both cases interferences were eliminated by using different
elapsed, the higher the degradation and colouration index. proportions of acetonitrile and water.
Several 2-furfuraldehyde standards were prepared in order to
compare our field samples. After the standards had been pre- Studying the kinetics of the reaction, while taking into ac-
pared, the strategy for development of a new analysis method count the first studies in which the colourimetric reagent was
was created. aniline:acetic acid 1:10, a problem was observed when trying to

4. Results
There are several studies in the literature for determination
1.0
of 2-furfuraldehyde in dielectric oils using a colourimetric 0.9
m­ethod. However, these methods can be interfered by aged b)
0.8 c)
oils and some of them by variation in temperature. These inter­ a)
Absorbance

0.7
ferences were studied during the development of this method. 0.6
Figure 1 shows the spectrum between 400 and 700 nm for the 0.5 acetonitrile:water 30:70
new oil with 2-furfuraldehyde added, and the spectrum of 0.4 acetonitrile:water 50:50
three oils without 2-furfuraldehyde, but with high colouration 0.3 acetonitrile:water 80:20
index. Furans were first extracted with 100 % acetonitrile and 0.2
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
then analysed using a colourimetric method. Time (seconds)

Therefore, it was necessary to modify the treatment of samples

from using 100 % acetonitrile mixtures to using acetonitrile/
water. Figure 2 shows a single oil which was aged in a laboratory a) acetonitrile:water = 80:20
where interferences were eliminated, decreasing the proportion b) acetonitrile:water = 50:50
of acetonitrile in the extraction. The same study was performed c) acetonitrile:water = 30:70
using both solid-phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction. Figure 2: Kinetics of extraction for different acetonitrile and water ratios

76 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

modify proportions between acetonitrile/water in the extrac- 5. Validation of the method
tion phase. As a result, the reaction became very slow and the
sensitivity of the acetonitrile declined. This is a very selective method. Figure 3 illustrates that
for measurements taken at the wavelength of 520 nm only
As illustrated in Figure 2, the kinetics of the reaction starts to 2-furfural is detected and there are no interferences with
drop after reaching the highest absorbance value. In order to other furanic compounds or oils of a high colouration index
eliminate interferences, the proportion of acetonitrile needs to as they do not react in the same way with aniline as 2-fur-
be reduced, but this makes the reaction last too long. This leads fural does.
to the conclusion that the best solution is to add dimethyl sulfi-
de as a catalyst to accelerate the reaction. The calibration and linearity are shown in Figure 4.

1.8
1.6 a)
2.5
y = 0,405x - 0,0043
1.4 R² = 0,9994
Absorbance

2.0
1.2
1 b) Absorbance 1.5
0.8
Figure 4: Calibration with standards of new transformer oil doped with 2-furfu­
1.0 concentrations from 0 to 5 mg/l
ral with
0.6
c) 0.5
0.4
0.2 0.0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 0 1 2 3 4 5
Time (seconds)
2-furfural concentrations (ppm)

a) Kinetics of the reaction with aniline:acetic acid 1:10 Figure 4: Calibration with standards of new transformer oil doped with 2-furfur­
b) Kinetics of the reaction with aniline:dimethyl sulfide:acetic acid 1:2:7 al with concentrations from 0 to 5 mg/l
c) Kinetics of the reaction with aniline:dimethyl sulfide:acetic acid 1:3:6
Figure 3: Kinetics of extraction for acetonitrile/water 30/70 %

As illustrated in Figure 3, the greater the proportion of dime- The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ)
thyl sulfide, the higher the speed of the reaction. This means were calculated as follows:
that the proportions for each application need to be optimised,
which in this case study was done by selecting colourimetric YL = Ŷblank + k·sblank (1)
reagent:dimethyl sulfoxide:acetic acid 1:2:7.

„
CL = k·sblank/m (2)

Where YL is the signal for different limits, CL is the con-

The new method has been op­ centration for the limits, Ŷ is the mean signal value for the
blanks, s is the standard deviation, m is the slope and k is a
timised in order to achieve the probability factor. The obtained values were 0.06 ppm for
best performance by using di­ LOD and 0.10 ppm for LOQ.

methyl sulfide as a catalyst and

adjusting the reaction time Repeatability

Table 1: Results of concentration measurements with six replicates each

To sum up, the parameters chosen for determination of 2-furfur­
aldehyde were: Concentration Mean Standard Variation
(mg/l) value deviation coefficient
• Solid-phase extraction, because it is the easiest extraction
method for automation in the laboratory 0.20 0.20 0.01 5
• Aniline:dimethyl sulfoxide:acetic acid 1:2:7 as the colouri-
metric reagent, because this yielded the best performance in 3.00 2.95 0.04 2
terms of speed of reaction and sensibility

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 77
 „
EVENTS
MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY

Accuracy A new rapid, inexpensive and

Several transformer oils have been analysed with the new easy colourimetric method has
method as well as with the established method recommend­ been developed to determine the
ed in IEC 61198. The comparison is presented in Table 2.
content of 2-furfuraldehide in
Table 2: Comparison between the concentration of 2-furfuraldehide obtained transformer oils
through HPLC and the newly developed method

Colouration Concentration New method [4] Douglas Antonio Batista, Pércia Aparecida Patriarca, Edu-
index HPLC (ppm) (ppm) ardo Marqués Trindade, Helena Maria Wihelm, Colorimetric
Methodology for Monitoring the Cellulose Insulating Paper
0.5 <LOQ <LOQ Degradation in Electrical Equipments Filled with Mineral Oil,
3.5 1.06 ± 0.01 1.02 ± 0.05 Cellulose, 2008, 15:497-505
3.5 0.05 ± 0.01 <LOQ [5] R. Blue and D. Uttamchandani, The Determination of FFA
Concentration in Transformer Oil by Fluorescence Measure-
3.5 <LOQ <LOQ
ments, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulati-
3.5 0.23 ± 0.01 0.21 ± 0.05 on, Vol. 5, No. 6, 1998
4.5 0.46 ± 0.01 0.36 ± 0.05 [6] Volker Thomsen, Debbie Schatzlein and David Mercuro, Li-
4.5 0.29 ± 0.01 0.25 ± 0.05 mits of Detection in Spectroscopy, Spectroscopy 18 (12), 2003
4.5 1.77 ± 0.01 1.81 ± 0.05 [7] IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd edition,
1997
4.5 1.77 ± 0.01 1.8 ± 0.05 [8] M. Dong, Y. Shang, W.B. Zhao and Z. Yan, Ageing Diagnosis
of Solid Insulation for Large Oil-immersed Power Transformers,
2002 Annual Report Conference on Electrical Insulation and
The uncertainties associated with the concentration values Dielectric Phenomena
obtained colourimetrically have been calculated using the [9] M. McDermid and D.H. Grant, Use of Furan-in-Oil Analysis
standard deviation of the value predicted by the correspon- to Determine the Condition of Oil-filled Power Transformers,
ding calibrated T-student in order to have a confidence level 2008 International Conference on Condition Monitoring and
of 95 % and the corresponding degree of freedom. Diagnosis, Beijing, China, April 21-24, 2008
[10] A. Lehninger, Principles of Biochemistry, 1982
[11] M. Duval, Transformers with Low Degree of Polymerisation
Conclusion of Paper, Transformers Magazine, Vol.1, No. 3, 2014, 26-31

A new rapid, inexpensive and easy colourimetric method

has been developed to determine the content of 2-furfur-
aldehide in transformer oils, yielding accurate and repro- Author
ducible results. Using a small sample volume, the limits of Begoña Remartinez completed a PhD
detection and quantification are consistent with the needs of in Physics in 1997 and obtained a Ma-
the laboratory. A study of the kinetics of the derivatisation terials Engineering degree in 1999. She
reaction with aniline has also been conducted, showing that is currently working at Iberdrola. As the
dimethyl sulfide can be used to vary the speed of the reac- Manager of the Materials for Power Plants
tion and sensibility according to our needs. To carry out this Department, her work is related to mate-
analysis, solid-phase extraction was chosen because it is the rials characterisation, failure analysis in-
easiest extraction method for automation in the laboratory. vestigations in power stations, as well as predicting mainten­
ance of critical machines, such as transformer oil diagnosis.

References
[1] A.M. Emsley, X. Xiao, R.J. Heywood and M. Ali, Degradation Author
of cellulosic insulation in power transformers. Part 2: Forma-
tion of furan products in insulating oil, IEE Proc. Sci. Meas. Javier Jiménez completed a PhD in
Technol. Vol. 147, No. 3, 2000 Chemical Engineering in 2003 and he is
[2] J.P. van Bolhuis, E. Gulski and J.J. Smit, Member, IEEE, Moni- currently working at Iberdrola. His work
toring and Diagnostic of Transformer Solid Insulation, IEEE involves transformer oil diagnosis in the
Transactions On Power Delivery, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2002 power generation division. Today he is an
[3] B. Pahlavanpour and G. Duffy, Development of a rapid spec- active member of the Spanish IEC TC10
trophotometry method for analysis of furfuraldehyde in trans- Transformers Committee. He is also the
former oil as an indication of paper ageing, Proceedings of IEEE author of the book “Lean meetings. How to transform a busi-
Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena, ness illness into a tool for increasing productivity”.
October 1993 DOI: 10.1109/CEIDP.1993.378924

78 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 US$143 BILLION WILL BE INVESTED INTO THE EGYPTIAN POWER SECTOR OVER THE NEXT 4 YEARS
MEET THE BUYERS AT ELECTRICX

Showcasing the latest in:

• Power Generation, Transmission & Distribution
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• NEW FOR 2015: Energy Storage Systems (ESS)

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Co-located with: In association with: Organised by:

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 79
TRENDS
EVENTS

OMICRON Transformer
Diagnostics Conference
Join the experts and get hands-on experience: OMICRON host second UK
Transformer Diagnostics Conference & Workshop

F
ollowing the success of its 2013 event, OMICRON are set reception and dinner to welcome guests and allow for an infor-
to host a second DMPT from 12 – 14th May 2015, cen- mal exchange of ideas. Guiding participants through the story
tred on the theme “Enhancing Transformer Reliability”. of diagnostic measurement, the conference day will begin with
The event will be held at the stunning Cheshire venue, Crewe power station strategy and testing and lead on to specific appli-
Hall, which combines a historic setting with state of the art cations. A total of 12 papers will be presented by OMICRON
conference facilities, all within easy reach of Manchester Inter­ specialists which include Dr. Michael Kruger, and also speakers
national Airport. from leading companies such as ABB, Siemens, E.ON, Seabank
The schedule will begin on the 12th May with a relaxed drinks Power Limited and ESB International.

80 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

On the secondDiagnostic Measurements
day, delegates can choose fromon Power
four prac­ Transformers
May 12-14, 2015, Crewe Hall, UK
Conference
tical workshops: Transformer& Workshop
Diagnostic Testing, Partial
May 12-14,
Discharge Testing, On-site2015, CreweCircuit
Non-intrusive Hall, Breaker
UK
Testing and Instrument Transformer Testing. Each demon­ Conference
Program
stration station will be manned by OMICRON Academy Papers from OMICRON specialists
Trainers, enabling participants to explore theory, tips and † Dr. Michael Krüger
tricks and get valuable hands-on experience.
Conference
† Rene Hummel
Papers from OMICRON specialists
The registration
> Dr. feeMichael per person includes full cater­ † Thomas Renaudin
of £520Krüger
ing, an evening
> Rene Hummeltwo nights luxury accommo- † Tony Porrelli
program and
dation at Crewe Hall. Due
> Thomas to popularity, please register by
Renaudin
the 8th April>to guarantee a
Tony Porrelli place. Papers from leading companies in the industry
For a detailed program † ABB
Papers fromand information
leading on how
companies in to
theregister,
industry
please visit our website or contact Julia Kabus: julia.kabus@ † Siemens
> ABB
omicron.at :>+43 59495 2198
Siemens † Seabank Power Limited
> Seabank Power Limited † ESB International
> ESB International † E.ON
Company profile
Sample contributions
OMICRON>is an international company serving the elec­ Sample contributions
Testing and Ensuring Utility Reliability in the Field
trical power industry with innovative testing and diagnostic † Testing and Ensuring Utility Reliability in the Field
> On-Site Non-Intrusive Testing of Circuit Breakers
solutions. The application of OMICRON products allows
> Power Station Reliability in Hand with Maintenance † On-Site Non-Intrusive Testing of Circuit Breakers
users to assess the condition of the primary and second­
> Service Testing in the Field
ary equipment on their systems with complete confidence. † Power Station Reliability in Hand with Maintenance
> Tapchanger Diagnostics
Services offered in the area of consulting, commissioning, † Service Testing in the Field
testing, diagnosis and training make the product range † Tapchanger Diagnostics
Workshop
complete.
One of the following workshop topics can be chosen
> more
Instrument Workshop
Customers in than 140Transformers
countries rely on the company’s
> On-Site
ability to supply leadingNon-Intrusive Testing
edge technology of Circuit
of excellent qual­Breakers
One of the following workshop topics can be chosen
> Partial Discharge Testing
ity. Service centers on all continents provide a broad base of † Instrument Transformers
knowledge and> Transformer
extraordinaryDiagnostics TestingAll of this
customer support. † On-Site Non-Intrusive Testing of Circuit Breakers
together with our strong network of sales partners is what
† Partial Discharge Testing
has made our company a market leader in the electrical
power industry. † Transformer Diagnostic Testing

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 81
TRENDS
EVENTS

Dubai Municipality outlines

renewable energy drive at
Middle East Electricity
Green Energy Conference highlighted the urgency and vision in creating
sustainable energy solutions

D
ubai, UAE, 30 March 2015: The Green Energy Conference, creating an excellent city which provides sustainable lessons of
which took place on the first day of Middle East Electri- success and comfort of living. In order to do that, we have de­
city, was opened by H.E. Eng Abdulla Mohammed Rafia, veloped a roadmap to achieving a smart sustainable city, con-
Assistant Director General, Dubai Municipality, who discussed sisting of five aspects: An institutional framework, research and
Dubai’s ambitious targets to improve energy efficiency and what development, incentives programme, education and awareness,”
solutions the government are looking at to satisfy the growing said H.E. Eng Abdulla Mohammed Rafia.
demand for electricity in the emirate.
Another ambitious programme is Dubai’s renewable energy
“I’d like to speak about Dubai’s transformation and the initiatives that target which has recently been tripled, from 5 per cent to 15 per
are being taken to transform Dubai into a smart, sustainable city. cent, of total share from renewables in the energy mix by 2030.

The Dubai 2021 Plan has six major themes, all of which Dubai Rafia outlined the importance of studies and research that is
Municipality is involved in to some extent. The first order of the- need­ed to make these plans viable; “In building the components
me is to align DM’s vision to the Dubai 2021 Plan, which means of a smart city, Dubai Municipality is putting energy saving the­

82 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 R­ichard Bird, Chairman of ComAp and a participant of the panel
discussion.

The Middle East Electricity Conference continued on 4 March

with the first ever conference agenda dedicated to commercial
ories into practice. One example of this is the Khazzan sustainab- lighting.
le energy park which opened this week and is 100 per cent energy
efficient. Another example of a major sustainable project is the Middle East Electricity and Solar Middle East 2015 are held
AED 1 billion Dubai Safari park. Furthermore, Dubai is also pl- u­nder the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin
anning to build a completely sustainable smart city for 160,000 M­ohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.
people, ‘Desert Rose.’” added Rafia.
The next edition of the exhibition will take place 1 – 3 March 2016.
Another highlight session of the day looked into combining Book your stand today – [email protected]
trad­itional and alternative energy sources to create hybrid sys-
tems. Angus Jackson, Director of Business Development for Pla-
netary Power explained that hybrid technology is bridging the
gap between modern and traditional energy sources to produ-
ce economical and sustainable technology. In addition experts
highlighted the growing importance of hybrid systems in several
sectors, particularly telecommunications.

Currently there are 1.3 billion people in the world who do

not have access to electricity, 600 million of whom are in Af-
rica. According to experts, hybrid systems are able to address
global electricity challenges because they combine multiple
sources to deliver electric power, whilst still being relatively
economical.

“In our lifetime we may never see multiple countries go 100 per
cent renewable because at the moment it is just too expensive.
A solution to that is hybrid. The one country that has is the Pa-
cific Ocean island Tuvalu that has committed itself to being 100
per cent renewable and is spending 7 million NZD to do so,” said

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 83
TRENDS
EVENTS

Supporting critical decision

making with the Life of a
TransformerTM Seminar
Doble’s transformer seminar comes to Lyon this June

O
wning, operating and maintaining transformers means “Transformers are complex pieces of equipment and electric po-
making many critical decisions, but those decisions wer professionals have to understand how to work with these cri-
aren’t always clear or straightforward. There are tough tical assets from specifications through failure analysis. Each step
decisions to be made for short term individual transformer re- in the lifecycle of a transformer requires careful management,“
liability and long term transformer population management. said David Zabetakis, president at Doble Engineering Company.
Doble Engineering Company has been helping engineers and “We think in-depth training, supported by practical information,
managers in the electric power industry navigate the compli- is the best way to help professionals to do their jobs effectively.
cated landscape of transformer ownership through its unique That’s why we work to provide tangible knowledge at our educa-
Life of a TransformerTM Seminar, which will next be held in tional seminars.”
Lyon, France on 1-5 June 2015.
In 13 years of hosting the event, Doble‘s Life of a Transformer Sem­
This seminar takes participants from transformer design all the inars have trained more than 7,000 electric power professionals from
way through failure analysis, providing attendees with the know- over 50 countries across six continents. Events are held in Europe,
ledge needed to make more informed decisions about these cri- Middle East and the United States. Over the course of the seminar,
tical assets, whether it’s regarding on-site testing and analysis or industry leaders responsible for manufacturing, engineering, pro-
long-term replacement strategies. Attendees are provided with duction, maintenance, and management of power transformers pro-
practical information, which can result in immediate, measurab- vide a big picture view of effective transformer management, with a
le impacts on transformer performance and reliability. special focus on the dynamics of that particular region.

84 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 Jean SANCHEZ, Mladen BANOVIC

Agenda topics include everything from specification writing and tions with dissolved gas analysis, oil quality analysis and other
supplier selection, discussions on various types and components diagnostic tools, combining theoretical background with prac­
of transformers, overviews of diagnostic testing and monitoring tical experience, hands-on examples, and case studies to illustrate
approaches, and transformer population management. Ad­ common problems found in the field.
vanced training sessions allow attendees to delve more deeply
into areas such as calculation methods, short-circuit withstand, This year’s host manufacturers are JST transformateaurs and
and emerging methods of transformer testing. TSV Services, which will offer tours of their facilities during the
program. The industry expo will also include companies such as
Also available is the optional day-long laboratory diagnostics Arras Maxéi, Ekofluid, Electrical Oil Services, Ergon, GE Digital
seminar. This course is for those who review oil analysis data to Energy, Transfo Services, and Winder Power.
assess transformer condition. Doble’s laboratory experts explain
how to identify and assess rapidly emerging transformer condi- More details can be found at www.doble.com/loateurope.

w w w . t ra n sfo r m e r s - m a g a z i n e . co m 85
 EVENTS CALENDAR

5th International Exibition & Conference The Transformer Association Spring Meeting
8 - 10 April 2015, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India 28 - 30 April 2015, Double Tree Hotel O‘Hare, Rosemont, Illinois, USA
POWERGRID with the support of Ministry of The Transformer Association is a manufacturing trade
Powe­r and in association with CBIP and IEEMA is association whose corporate members include transfor-
bringing its 5th International Exhibition and Conference mer and power supply manufacturers, their suppliers, safety agencies and con-
GRIDTECH 2015 on new technologies in Transmission, Distribution, Rene- sultants. Its focus is to strengthen the transformer industry in North America.
wable Energy Integration, Smart Grid, Communication etc.

Spring 2015 Meeting CWIEME Berlin 2015

5 - 7 May 2015, Messe Berlin South Entrance, Berlin, Germany
12 - 16 April 2015, San Antonio, Texas USA
Transformers Magazine media partner
IEEE/PES Transformers Committee is organising Spring
2015 Meeting, which will include reports from liaison re- In its 19th year, CWIEME Berlin 2015 will host over 750 lea-
presentatives from CIGRE, IEC and SCC and from technical sub-committees, as ding suppliers providing components and solutions to global
well as transformers meeting sessions and technical presentations on transporta- manufacturers from across the automotive, energy, electrical and electronics sectors.
tion of transformers and transformer core grounding and gassing. Over 6,500 key buyers and decision makers attend this fair to meet new and existing
suppliers, discover new products & solutions, network with industry peers.
HANNOVER MESSE 2015
13 - 17 April 2015, Hannover, Germany Diagnostic Measurements on Power
A broad range of forums, conferences and special events Transformers Conference & Workshop
offer the chance to learn more about the key issues affec- 12 - 14 May 2015, Crewe Hall, Cheshire, UK
ting industry today. At Hannover Messe you can see digi-
tally networked production plants and ingenious new production processes, and The event will enable the exchange of know-how and best
next-generation industrial robots live in action. practices on the subject of diagnostic measurement, and
offer delegates the valuable opportunity to discuss the la-
test developments in the industry, with both specialists and peers.
Principles of Operation, Maintenance, Testing
& Monitoring of Large Power Transformers
14 - 16 April 2015, Irvine, California, USA Life of a Transformer Seminar
1 - 5 June 2015, Lyon, France
Today‘s competitive and demanding power industry
Transformers Magazine media partner
mandates that workers in all trades possess a high de-
gree of experience and formal training. 2015 Izzytech Organised by Doble, this seminar offers training experience
Workshop seminars are tailored to share knowledge and experience to help on the most critical aspects of large power transformers. Join
you build and develop your own knowledge and skills. it and learn practical information from industry experts for
immediate, measurable impact at any point in the lifecycle of your transformers.
19th International Trade Fair on Power
Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Energy IEEE Electrical Insulation Conference (EIC)
Efficiency and Automation 7 - 10 June 2015, Renaissance Seattle Hotel, Seattle, Washington, USA
21 - 24 April 2015, KievExpoPlaza, Kiev, Ukraine
This EIC will offer presentations and short courses on the
This year’s exhibition will feature three international pavi-
practical applications of electrical insulation systems and
lions in addition to individual exhibitors: China, Turkey
materials for all types of electrical and electronic equipment.
and Germany.

TechCon® Asia-Pacific 2015 Conference The 23rd International Conference & Exhibition
21-22 April 2015, Hilton Sydney Hotel, Sydney, Australia on Electricity Distribution
15 - 18 June 2015, Lyon, France
TechCon® Asia Pacific is a forum for the discussion of techno-
logy development and solutions which provide improvement CIRED 2015 offers an opportunity to meet with up to 1500 ex-
in key high voltage asset management strategies. The Confe- perts and benefits from face-to-face interaction with key decisi-
rence program brings together a host of high calibre local and international speakers. on leaders in the field of Electricity Distribution.

WEIDMANN Transformer & Technology Seminar CWIEME Shanghai 2015

22 - 24 April 2015, Hotel SEEDAMM PLAZA, Pfäffikon SZ, Switzerland 23 - 25 June 2015, National E&C Centre, Shanghai, China
This 3-day transformer seminar includes an array of in- CWIEME Shanghai is an annual international trade show,
dustry experts and companies presenting and discussing bringing suppliers and buyers from the electro-magnetic,
topics such as materials and components used in transfor- insulation materials, coil, electric motor and transformer
mers, design of distribution and power transformers, factory testing, operation manufacturing industries together.
of transformers and on-site testing.

86 TRANSFORMERS MAGAZINE | Volume 2, Issue 2

 Communicate and Grow!
Combined audience: 30,000+ people from
more than 170 countries

Recognized communication services for the global transformers market

Print (digitally available): Digital (web, eBulletin): Customer support in:
† Advertisements † Advertisements † Identification of
customer values
† Advertorials † Jobs

† Interviews † News † Preparation of

campaigns, etc.
† Technical articles

www.transformers-magazine.com [email protected] +44 203 734 7469

 MONITORING
PERMANENT

CONCEPTS
MODULAR
MAXIMIZED
EFFICIENCY LONGLIFE
TECHNOLOGY

SIMPLIFIED
INSTALLATION

COMPONENTS
NOISE
REDUCTION
LOW

LOSS

DRELIABILITY
OPTIMIZE
This time TRANSFORM is special. For the first time we’ll take you
on a journey to the future of transformer componentry. Enjoy an
exclusive mixture of technical lectures and visit the exhibition area.

TRANSFORM Partners

TRENCH