Classical Maintenance Thinking

Bath Tub Curve

Conditional probability of failure

Infant mortality Useful life period Phase out period

Design, Preventive and Condition based RLA

Reliability and maintenance
manufacturing

Age
COST OF MAINTENANCE
 Types of Faults

Random Time Induced

Non-observable observable Non-observable

Maintenance Strategies for combating the Above Fault Types

• Accept breakdowns Condition Monitoring • Periodic overhauls
• Readiness to repair • Continuous monitoring • Periodic replacements
• Improve reliability • Periodic monitoring • Reconditioning
• Design out maintenance
MAINTENANCE TERMINOLOGIES

Swedish Standard SS-EN 13306, 2001

Figure-1: Impact of maintenance philosophy on failure rate
 The process of checking and taking corrective
action is known as maintenance.
Types of maintenance:
a.Break down maintenance – though not best – inevitable.
b. Periodical/preventive maintenance – based on periodical
tests.
c. Proactive maintenance – The very cause which affects the
transformer is anticipated and avoided.
• Predictive maintenance – modern technique
– consisting of tests done using special equipments
• These tests can be termed as condition monitoring tests.
•• No single test can confirm the fault in the transformer.
Hence integrated approach is required taking into account
results of
various tests.
• Expertise and experience required to interpret the test
results.
BREAKDOWN MAINTENANCE
• Equipment Productivity
– High downtime
– Frequent failures
– Poor quality
– Reduced safety
• Employee Productivity
– High work time
– High waiting time
– Low morale
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
• Planned Maintenance based on
periodicity
• Advantages
– Reduction in failures
– Enables planning
• Disadvantages
– Over maintenance
– Human intervention in equipment
technology
PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE
• Maintenance based on machine
condition
• Advantages
– Better availability
– Reduced maintenance costs
– Safety and quality
– Operation and maintenance planning
– Design Improvements
 CONDITION MONITORING

CONDITION MONITORING

SUBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE (30%)

(70%)

SIMPLE AIDS INSTRUMENTAL

TECHNIQUES
 CBM and RCM concepts
1. Almost all utilities in India carry out Time Based
Maintenance (Preventive Maintenance)
2. Need for increased use of Condition Based
Maintenance
3. Implementation of Off line and Online diagnostic
techniques for assessing deteriorating performance
or condition of the Equipment for necessary
correction / rectifications before forced outage /
failure.
4. CBM and RCM emphasizes need to identify the
reasons of forced outages for initiating preventive
measures in advance
Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)

1. Preventive / Routine Maintenance may be over

doing Equipment maintenance.
2. But anything less than required maintenance
may lead to unplanned outages
3. Many utilities have stopped doing Time Based
Maintenance and introduced Focused
Maintenance
4. RCM and CBM – both rely on knowledge of
reliability & condition to indicate what to do and
when.
Benefits of Condition Monitoring

1. Economic

Adaptive Maintenance

Reduction of Maintenance personnel

Minimum period of outage

Minimum cost of outage
2. Safety

Reduction of risk by early warning

Timely technical input

Less stress on service personnel

3. Technical

Optimum use of operation

Optimum use of systems

Registration of system problems for future action

Better correlation of testing & symptoms

Upgradation of standards for tests

Life extension & planned replacement
Driving Mechanism
400kV CB
INTERRUPTER DESIGN
Internal Details of Interrupter
Contact Configuration
 PIR ASSEMBLY FAILURES

• MECHANICAL • BLASTING OF CB
BREAKAGE OF PTFE DUE TO PIR
ROD
PROBLEM
 Types

Ratings
Accptable Norms

A
 Reasons of CB Failures

MECHANICAL - 74%
(OPERATING COMPONENTS FAILURES)

ELECTRICAL - 16%
(DIELECTRIC FAILURE)

DRIVEs etc. - 10%

 Maintenance Philosophies
1. Preventive or Time Based
Maintenance (TBM)
2. Corrective Maintenance
3. Condition Based Maintenance (CBM)
or Predictive Maintenance
4. Reliability Centered Maintenance
(RCM)
Condition based maintenance
(CBM)
1. CBM is based on Failure Mode and
Effects analysis (FMEA)
2. FMEA gives a structured and
systematic analysis of critical failure
modes.
3. CBM applies diagnostic techniques that
link to FEMA like DCRM, DGA,
Capacitance and Tan Delta
4. Some utilities claim considerable
reduction in O&M costs after
implementation of CBM.
 CBM and RCM concepts

1. Almost all utilities in India carry out Time

Based Maintenance (Preventive
Maintenance)
2. Need for increased use of Condition Based
Maintenance
3. Implementation of Off line and Online
diagnostic techniques for assessing
deteriorating performance or condition of
the Equipments for necessary correction/
rectifications before forced outage/ failure.
 NEED FOR DCRM

During normal contact resistance
measurement, healthiness of main
contacts is evaluated
Req = R*r/(R+r)= r/(1+r/R), r = Main contact
R = Arcing contacts

DCRM signatures/finger prints indicate
true condition of CB arcing contacts.

Arcing contact play vital role during CB
operation
 DYNAMIC CONTACT RESISTANCE
MEASUREMENT (DCRM)
 CONTACT RESISTANCE MEASUREMENT DURING
CLOSING AND TRIPPING OPERATION. C-O DELAY
TIME ABOUT 300MS.

 100 AMP CURRENT IS INJECTED THROUGH CB

CONTACTS.

 VOLTAGE DROP AND CURRENT IS MEASURED TO

COMPUTE CONTACT RESISTANCE.

 VARIATION IN FINGER PRINT OF DCRM INDICATE

PROBLEM IN ARCING AND MAIN CONTACTS.
Basic connection arrangement
for DCRM Measurement
DCRM CONNECTION
ARRANGEMENT
Typical DCRM Signature
 DCRM can detect…
• Erosion of Arcing Contact
• Erosion of main contact
• Contact misalignments
• Contact wipe of main and arcing
contact
• Main & arcing contact resistance
• Healthiness of damping system
• Contact travel & speed
 Precautions to be taken while
carrying out DCRM test
• DCRM kit with sampling frequency of
10kHz(atleast) to be used.
• DCRM to be taken for CO operation.
• CO delay time to be atleast 300ms hence requiring
plot length of about 450ms.
• CB flanges where Current and Voltage cables are
to be connected, should be thoroughly cleaned by
CTC etc.
• Connection should be done only on Interrupter
flanges and not on PIR or grading Capacitor
flanges.
• Current leads to be connected outside whereas
Voltage leads to be connected inside.
 CONDITION ASSESSMENT
TECHNIQUES

1. ON LINE CONDITION
MONITORING TECHNIQUES

2. OFF LINE CONDITION

ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES
 ON LINE CONDITION MONITORING
TECHNIQUES

1. SF6 GAS PRESSURE MONITORING

2. TRIP COIL SUPERVISON
3. AUXILIARY CONTACTS OPERATING
TIMINGS
4. CONTACT SPEED MEASUREMENT BY
INSTALLING TRANSDUCERS
5. LINE CURRENT AND CUMULATIVE
FAULT CURRENT USING EXTERNAL CT-
UNDER EVALUATION
 OFF LINE CONDITION ASSESSMENT
TECHNIQUES

1. OPERATING TIMINGS OF MAIN AND AUXILIARY

CONTACTS-1 Y
2. TRIP/CLOSE COIL CURRENTS MEASUREMENT-1Y
3. STATIC CONTACT RESISTANCE MEASUREMENT-2Y
4. VIBRATION MEASUREMENT UNDER EVALUATION
STAGE
5. CONTACT TRAVEL MEASUREMENT-3Y
6. DEW POINT MEASUREMENT OF SF6 GAS-2Y
7. DYNAMIC CONTACT RESISTANCE MEASUREMENT-3Y
8. TAN DELTA MEASUREMENT OF GRADING
CAPACITORS- 3Y
 CB Overhaul decisions

• Based on DCRM Tests, many CBs have been

taken up for Internal inspection and following
defects were observed:

1. Damage of Main Contacts

2. Pitting marks of Fixed Contact tube
3. Damage of Blast cylinders
 DEW POINT MEASUREMENT
• IF SF6 GAS CONTAINS MOISTURE, IT IS EASILY HYDRATED TO
PRODUCE HIGHLY REACTIVE H2SO3 AND HF(HYDROGEN
FLUORIDES).

• AS THESE CHEMICALS CAUSE DEGRADATION OF INSULATION

AND CORROSION IN THE INTERRUPTING CHAMBER,
MONITORING OF MOISTURE CONTENT IN SF6 GAS IS VERY
IMPORTANT.

SOURCES OF MOISTURE IN CB
• GAS HANDLING – FILLING AND EMPTYING THE CB. AIR MAY
BE LEFT DURING EVACUATION WHICH SHALL ADD TO
IMPURITIES IN SF6 GAS. EVACUATION TO BE DONE UPTO 1
mbar (CIGRE-WG23)

• EXUDATION OF MOISTURE CONTAINED IN ORGANIC

INSULATING MATERIALS.

• PERMEATION THROUGH SEALED SECTIONS

 DECOMPOSITION OF SF6 GAS
ARCS DURING TRIPPING OPERATION LEADS TO A
SUBSTANTIAL EROSION OF THE CONTACT AND INSULATION
MATERIALS BY THE HOT ARC. THE MAIN CAUSE FOR SF6 GAS
DECOMPOSITION IS THE REACTION OF THESE EROSION
PRODUCTS WITH FRAGMENTS OF THERMALLY DISSOCIATED
SF6 AND OTHER TRACE GASSES SUCH AS OXYGEN AND
WATER VAPOUR.
(A) Cu + SF6 = CuF2 + SF4 – COPPER POWDER
(B) W + 3SF6 = WF6 + 3 SF4 - TUNGSTEN
(C) CF2 + SF6 = CF4 + SF4 - ERODED PTFE ( A CF2 POLYMER)

EFFECTS OF CONTAMINATION
1. DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS ARE CORROSIVE AND MAY AFFECT
THE SURFACE INSULATION BY THE FORMATION OF
CONDUCTIVE LAYERS ALONG THE INSULATORS.
2. HUMIDITY/MOISTURE IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT
CONDENSES ON THEM IN LIQUID FORM CAUSING REDUCED
INSULATION STRENGTH
3. CUF2, WO3, WO2F2 ORIGINATE FROM CONTACT EROSION.
4. HEALTH RISK DUE TO BYTOXIC PRODUCTS LIKE SO2 ETC.