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Synopsis
conducted with adopted diagnostic techniques and
benefits derived by POWERGRID are also discussed in
POWERGRID as Central Transmission Utility (CTU) in the paper.
India is operating about 40,000 ckt. kms of EHV
Transmission Lines and handling nearly 40% of Indias INTRODUCTION
total Power requirement which is being controlled
through 68 number EHV Substations spread throughout The age profile of EHV class CT in POWERGRID
the country. Presently about 3000 nos. EHV Current network is in the range of 12-18 years. During last six
Transformers of various makes & designs are under years, few CT failures attributable to primary insulation
operation. Current Transformers (CTs) are generally failures were encountered. In all the cases, CT failures
considered a reliable piece of equipment and failure rate occurred without any advance distress signal/alarm. All
is generally lower compared to other switchyard CT failures were analyzed in detail and as a preventive
equipments. Condition Monitoring checks on Current measure, a need was felt to adopt new techniques for
Transformers, as followed in POWERGRID, include condition monitoring of CTs in service as preventive/
measurement of Capacitance and Dissipation Factor, corrective measures.
Insulation Resistance, Thermovision Scanning and very
recently Dissolved Gas Analysis of insulating oil has also Paper impregnated with oil is widely used for CT
been introduced. windings. The oil/paper insulation degrades with time,
and this process depends on thermal, electrical and other
This paper investigates the effective diagnostic techniques complex chemical reactions within the Equipment. The
for assessing the condition of insulation in aged Current ageing process of oil/paper insulating systems is very
Transformers. A detailed Case Study on Life Assessment complex and poses problems in their true and timely
tests carried out on CTs of three makes is presented in this identification. Due to ageing of insulation, dielectric
paper. Condition Monitoring tests adopted have revealed losses increase which are reflected as change in
the actual condition of CT insulation. CTs are now being dissipation factor (Tan delta). Other factors like
monitored properly for Oil/N2 gas leakages/pressures. In Capacitance value, moisture content (paper and oil) also
few CTs where N2 gas had leaked, degradation of indicate the extent of ageing of the insulation. Sometimes
Insulation was indicated by tests. Details of these tests due to cavities/ voids in primary insulation, localized
3. Monitoring of moisture content in oil and paper. Deterioration of insulation (due to moisture content/
Presence of higher moisture content in paper aging) causes exponential rise in Tan Delta with increase
may accelerate Insulation ageing. in temperature and is governed by the following equation:
On application of direct Voltage on any insulation, As brought out earlier, about 26 nos. EHV class CTs have
not only charging current alone flows but an failed in last 6 years in POWERGRID network. Even
additional current known as dielectric absorption newly commissioned CTs have failed. A team of Experts
current also flows. This current is due to the presence from POWERGRID involving Manufacturers also,
of polar molecules in the insulation system. critically analyzed all failures. However their sudden
failures caused alarm and detailed failure analysis was
(ii) Conduction Current carried out at manufacturers works in few cases. Based on
failure analysis test results, following reasons of failures
The steady state value of the current is known as the were identified:
conduction current. If one waits until the dielectric
absorption current has decayed to zero. In solid 1. Primary insulation puncture/failure (Exhibit-1 and 2).
insulating materials, which have absorbed moisture, 2. Non-uniform Electrical Stress on primary insulation
for increase in voltage stress there will be a non- mainly in case of Live Tank design CTs.
linear large increase of the conduction current. 3. Wrong Testing Procedure for Dissipation factor
Measurement at manufacturers works that could not
The ratio of Insulation Resistance Values taken after 60 identify defects at works during pre-dispatch testing.
seconds and 15 seconds is termed as Polarisation Index. 4. Improper primary insulation paper wrapping during
The value of Polarisation Index is also one of the manufacturing process.
important factors in indicating the health of the Insulation 5. N2 gas leakage from sealing gaskets and N2 filling
of the Current Transformers. point leading to moisture entry inside CT.*
Exhibit-1 Exhibit-2
Failure of Primary Insulation of Live Tank Type CT Failure of Primary Insulation of Dead Tank Type
CT.
*- All the CT failures were analyzed in detail involving 2. Monitoring of change of Capacitance and Tan
respective manufacturers. The reasons were identified and Delta values from 0.1 p.u. to 1.1p.u. of the rated
following preventive and corrective measures were taken Voltage.
to reduce the failure rates: 3. Monitoring of change of Capacitance and tan
Delta before and after 1 minute HV Test.
1. Change in the Technical Specifications like 4. Monitoring N2 gas pressure for all CTs having
Testing of CTs as per IEC-60044 (1) specially N2 Cushion at the top for taking care oil
Partial Discharge Measurement. expansion/contraction.
With implementation of above measures, failures rate has temperature variations. Paper with Paraffinic oil
come down tremendously and even some CT defects were is used as insulating medium.
detected at Manufacturers works during testing and same (2) Live tank design fitted with Teflon bellow at the
were rectified/re-processed. For CTs of other makes in top. Paper with Nepathenic oil is used as
which failure rate was almost zero, a pilot project was insulating medium.
taken up which is discussed as Case Study as given below
to assess the condition of such make of CTs so that Diagnosis Methodology:
preventive actions may taken well in advance.
Following tests were conducted on these CTs under
CASE STUDY shutdown:
Majority of EHV class CTs in POWERGRID network are 1. Capacitance and Tan Delta Measurement
approaching the age profile of 12-18 years. As mentioned 2. Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) of CT Oil as per IEC-
above, there have been number of CT failures attributable 60599.
to primary insulation failure. In view of sudden failures of 3. Oil Parameters Testing as per IS-1866 (IEC-60422).
CTs in recent past without any alarm, it was considered 4. Insulation Resistance Measurement (Polarization
necessary to assess the condition of CTs, which are in Index Test)
service for a very long time so as to prepare for any
eventuality in future. Out of the operating healthy For oil sampling, special adopters were developed and to
population, 15 CTs of three makes were identified for have uniformity, all Oil samples were tested only at
detailed diagnostic checks. POWERGRIDs Centralized Insulating Oil Testing
Laboratory (CIOTL). For Measurement of Capacitance
Brief Technical Particulars of selected CTs considered and Tan Delta, CTs were removed from service (under
for Condition Assessment: shutdown) and Tests were carried out after thoroughly
cleaning the Porcelain surfaces. Both side conductors i.e.
All CTs are 420kV class, rated current as 2000 Amperes, jumpers were removed from CT and Test Readings were
BIL level of 1425kV and Switching Impulse Level of taken in UST(Ungrounded Specimen Test Mode) for most
1050kV. CTs selected were of two types: of the CTs.
(1) Dead tank type with N2 cushion at the top to Results of 15 nos. tested CTs are given below in Table-1
take care oil expansion and contraction due to
Table-1
Table-2
Analysis of the Test Results: three nos. CTs indicating poor values of BDV and
moisture content. After oil replacement, tests were
Brief summary of the test results is placed below: repeated and results improved and these CTs are
operating successfully. Two CTs were found violating
1. DGA for most of the CTs were in order and norms in respect of CH4 and C2H6 and have been kept
insulation degradation was due to normal ageing. under close monitoring/ watch.
Except for CH4 value(187ppm) for CT(Sr.No.10)
and for C2H6 value(85ppm) for CT(Sr.No.13). Based on the outcome of the pilot project, following
emerged:
2. Oil parameters like BDV, moisture contents etc. were
also within limits except for three nos. CTs (at Sr. 1. CTs operating under normal conditions and free
Nos. 4 to 6) which violated norms. Oil was replaced from oil/N2 gas leakage problems are mostly
for all the thrre CTs (Sr.No.4 to 6) after which DGA, healthy even after 18 years of service.
BDV, Capacitance and Tan Delta values were found 2. N2 gas monitoring is very important for all CTs
to be within limits and CTs were successfully taken with N2 cushion at the top. N2 monitoring
into service. procedure was standardized and implemented
throughout POWERGRID.
3. Capacitance and Tan delta values are also within 3. Suspected CTs having high values of dissolved
acceptable limits except for CTs at Sr.No.1 to2 and 4 gases are kept under constant watch.
to 6 in which Test were taken in GST mode without
removing the Jumpers. Tests were repeated as
mentioned above at point no.2. For CTs at Sr.No. 1 CONCLUSION:
and 2, all Tests were repeated and Test Results are
given in Table-2 Condition of 15 nos. EHV class CTs in service has been
assessed as discussed above. The CTs selected for Pilot
4. IR test results also indicate normal values. project were based on the age profile and the CTs which
are having almost zero failures. Condition assessment of
Benefits derived by POWERGRID sample CTs has proved that CTs even after 12-18 years of
service are healthy and looked after properly. Introduction
Pilot project was undertaken for those designs/ makes of of new condition assessment tests in POWERGRID have
CTs where no failures were reported. The outcome of the brought down CT failures and better performance of CTs
pilot project revealed normal Ageing of CTs even after is expected in future. Constant updation of diagnostic
15-18 years of service. It was decided to replace oil for
testing techniques can reduce failures/ down time to [2] G.CSEPES, I.HAMOS, J. SCHMIDT, A.
increase system availability & reliability. BOGNAR, A DC Expert System (RVM) for
checking the re-furbishment efficiency of high
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT voltage oil paper insulating system using
polarization spectrum analysis in range of Long
The authors are thankful to the POWERGRID time Constants, CIGRE August,94(12-206).
management for permitting them to present the papers in [3] Mark F. Lachman, Doble engineering Company,
CIGRE-2002. The views expressed in this paper are of the Application of Equivalent Circuit Parameters to
authors and not necessarily that of the POWERGRID offline diagnostics of Power Transformer
organization. (Preview).
[4] Enhanced Diagnosis of Power Transformers
REFERENCES:
using On and off line methods: results,
examples and future trends.
[1] Mark F.Lachman, Doble engineering Company,
By S.Tenbohlen, U.Sundermann, H.Borsi, P.Werle &
Application of Equivalent Circuit Parameters to
H.Matthes, Cigre 2000
offline diagnostics of Power Transformer
(Preview).