Recent Developments in The Interpretation: of Dissolved Gas Analysis in Transformers
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heroRecent Developments in The Interpretation: of Dissolved Gas Analysis in Transformers
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hero0604-178-Mep226 27/09/06 17:10 Page 57
TECHNICAL BROCHURE
296
GT D1.01/
Recent developments in the interpretation A2.11
of dissolved gas analysis in
transformers
Dissolved gas analysis ✓ Dissolved gas levels in
(DGA) is widely used for
Members of the Task Force transformers in service ;
M. Duval (CA) Secrétaire
monitoring faults in insulat- - typical gas concentration
P.Boss (CH), K.Carrander (SE),
ing fluid-filled, high-volt- values
H.Foschum (AT),
age electrical equipment in M.Grisaru (IL), - typical rates of gas increase
service. New DGA labora- A.M.Haug (NO), - methods to calculate typical
tory extraction techniques J.Kelly (US), values
have been evaluated by M.Koncan-Gradnik (SL), - influence of various param-
CIGRE TF 15.01.07 and M.Martins (PT), eters on typical values
introduced into revised IEC C.Myers (UK), - pre-failure and alarm gas
Publication 60567. The B.Noirhomme (CA), concentration values
interpretation of DGA J.C.Noualhaguet (FR),
results has been deeply T.V.Oommen (US), ✓ Stray gassing oils
revised in 1999 in IEC Pub- A.dePablo (SP), - laboratory tests to measure
B.Pahlavanpour (UK),
lication 60599. stray gassing
J.O.Persson (SE),
The diagnosis methods - stray gassing of commercial
D.Rose (US),
used for the identification of oils
V.Sokolov (UA),
faults are widely accepted. K.Sundkvist (SE), - correlation between lab tests
However, the typical gas M.Valdizan (SP), and gassing in service
concentration values and A.Varl (SL), - methods to calculate contri-
rates of increase observed in G.Wilson (UK) bution of stray gassing in service
service and reported in - criteria to identify stray
60599 (for mineral insulating Other participating members gassing in service
oils) by IEC TC10 have been L.Arvidsson (SE), ✓ Gas formation from paper
questioned by IEC TC14 P.Boman (US), ✓ Gas formation from par-
(transformers). This has
A.C.Hall (UK), tial discharges
H.Knab (CH),
prompted the correspond- ✓ Gases trapped in paper
H.Luetke (DE),
ing committees of CIGRE SC insulation
R.Maina (IT),
A2 (ex SC12) and SC D1(ex H.Moeller (DK),
SC15) to create in 2001 a A.Moellmann (DE),
joint task force (TF 15.01/12- M.Szebeni (HU), Recommendations
11, or “TF11”) to clarify this W.Tumiatti (IT), of TF 11
issue. TF11 was also given E.Westlin (SE)
the task to examine other Typical values in service
aspects of DGA interpreta- Ranges of 90 % typical gas
tion which needed clarifications or improvements. concentration values and rates of gas increase observed
on different networks worldwide and recommended
by TF11 are indicated in Tables 1-2 :
Report of the Task Force
These values have been submitted to, and accepted
The following items have been examined in the by IEC TC 10 and TC 14. A few exceptions to these val-
report of TF11 : ues are indicated in the report.
No. 226 - June 2006 ELECTRA 57
0604-178-Mep226 27/09/06 17:10 Page 59
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TECHNICAL BROCHURE
Table 1: Ranges of 90 % typical concentration values for It thus appears that stray gassing in gen-
GT D1.01/
power transformers, in ppm
eral will not significantly interfere with DGA A2.11
C2H2 H2 CH4 C2H4 C2H6 CO CO2 diagnoses in service, except when a strongly
All 50- stray gassing oil is used (such as new Voltesso
transformers 150 30- 60- 20- 400- 3800-
35), or when transformers are operated well
130 280 90 600 14000
No OLTC 2-20 above nominal load (IEC hottest-spot tem-
Communicating 60-280 perature at nominal load, for example, is
OLTC 98 °C). Heat run tests in general will not be
affected by the stray gassing of oil.
Table 2: Ranges of 90 % typical rates of gas increase for power
transformers, in ppm/year
DGA users are recommended to ver-
C2H2 H2 CH4 C2H4 C2H6 CO CO2
All 35-132 10-120 32-146 5-90 260- 1700- ify the stray gassing tendency of their oils
transformers 1060 10,000 at the hottest spot temperature of their
No OLTC 0-4 transformers, which depends on load con-
Communicating 21-37 ditions and ambient temperature. Tests are
OLTC described in the report for that purpose,
and methods to calculate the contribution
of stray gassing to gas formation in service. Criteria are
Individual networks are strongly recommended to also indicated to identify stray gassing in service and
calculate their own typical values. Methods are provided distinguish it from other similar types of gas formation
in the Brochure for that purpose. DGA users are in service (catalytic reactions on metals, partial dis-
reminded that typical values are not limit values requir- charges, low-temperature thermal faults).
ing immediate action on the transformers but only more
frequent monitoring by DGA. Gas formation from paper
Gas formation from paper at different temperatures
Typical values are not significantly affected by the oil (125 to 250 °C) has been measured and reported in the
volume or size of transformers (except for very small report, allowing to calculate the amount of paper
ones). They are higher in the early years of the equip- involved in a fault when its temperature can be estimated.
ment, suggesting that some unstable chemical bonds of
oil and paper are initially broken then stabilize. Typical
values are higher in shell-type transformers and shunt Gas formation from partial discharges
reactors, possibly because these usually operate at higher It has been shown that DGA is not as sensitive as elec-
temperatures. They are lower in instrument than in tric or acoustic tests to detect very low levels of PDs. How-
power transformers. ever, DGA is more useful to detect the PD levels which
just become harmful to the equipment.
Pre-failure values in service
Gas concentration values observed just before fail- Gases trapped in paper insulation
ure of transformers in service have been surveyed and These gases are very difficult to remove completely,
found to be surprisingly similar on different networks, requiring several years in service after re-commissioning
suggesting that failures occur when a critical amount or months by vacuum treatment. It is therefore preferred
of insulation has been destroyed by a fault. Ranges of pre- in the industry to use the patterns of gases released in the
failure values are indicated in the report. oil to detect newly occurring faults by subtraction. ■
Thermal stray gassing of oil Table 3 : Calculated contribution of stray gassing to gas levels in
This refers to the unexpected formation transformers after 1 year in service, in ppm of H2
of gases in oil at relatively low temperatures, Hottest-spot Observed
such as 100 °C. The stray gassing of several temperature, °C 140 120 110 98 85 in service
commercial insulating oils has been mea- New* Voltesso 35 3100 1700 1010 520 120
Old Voltesso 35 400 200 130 80 40 40
sured in the laboratory and their expected
Univolt 52 170 95 60 35 20 48
contribution to gassing in service calculated. Technol 3000 60 30 20 15 10 7
Examples of such a contribution are indi-
cated in Table 3. * “New” = produced after year 2000
