th

THE 8 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ADVANCED TOPICS IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

May 23-25, 2013
Bucharest, Romania

Health index calculation of electrical equipments

using DiagConsole software
Gabriel TANASESCU1, Petru V. NOTINGHER2, Member IEEE, Oana DRAGOMIR1, Bogdan GORGAN1,
Lucian VOINESCU1
1
SC SIMTECH INTERNATIONAL SRL, Oltenitei St., No. 105 A, Bucharest, Romania
2
University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei St., No. 313, 060042, Bucharest, Romania
gtanasescu@simtech-international.ro, petrunot@elmat.pub.ro, odragomir@simtech-international.ro,
bgorgan@simtech-international.ro, lvoinescu@simtech-international.ro
Abstract- During operational life, electrical equipment from the
Electrical Grid is subjected to failure due to external causes
(lightning strikes, over voltages) and internal causes (ageing of
their insulation systems). Condition assessment of this
equipment, in order to avoid premature failure, is a very
important topic due to reliability and investments issues.
The health index is being used by many utilities due to the fact
that it shows the global degradation condition of an equipment
so that the beneficiary can choose between the type of
maintenance or replacement operations.
This paper presents a software (DiagConsole), designed to assess
the condition of all the electrical equipment from the Romanian
Electrical Grid by calculating their health index. The structure
of DiagConsole (offline and online monitoring and diagnosis) is
presented, in particular for power transformers. The final part
of the paper presents a case study, done on a power transformer
for which the health index is calculated using DiagConsole.
Based on the health index, the condition of the transformer is
evaluated.

Fig. 1. Electrical diagnostic methods [16].

Keywords: DiagConsole, online monitoring, offline monitoring,

health index, remaining life

I.

INTRODUCTION

In service, electrical assets are being subjected to

permanent or incidental stresses (electrical, thermal,
mechanical, environmental etc.), which worsen their
properties, having as result the ageing of the insulation
systems. Insulation ageing leads, in most cases, to failure and
replacement of the equipment. In general, electrical
equipments life is equal to the insulation life, which depends
on mechanical strength and electrical integrity. Consequently,
the ageing and life of a transformer has been defined as the
paper insulation life [1-2]. Thus, in order to withdraw from
service at the right moment, it is absolutely necessary to
know the condition of the electrical equipment, especially of
its insulation system.
Nowadays, the main interest for the electrical energy
providers and users is to develop online and offline
monitoring systems which are capable to measure vital
parameters of the equipment and to assess its condition.
Consequently, monitoring and diagnosis methods of
electrical equipment insulation condition (rotating machines,
transformers etc.) based on measurements of insulation
condition parameters were developed (Figs. 1-3).
The traditional routine tests for power transformers are

Fig. 2. Chemical diagnostic methods [16].

transformer ratio measurement, winding resistance, insulation

resistance, short-circuit impedance and loss, excitation
impedance and loss dissipation factor and capacitance, as
well as applied and induced potential tests (Fig. 1). These
tests usually give information on windings faults, oil moisture
and contamination and dielectric problems.
Other tests include dissolved gas analysis, partial discharge
measurements, frequency response analysis, vibration
analysis, infrared examination, voltage recovery, furan
analysis, degree of polymerization, thermography and
temperature measurements (Figs. 1-3). These tests detect
problems such as partial discharge, winding looseness and
displacement, slack winding and mechanical faults, hot-spot
on connection, paper moisture and ageing as well as
insulation degradation [4-6].
Lately, the researchers attention has been focused on
measuring dielectric response parameters, which characterize
some known polarization phenomena and three techniques
have been proposed: Recovery or Return Voltage
Measurements (RVM), Dielectric Spectroscopy in Time
Domain (PDC) (measurements of polarization and
depolarization currents) and Dielectric Frequency Domain

Fig. 3. Thermal diagnostic methods [16].

Spectroscopy (FDS) (measurements of electric capacitance C

and loss factor (tg) in frequency dependency) [1], [7-8].
Another monitoring method, which takes into account an
important number of diagnostic factors (24 or 28), including
the maintenance work orders after the equipment has been
energized, use the insulation health index [9-12].
This paper presents a new software for monitoring and
diagnosis electrical equipment, DiagConsole, helping and
supporting the asset manager in his decisions about
maintenance and replacement operations by knowing the
equipments conditions and their remaining lifetime.
In the final part of the paper is described a case study of
evaluating the condition of a power transformer in service,
using health index, calculated based on DiagConsole software
tool. Among all the electrical equipment from a power grid it
was chosen as case study the power transformer because it is
the most important equipment due to its operational role and
financial reasons [13-14].
II.

Fig. 4. DiagConsole application.

DIAGCONSOLE SOFTWARE

DiagConsole is a web application which serves to

visualization and analysis of the parameters monitored in an
electrical station (Fig. 4) [15]. The analysis and the
visualization of the parameters is done by using the uniform
resource locator (URL) where the application is installed (on
a server), through a web browser. DiagConsole has an user
friendly interface, which is presented in Fig. 5.
After login, the menu which contains six sections is visible:
Equipment and reports, Requests, Online Monitoring,
Equipment Comparison, Equipment Administration and
Forum (Fig. 5).
DiagConsole gathers both offline and online monitoring
and diagnosis parts in one component.
A. Offline monitoring and diagnosis
Entering the first section of the software (Equipment and
reports), the offline monitoring and diagnosis application can
be used.
After the equipments selection and filling in the general
characteristics, it can be selected the part for diagnostics from
Reports area (Fig. 6).
After the equipments general data are introduced, it can be
automated selected the connections for which the
measurements were done. The introduced values are
corrected function of temperature (factory), showing the
variation in time of a parameter at the same temperature.
For example, for power transformers one can choose from
the following modules for the condition analysis: insulation
condition, winding condition, tap changer condition, cooling

Fig. 5. Software interface.

system condition and current or voltage transformers

condition.
The reports will be different according to the equipment
chosen for monitoring.
For electrical rotating machines, the software characterizes
the equipments condition based on following sections:
insulation status (winding insulation resistance, testing with
exceeded voltage, absorption/resorption currents, and partial
discharges), winding status, main electrical characteristics,
functional tests and checking (air-gap between stator and
rotor), special tests and checking (corona discharges, statorcore evaluation, wedges vibration, nonlinear insulation
behavior).
The softwares operation principles (health index
estimation etc.) are presented in detail for power transformers
but for the rest of the equipment (electrical machines, circuit
breakers etc.) the methodology is the same (the diagnostic
factors chosen for the condition evaluation may differ upon
each type of equipment).
If the field insulation condition is chosen we have access

Fig. 6. General data for power transformers.

Fig. 7. Measurements report.

when the general data for the equipment are introduced. The
time variation of the parameters it can be shown with graphs
by pressing Graphs representation button (Fig. 7).
The software application builds reports for the asset
manager. In this way, the equipments beneficiary will send a
request to the executants for a report filled with the measuring
data. The system stores the request in the database and
informs the executants about the existence of a new report
which must be introduced. The next step is the analysis of
each parameter followed by a temporary solution sent to the
applicant, which validates the report. These reports are useful
for the equipments database creating historical data, which
represents the start of establishing a maintenance strategy.
Also, using DiagConsole, comparison between same types
of equipment can be done by choosing Equipment
Comparison field.
The access to the equipment administration (add/delete
station or equipment etc.) is done by accessing the field
Equipment Administration. If the user is administrator the
button becomes active. If it is not, the button is inactive.
The software has also a forum part, very useful for
specialists meetings, chosen for each type of equipment.
B. Online monitoring and diagnosis
The online part of the software can be used by pressing the
online monitoring button from Fig. 5. For example, for power
transformers monitoring, the application is built in LabView,
communicating to all hardware equipment from the
monitoring system. This application contains seven sections:
monitor, oil cell operation, insulation system, cooling system,
loading, historical data and simulation (of different ways of
functioning for the cooling system) (Fig. 9).
Monitor section means the monitoring of the currents and
voltages from primary or secondary parts of the transformer,
of the oil and ambient temperatures, hydrogen, carbon
monoxide etc.
Oil cell operation section shows the functionality of an
oil cell, mounted directly on the transformer (Fig. 10).
In this way, measurements like electrical resistivity, loss
factor can be done online [15].

Fig. 8. Analysis of the condition parameters proposed for monitoring and

diagnosis.

to the measurements report, presented in Fig. 7.

The equipments diagnosis can be done, based on the
chosen condition parameters, by pressing the analyze button
(Fig. 8).
The parameters analysis is done according to the limits
introduced by current standards (IEEE, IEC, ISO), available

Fig. 9. Online monitoring software interface.

Fig. 10. Oil cell operation section.

Fig. 13. Monitoring of the transformer loading. Temperatures estimation.

This index (number) is calculated using some of the most

relevant diagnostic factors that characterize the condition of
the transformer and provides information about its health
status [10-12]. For calculating the health index it has been
used the relation [9], [10-12]:
n 3

HI = A1

Fig. 12. Cooling system condition monitoring.

The results are shown in the insulation system section

(Fig. 11). Also, the application gives the operation condition
of the cooling system (fan and oil pump) (Fig. 12). The
measured loading factor and oil temperature of the
transformer as well as the estimated winding, core and hotspot temperatures are presented in Fig. 13.
III.

EVALUATION OF THE HEALTH INDEX

DiagConsole software uses health index for the diagnosis

of all the equipment in an electrical station.
For exemplification of the method, of how health index is
calculated, the authors have chosen as equipment the power
transformer.
Thus, health index (HI) is used to evaluate the global
condition of a power transformer.

DI i

4c

DI i

+ A2 i = n n3

i =1
n 3
i =1

Fig. 11. Insulation system section of the transformer.

4c

(1)
i

i = n 3

where ci is the rating given to each state element (on a scale

from 1-10, 10 being the maximum rate), DIi is the value of
the diagnostic index (on a scale from 0 - 4, 4 is the maximum
rate), n is the number of considered diagnostic factors, A1 and
A2 are the corresponding weights which describe the
transformer, and the load tap changer respectively.
Useful information regarding the calculation of rating c and
diagnostic index DI corresponding to the diagnostic factors is
given in [9] and [12].
The diagnostic factors chosen for the health index
calculation with respect to power transformers are presented
in Table I. Also, based on health index, the failure probability
and the remaining lifetime of the transformer are determined
according to [11-12].
Further, based on the health index value, the power
transformer condition will be according to Table II.
IV.

CASE STUDY

A. Measurements
In this case study section, a power transformer with the
general characteristics described in Table III is evaluated,
based on the health index using DiagConsole. The insulation
system is made from Kraft paper and mineral oil.
For condition assessment of the transformer, the parameters
presented in Table IV were measured.
B. Results. Discussions
The results regarding the calculations of health index,
failure probability and remaining life, done on the power
transformer with the data presented in Table III are shown in
Table V.

TABLE I
DIAGNOSTIC FACTORS FOR CALCULATING THE HEALTH INDEX
FOR POWER TRANSFORMERS

TABLE IV
MEASURED DATA OF POWER TRANSFORMER
Characteristics

Parameters

Winding
complex
insulation

Insulation resistance
[M] between HV-LV
at 20 oC
Moisture content at
20 oC [%]

Dissolved gas analysis

Insulation resistance
Insulation loss factor
Oil quality
Furans content
Insulation resistance of bushings
Loss factor of bushings
Ohmic resistances
Oil quality of the tap changer

Mineral oil

Oil leaks
Partial discharges
Frequency response analysis
Absorption and resorption currents
Insulation age
Cooling system
Current transformers

TABLE II
EVALUATION OF DEGRADATION CONDITION OF POWER
TRANSFORMERS BASED ON HI [7]
Condition
Very good
Good
Fair

0.3 < HI 0.5

Poor

HI < 0.3

Very poor

Limits

1650

600

1.9

2.5

99

60

0.078

0.1

0.043

0.2

1250

20

4.232

11755

32000

12.7

100

80

TABLE V
TESTS RESULTS

Core

HI
0.85 < HI 1.0
0.7 < HI 0.85
0.5 < HI 0.7

Breakdown voltage [kV]

Loss factor tg at 90 oC,
50 Hz [%]
Organic acidity
[mgKOH/g]
Resistivity at 20 oC
[Gm]
Water content at 20 oC
[ppm]
Solid particles
[no. / 100 ml]
Hydrogen content [ppm]
Hot-spot temperature
hs(t) [oC]

Values

Recommendations
Normal maintenance
Normal maintenance
Increase diagnostic testing
Start planning process to
repair or rebuild
Immediately asses risk;
replace or rebuild based on
assessment

TABLE III
POWER TRANSFORMERS GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Rated power [MVA]

200

Year of commissioning

1962

Rated primary voltage [kV]

220

Rated secondary voltage [kV]

110

It can be seen that the investigated transformer has the

health index HI = 0.88 and the remaining life equal to 36
years. It results that, according to Table II, the transformer is
in a very good condition.
To best predict the transformers condition using the health
index, the number of the diagnostic factors used in the
calculations should be maximum.
Here, a discussion about the remaining life value should be
made. In Table V the remaining life is estimated based on the
health index. This index shows that the current transformers
condition is very good based mainly on the insulation system
current condition.
We know the fact that the transformer is in service since
1962, exceeding the life gave by the manufacturer (of 30
years), and it has functioned at a hot-spot temperature of
about 80 oC for its entire life.

Health index

0.88

Failure probability [%]

Remaining life [years]

0.29
36

Very good
condition
-

The remaining life of the transformer, based on the

degradation condition of the paper insulation, taking into
account the moisture content of the paper is calculated
according to IEC 60076-7 standard [17] with equation (2).
Remaining_life = (Life_manufacturer LOL)/FAI .

(2)

where LOL is the loss of life and FAI is a coefficient which

takes into account ageing due to moisture in paper.
The loss of life LOL, between the moments t0 and t is
calculated by [17]:
t

LOL = V ( )d .

(3)

t0

where V(t) is the (time dependent) paper relative ageing rate.

The relative ageing rate can be obtained from the IEC loading
guide for Kraft paper. The relative ageing rate VKraft (t) is
given by [17]:

VKraft (t ) = 2

hs ( t )98
6

(4)

where hs(t) is the time dependent hot-spot temperature of the

insulating paper.
It has been found a remaining life of almost 2 years. Thus,
even though the current health index shows a transformer in
very good condition, due to advanced age of the paper
insulation, the transformer should be closely monitored,
planning its replacement.

V.

CONCLUSIONS

DiagConsole is a software tool which can be used for

monitoring and diagnosis electrical equipment from the
electrical power grid.
With this software, health index is used for assessing the
overall condition of an equipment, to obtain a good
maintenance plan and ways of prioritizing investments.
The monitoring and diagnosis software can be further
extended if new information regarding equipment (power
transformers, electrical machines etc.) condition is available.
The new information (new diagnostic factors) is added to the
equipments condition analysis using the health index.
For a good prediction, the remaining life of an equipment
given by the health index should be combined with the
remaining life estimated based on the thermal degradation of
its insulation system, especially when the equipment has
exceeded its designed operating life.
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