TECHNOLOGY-23

Transformer Oil Monitoring

n EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A pulsating sensor has been developed for monitoring transformer oil degradation. The in-house developed device of new
kind has been tested at CPRI, Bangaluru with a large number of service oil samples from different transformers, and
compared with the conventional techniques for oil characterisation. The device qualified for its use as the rapid screening
instrument by the maintenance personnel.

n OUTLINE
Slow build up of oxidation products as a result of
chemical reactions with oxygen and moisture from
environment under the prevailing service conditions
and physical ingress of polar molecules such as water
cause the dielectric permeability of the service oil in any
transformer to increase with time. A pulsating sensor
has been developed for monitoring transformer oil
degradation. The sensor is basically capable of detecting
minor shift in dielectric permeability of the oil during
service. A laboratory made uniformly spaced multiple
number of disc type stainless steel electrode assembly,
immersed in the mineral oil of interest, serves as the
timing capacitor of an oscillator circuit which is driven
by a dc supply. With all other factors remaining
unchanged, the digital pulse frequency at the output is
governed by the dielectric permeability of the oil that
acts as the dielectric medium in the capacitor assembly.
The pulse frequency changes sensitively with the
change in dielectric permeability and, hence, the
reduction in measured pulse frequency with respect to
the fresh oil is a measure of dielectric degradation of the
used oil during service.
The measurement set up is shown schematically in
Figure 1. Frequency can be measured by any of the
commercially available hand-held frequency meter.
However, for a detailed study, the frequency data as a
function of time can also be recorded through a PC using
a laboratory developed interface hardware and software.
The digital pulse frequency data as a function of time for
fresh oil as well as for a slightly degraded oil using a
typical device is shown in Figure 2. Decrease in pulse Fig 1 : Schematic representation of the oil monitoring device
frequency for the used oil corresponds to increase in the
dielectric permeability by about 1.6 %. Thus, precise
frequency data permits monitoring of very minute shifts
in dielectric permeability, hence enabling early
detection of onset and progress of degradation in the
quality of service oil.
Under an MoU between IGCAR and Central Power
Research Institute (CPRI), the devices made in IGCAR
were tested at CPRI along with the conventional
standard techniques for degradation assessment. Two
hundred oil samples from power transformers of
different ratings were collected and evaluated by the
Dielectric Laboratory of CPRI for the standard
characteristics viz., interfacial tension, neutralization
value, dielectric dissipation factor, resistivity,
breakdown voltage and water content following the
prescribed procedures. The digital pulse frequencies
were also recorded by CPRI on each sample using the
pulsating sensor based oil monitoring devices. Thus,
seven parameters were determined experimentally on
every oil sample.
It was observed that the pulse frequency, as measured Fig. 2 : Pulse frequencies recorded as a function of time for fresh oil and a
by the IGCAR devices, reduced by about seven percent sample of service oil
for service oils nearing rejection compared to that for the
fresh oil. As the devices permit precise measurement of
frequency shifts less than 0.2%, onset of degradation is
detectable at an early stage.

214
 TECHNOLOGY-23

n AS A NON-DESTRUCTIVE AND RAPID OIL SCREENING DEVICE

The correlations among the conventionally determined standard parameters, ie among interfacial tension, neutralization
value, dielectric dissipation factor, resistivity, breakdown voltage and water content, were comparable with those between
the digital pulse frequency measured by IGCAR devices and the standard parameters. The conclusion of the joint
evaluation by IGCAR and CPRI was that, as the pulsating sensor based new technique of IGCAR is simple, the transformer
maintenance personnel may use it as a screening test for deciding whether the oil sample should be sent to a central
laboratory for full evaluation towards further actions with respect to treatments for reuse or disposal.

n ADAPTATION FOR ON-LINE MONITORING

Features such as (i) compact and rugged probe design, (ii) ease of
pulsed digital signal generation at the probe head, (iii) noise free
signal transmission, and (iv) reliable means of pulse frequency
measurement with high precision, led to design and development
of on-line probes.
A flange mounted prototype on-line device (Fig. 3) is in operation
for over two years with an 11-kV transformer in IGCAR. Trouble
free and stable field operation of the probe demonstrated
usefulness of this unique product for continuous vigil on the
quality of transformer oil in service.
The sensing element is a capacitor assembly which is
constructed out of circular polished stainless steel discs profiled
by wire cut EDM. The discs are closely spaced with uniform gaps
and are electrically separated from the adjacent ones by flat teflon
rings over the supporting rod.
The miniature pulse generation electronics is enclosed within a
small cylindrical enclosure placed close to the sensing element Fig. 3 : Photograph of off-line and on-line transformer oil
and fixed on the same side of the mounting flange. A dielectric degradation monitoring probes
type pulsating temperature sensor is also provided close to the
sensor. Thus the sensors and the associated signal generation
electronics remain immersed within oil for the on-line device.

n BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Hydrocarbon molecules constituting the transformer oil experience strong electric field in presence of occluded species
like oxygen and moisture. Progressive damage to the oil is on account of build-up of polar/polarisable oxygenated
hydrocarbon molecules generated by electric field assisted oxidative chemical reactions. Dielectric permeability of the oil,
thus, increases at a very slow rate. The capacitance of a device, with such oil as the dielectric medium, is a function of the
extent of contamination. Hence, the pulse frequency at the output of an oscillator, configured with this capacitor in the
timing circuit, decreases as the oil quality deteriorates.

n ACHIEVEMENT
1) New kind of inexpensive devices for off-line and on-line monitoring of transformer oil.
2) Realisation of a field monitoring kit for rapid and non-destructive assay of ethanol in petrol (as a spin-off )

Further inquiries:
Shri B. Saha, Innovative Instrumentation Section
Electronics and Instrumentation Group, IGCAR, E-mail: saha@igcar.gov.in

215