Featured Article

Condition Monitoring of In-Service Oil-Filled

Transformers: Case Studies and Experience
U. Mohan Rao,1 I. Fofana,1 A. Betie,2 M. L. Senoussaoui,3 M. Brahami,3 and E. Briosso4
1
Research Chair on the Aging of Power Network Infrastructure (ViAHT), University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, QC G7H 2B1, Canada;
2
Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute National Polytechnique Houphouët Boigny, Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire; 3Intelligent
Control and Electrical Power Systems Laboratory, University of Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria; and 4CTM, Salto Grande, Uruguay

Key words: aging, insulation oil, monitoring, reactor, transformer

hence utilities are advised to adopt different asset management

This article provides a summary of long- strategies for affected and unaffected transformers in a fleet.
Recently, failure rate data of service aged transformer fleets of
term service performance of insulation in 37 an Australian utility were analyzed to establish the relationship
oil-filled transformers of a Canadian utility between aging and different failure types [5]. It is noticed that
and a rubber bladder sealed reactor of Salto degradation of the insulation system will be rapid after 20 years
Grande. of service aging thus entailing the frequent condition monitor-
ing activities after 20 years to identify premature aging failures.
Generally, deterioration of insulation properties for oil/paper
insulation will be controlled or regained by suitable oil recla-
Introduction mation techniques like dehydration, filtration, and degassing.
Influence of aging on insulation parameters while ignoring the
Transformers are one of the most strategic components in
effect of oil reclamation for a transformer fleet was reported
balancing the voltage levels and hence a high priority is given
in [6], [7]. Authors reported different characterizations of oil/
to their performance [1]. It is established that, insulation tech-
paper insulation that exhibited the tendency of degradation with
nology plays a critical role in judging the performance and ser-
increase in service aging. Knowledge on long-term condition
vice life in oil filled apparatus [2]. Performance of the insula-
monitoring experience of oil filled apparatus for a longer in-
tion system depends mainly on the deterioration behavior of
service aging while considering the impact of reclamation tech-
insulation oil and paper. The mechanisms that are responsible
niques will be helpful. Such information will be more realistic
for premature aging of oil/paper insulation are almost the same
to understand in-service performance of oil/paper insulation.
in all the oil filled apparatus. Yet, there will be a significant
This will be useful for engineers and researchers in further im-
difference in the intensity of the aging mechanisms in different
proving the design, operational, and maintenance aspects. In
apparatus. This intensity is attributable to rating, design, and
this paper, condition monitoring information about in-service
duration of operation for different machines. The detailed dis-
aging and influence of oil reclamation on oil parameters are
cussions on these mechanisms are presented in the subsequent
presented. To better understand, two real time monitoring case
sections of this paper. However, aging of service insulants is
studies are presented:
unavoidable and is to be maintained at a lower rate or arrested
to the greatest possible extent, such that, catastrophic failures
i) Condition monitoring experience and analysis (for 75
and unscheduled outages may be mitigated [3]. Normally, utili-
years) of 37 power transformers fleet that belong to a
ties follow scheduled condition monitoring activities to avoid
Canadian utility.
the consequences of premature aging. Hence, knowledge on
ii) Condition monitoring experience and analysis (for 37
these in-service condition monitoring activities will be helpful
years) of a 288.67 kV rubber bladder sealed reactor of a
in understanding the exact deterioration rate of the insulation
Uruguayan utility.
system. Real time in-service experience of several transformer
fleets that belong to United Kingdom utilities are reported in [4].
Several physicochemical and electrical properties of oil/pa-
An early degradation of insulation is noticed through increase
per insulation have been analyzed periodically and reported to
in acidity and furan concentration in oil for several transform-
envisage the influence of service aging and effect of oil rec-
ers in the fleet. Authors investigated this early degradation in
lamation. It is inferred that skilled planning accompanied by
different perspectives including loading conditions, manufac-
appropriate maintenance are essential for efficient monitoring
turers, and oil chemistry changes. It is inferred that changes in
of oil filled apparatus. Importantly, to achieve proper asset man-
oil chemistry is an important attribute for early degradation and
agement and risk assessment, the frequency of monitoring for

0883-7554/19/©2019/IEEE November / December — Vol. 35, No. 6  33


Figure 1. Conceptual illustration of insulation degradation in oil
filled apparatus.
any oil filled apparatus may be increased when it is close to the
theoretical designed life.
Background on Aging and Monitoring of
Insulation Oil
Service life of oil filled apparatus is mainly attributable to
the deterioration rate of oil/paper insulation. Degradation of
the insulation system in oil filled apparatus, is governed by:
i) heat (dissipated through the core and winding assembly),
ii) moisture (ingresses from air and liberated from cellulose),
and iii) oxygen ingress. The heat liberated will provide scope
for temperature raise while adversely affecting the longevity
and performance of the insulation. This excess heat will fur-
ther intensify oxidation, hydrolysis, and pyrolysis of insulation
[8]. The aging process dramatically increases the higher the oil
temperature is and if catalysts are present (sludge, water, acids,
copper). The deterioration aspects of oil/paper insulation are
illustrated in Figure 1.
Evidence of moisture, oxygen, and internal heat in the trans-
former provides a scope for decay products. These products
will further expedite oxidation, hydrolysis, thermal and electri-
cal decomposition reactions. These reactions are highly inter-
related and the byproducts of one reaction acts in catalyzing
the other reactions. For analyzing the degradation perceptions
of oil/paper insulation, these reactions may be approached as
thermal, electrical, chemical, and physical.
Thermal: oil becomes oxidized and initiates oil sludging
i) alization of the study outcome on more cases. The mean values
while reducing the tensile strength of paper by paralyzing
34  IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine
the cellulose fibers. This also creates a scope for acids,
water content, and dissolved gasses.
ii) Electrical: oil deteriorates and generates free radicles
while witnessing decompositions on the large surface of
solid insulation. This will also introduce gassing in oil
and partial discharges across the insulation.
iii) Chemical: interfacial tension and acidity of the oil is ad-
versely effected, while also proving the presence of furfu-
rals in oil. This also witnesses dissolved gasses and decay
contents in the insulation oil.
iv) Physical: moisture migration between oil and paper with
change in temperature hampers the paper dryness and re-
duces the degree of polymerization while adding colloi-
dal particles to oil [9].
It is to be observed that these aging mechanisms together
contribute to water, sludge, acids, dissolved gases, and other
decay contents which lead to reduction in dielectric strength
and increase in viscosity of oil. These factors also hamper the
insulation properties and heat dissipating efficacy which are the
primary objectives of oil. In addition, these aging mechanisms
contribute to generation of furan contents, reduce paper degree
of polymerization, and tensile strength thus ruining the dielec-
tric and mechanical integrity of solid insulation. This also in-
volves introducing dissolved gasses and particles in oil, which
further ruins the physio-chemical parameters of the insulation
system. Hence, periodical assessment of insulation parameters
will lead to early detection of the degradation perspectives of
oil/paper insulation.
Apparatus and Sample Collection
Power Transformers Fleet
Insulating oil samples have been collected from 37 in-service
power transformers (more than 70 years aged) that belong to a
Canadian utility which are from different manufacturers. The
voltage rating of the transformers in the fleet is varying from
146.7 kV to 157 kV. These transformers were installed and ener-
gized by the utility during 1941 to 1943. Condition monitoring
information related to electrical, chemical, and physical char-
acteristics of oil samples have been analyzed. Service aged oil
from all the transformers has been periodically analyzed from
1987 to 2015. In this paper, condition-monitoring experience
and the influence of service aging on oil parameters have been
presented. The trending patterns and the relationships between
various aging indicators have been emphasized. The specifica-
tions of the transformers considered for the present study are
shown in Table 1.
For ease of understanding the large monitoring data associ-
ated with that of the fleet, three transformers, namely TR1, TR2,
and TR3, have been studied and compared with the overall fleet
of transformers. The purpose is to track the aging behavior of
these units inside a set of units, which further helps in a gener-
of monitoring parameters of the fleet in comparison to TR1,
TR2, and TR3 are shown in Figure 2(a). Similarly, to illustrate

Table 1. Specifications of transformers
Year of Year of Voltage class
MVA Manuf. Commis. (kV)
30 1935–1985 1941–1943 146.7 to 157
the rigidity in data and information pertaining to data distribu-
tion, standard deviation (Std) of all the monitoring parameters
associated with the fleet are compared with TR1, TR2, and TR3
as shown in Figure 2(b).
From the above figures, it is observed that the data of the
individual transformers is almost the same as the whole fleet. It
is to be highlighted that, for the sake of ease of analysis, TR1 is
highlighted hereafter in the further analysis. TR1 demonstrated
almost the same pattern as the other individual units and the
whole fleet; except for the concentration of furans which are
significantly less. In view of data dispersal, the standard de-
viation plot indicates that the furans and the CO2/CO ratio of
TR1 have high variation (Std > mean) but when compared with
other units, the concentration of furans is noticed to be less. The
trending of individual parameters is discussed in later sections.
It is to be highlighted that the utility has continued with the
addition of inhibitor contents continually for the fleet to ensure
better condition monitoring parameters.
Rubber Bladder Sealed Reactor
A periodic condition monitoring oil analysis procedure was
implemented for a 50 Hz, 5230 Ω, 16. 667 MVA, 288.67 kV
reactor (sealed) from Salto Grande installed during June 1979
by the Uruguayan utility. The unit was monitored from 1993 to
2018 periodically. The reactor unit comprises of three 1-phase
Figure 2. (a) Mean values for transformer fleet monitoring data. (b) Standard deviation plot for transformer fleet data.
Featured Article
Impedance BIL Cooling
at 75°C (kV) Type of oil Type
12.9% to 13.9% 750 Mineral oil ONWN
units represented as A, B, and C respectively. All three indi-
vidual units were filled with mineral insulating oil (Naphthenic,
un-inhibited) and were equipped with a separate rubber blad-
der conservator assembly. This type of conservator is facilitated
with a bladder within the tank to enable a shielding protection
to oil from air. The aim of this shielding is to restrict oil from
interaction with moisture and air ingress from external environ-
ment. The reactor unit is also assembled with an air equalization
line with an appropriate desiccant to facilitate ingress and dis-
charge of air through the bladder with decrease and increase in
internal temperature respectively. It is to be highlighted that the
unit was degassed and dried under vacuum during September
2005 while changing the reactor in phase C. Further, in view
of punctures, the bladder of phase B was replaced with a new
bladder in April 2015. This is important to understand the influ-
ence of oil reclamation on insulation parameters while service
aging.
Analysis and Discussion
Analysis of Power Transformers Fleet
It is a usual practice to adopt periodical monitoring and re-
claim the oil based on condition monitoring history. The intent
of oil reclamation is to regain oil quality (enables to put in ser-
November / December — Vol. 35, No. 6  35

Figure 3. Variation of interfacial tension with oil reclamations for
fleet and TR1.
vice with obeying the standard limits) and increase the service
life [10]. This is achieved by removing the decomposing prod-
ucts in oil, including water, conducting particles (colloidal) and
dissolved decay content. The periodical condition monitoring
tests performed are categorically discussed below.
Physicochemical Testing of Oil: Interfacial tension is peri-
odically monitored and is plotted as a function of service years
elapsed for TR1 and fleet. The effect of oil reclamations and
service life on interfacial tension is illustrated in Figure 3. The
IFT improves from an average value of 29 dyne/cm after rec-
lamations in both TR1 and the fleet respectively; this increase
is evident for the oil reclamation of all the transformers. The
increase in IFT noticed before 56 years with service aging is
not phenomenal. This is because of the continuous addition of
the inhibitors to the whole fleet whose main purpose is to hinder
the attack of oxygen dissolved in the oil. Thus, one may assume
Figure 5. Interfacial tension and total acid number as functions of transformer service life and con-
tinuous addition of inhibitors.
36  IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine
Figure 4. Variation of inhibitor content in oil for fleet and TR1
indicating continuous addition of inhibitors.
that the oil quality is not affected only by the oxygen attack but
also the impurities that still exist in oil may degrade its char-
acteristic performance. Addition of inhibitors as a function of
service years elapsed for TR1 and fleet are shown in Figure 4.
Interfacial tension and total acid number give a potential
indication for oil reclamation and are popular aging markers.
Acidity of the fleet is also monitored to study the degradation of
the oil/paper insulation system. The trending of acidity and IFT
for the whole fleet is shown in Figure 5. It is recommended that
oil may be reclaimed when the IFT falls to 25 dynes/cm [11],
which has actually happened with the Canadian utility after 63
years of service life where the IFT level reached an average
value of 25 dynes/cm. Observations on acidity proved that it
has a definite relationship with IFT which improved continually
before oil reclamation. This increase in IFT may be attributable
to the addition of inhibitors over the course of years.

Figure 6. Breakdown voltage and water content as function of service life.
Electrical Testing: Dielectric strength of oil is an important
factor on the ability of insulation oil to form an effective block
to the electric arc and thus act as an insulant. Owing to aging
mechanisms, the conductive colloidal particles and dissolved
decay contents in oil acts as conductive paths resulting in fur-
ther oil degradation. Also, water content in paper, absorbed into
cellulose fibers or revealed from cellulose fibers (if any) ham-
pers the degree of dryness of the cellulose and exacerbates the
solid insulation by reducing molecular bonding of the hydrogen
bonds [12]. The transformer fleet has also been monitored for
water content in oil and breakdown voltage of oil periodically
as per ASTM D1533 and ASTM D877 respectively. The varia-
tion of water content and oil breakdown voltage with service
time elapsed over years are illustrated in Figure 6.
Assessment of Solid Insulation: Solid insulation degrada-
tion assessment of oil filled equipment is a challenge to the
condition monitoring engineers as there is no direct access to
the paper once the unit is commissioned. General measuring
methods include degree of polymerization (DPv), dissolved gas
analysis (DGA), furan analysis, and methanol in oil measure-
ment.
Figure 7. 2-FAL and CO2/CO ratio and water tendency as function of service life.
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DGA is one of the industrially accepted methods to estimate
the dissolved gases generated/liberated during cellulose degra-
dation. The quantified ratio of CO2/CO is used as a chemical
marker to predict the situations prevailing with the solid insula-
tion. If this ratio is less than 3, rapid decomposition of paper is
expected which involves the generation of additional chemicals
named furfurals. These furanic compounds are evident when
insoluble glucose molecules in the oil (produced due to paper
degradation) are further degraded. 2-furaldehyde (2-FAL) is the
prominent furanic compound that is accepted as a marker for
cellulose decomposition. DGA and furan analyses were per-
formed for the transformer fleet to estimate CO2/CO ratio and
2-FAL concentration. The variation of CO2/CO, 2-FAL and the
rate of moisture with service aging are shown in Figure 7.
Low values of CO2/CO ratio are noticed for some transform-
ers, and high values for others (>10). At the same time, high fu-
ran concentrations are reported for some transformers after 67
years of service. There may be significant paper deterioration.
Apparently, no global significant degradation tendency can be
observed. This might be due to the reclamation procedures per-
formed on time. As mentioned in the previous section, moisture
November / December — Vol. 35, No. 6  37
Table 2. Parameter correlation matrix for transformer fleet based on monitoring history (28 years)
Years Oil
Parameter elapsed BDV temperature Water TAN IFT Color Inhibitor Furfural CO2/CO

Years 1                  
BDV −0.19 1.00                
Oil temperature 0.13 −0.19 1.00              
Water 0.10 −0.35 0.31 1.00            
TAN −0.29 −0.16 0.08 0.23 1.00          
IFT 0.40 0.19 −0.05 −0.14 −0.57 1.00        
Color 0.26 −0.03 0.18 0.05 0.05 −0.03 1.00      
Inhibitor 0.76 0.00 0.08 0.35 0.25 −0.23 0.19 1.00    
Furfural −0.05 −0.24 0.38 0.65 0.70 −0.56 0.49 0.25 1.00  
CO2/CO −0.04 −0.22 −0.04 0.16 0.11 0.00 −0.02 −0.02 −0.07 1.00

is produced as a result of cellulose paper decomposition. This is Insulation Oil Assessment: It is known that different gas-
predicted in Table 2 by a relatively high correlation of 0.65 be- es will be evolved during with aging of oil/paper insulation.
tween water content and furans. Figure 5 confirms the relation Hydrogen (H2), Oxygen (O2), Nitrogen (N2), Carbon-Monoxide
of cause and effect between paper degradation and moisture re- (CO), Carbon-Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Ethane (C2H6),
lease by a match in their data spread patterns. Ethylene (C2H4), Acetylene (C2H2), Propane (C3H8), and
To undertake a more explicit analysis and help condition Propylene (C3H6) are the gasses observed prominently. DGA
monitoring engineers focus only on the relevant and the most three phases (A, B, and C) was monitored from 1981 to 2018
influential parameters, correlation analysis is carried out. Table and the history of the DGA is presented in Figures 8 to 11.
2 presents the correlation coefficients of various aging markers It should be noted that the effect of oil degassing and drying
and highlights the degree of relationship among different mark- is clearly visible in the figures. Total Dissolved Combustible
ers based on the large service aged monitoring data. Gasses (TDCG) is the sum of H2, CH4, C2H6, C2H4, C2H2, and
It is understood that few parameters of the fleet are clearly CO in ppm and is used as a marker to identify the ability of oil
correlated, in which the inhibitor content increased with service to catch fire. As major concentration is occupied by CO, TDCG
life that show a high positive correlation. This is because of is not significantly considered for diagnosis. However, it is used
the continuous addition of inhibitor content as discussed earlier. for preliminary assessment of degradation. The evolution of
According to the correlation matrix, the addition of inhibitors TDCG is shown in Figure 8. The trends of O2, N2, CO, and CO2
will slightly affect several other parameters like the positive with aging and oil reclamation are shown in Figure 9 and Figure
correlation seen for IFT with service aging and, in turn, moder- 10 while other gasses are shown in Figure 11.
ate negative correlation with TAN. However, negative correla-
tion of furans and CO2/CO in the oil with service aging is due to
timely reclamations. Aging is associated with the generation of
decomposing products and introduction of moisture. This is the
reason that breakdown voltage and moisture content are real-
ized to have a negative correlation (reduction) with an increase
in aging, which is quite phenomenal.
Analysis of Rubber Bladder Sealed Reactor
The physical integrity of in-service rubber bladder could be
accessed by using a swab stick [13]. The present case study is
involved in envisaging the condition monitoring analysis and
experience of the service aged sealed reactor. It is to be high-
lighted that the insulation oil was reclaimed during 2005 by the
Uruguayan utility. The unit was degassed and dried under vacu-
um during September 2005 while changing the reactor in phase
B. In view of the designed lifetime, an attempt has been made
by the utility to replace the bladder and gasket. Surprisingly, the
bladder of phase B was found to be punctured and was changed
during April 2015. The insulation parameters of phase A, phase
B, and phase C are analyzed from 1981 to 2018.
Figure 8. Trending of the TDCG of oil samples collected from
three individual phases.

38  IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine


Figure 9. Evolution of the nitrogen and oxygen contents in oil
samples collected from three individual phases.
For phase B, it should be noted that a sudden increase in the
dissolved gas concentration is not observed during the elapsed
monitoring time. Analyses of Total Dissolved Combustible Gas
Figure 11. Evolution of other important gasses in three individual phases.
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Figure 10. Evolution of the CO2 and CO contents in oil samples
collected from three individual phases.
(TDCG) indicate a variation between 400 and 1200 ppm during
the last 5 years, which is questionable as per IEEE C57–104.
Also, oxygen concentration is observed to be less than 6,000
ppm which is acceptable and indicates a low degradation rate
[14]. Figure 8, Figure 10, and Figure 11 clearly indicate the
November / December — Vol. 35, No. 6  39
Figure 12. Variation of the interfacial tension of oil collected from
three individual phases.
influence of oil treatments. It is to be noted that CO2 and CO
for phase B are rapidly increasing after treatment in 2005. This
is because of rapid oxidation of oil/paper in phase B due to the
oxygen entering through the puncture. IFT, acidity, moisture in
oil, and dielectric dissipation factor, have also been monitored
as per ASTM standards and are illustrated in Figures 12 to 15
as a function of time elapsed for service aging.
For phase B, as per standards, the moisture content, IFT, and
TAN presented in Figure 12, Figure 13, and Figure 14 respec-
tively are abnormal while remaining parameters are within the
acceptable limits.
It is clearly observed that, the IFT and TAN of phase B in-
crease rapidly as compared with other phases. This is because
of the unidentified puncture on the bladder surface of phase B.
This puncture is responsible for air entering the bladder and
accelerating the oxidation reaction, thus leading to worse IFT,
TAN, DDF, and excess generation of CO2.
Insulation Paper Assessment: As discussed in previous sec-
tions, insulation paper degradation is accessed by furan analysis
Figure 13. Variation of TAN of oil collected from three individual
phases.
40  IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine
Figure 14. Evolution of the moisture content in the oil samples
along with corresponding sampling temperature.
of insulation oil. Degradation of paper contributes mostly to
the decay content in the oil, which is also mainly responsible
for changes in the oil color. Yet, color and decay contents are
not completely attributable for paper degradation, but they may
be potentially ascertained for accessing the degradation rate
of paper. This is because degradation of paper will contribute,
to a major extent, in introducing decay contents and colloidal
particles to oil. Changes in furfural content of three phases are
shown in Figure 16.
A rapid increase in furan concentration has been observed
even after oil reclamation for phase B. In general, the life of a
bladder will be in the range of 10–20 years [13]. Considering
this, the utility of Salto Grande started a campaign to replace
bladders and all the reactor gaskets s in April 2015 and noticed
Figure 15. Variation of the Dielectric Dissipation Factor of oil col-
lected from three individual phases.

Figure 16. Evolution of Furans in the oil collected from three in-
dividual phases.
that the bladder of phase B was punctured. The visualizations of
the bladder are presented in Figure 17. This puncture is respon-
sible for interaction of the oil in this phase with external air and
moisture, thus promoting oxidation of the oil in phase B. This
is possibly the reason for the sudden rise seen in oxidation sen-
sible parameters, furans, and dielectric dissipation factor even
after reclamation of oil.
Conclusion
Maximizing the return on investment of installed equipment
is part of the day-to-day operation of power system operators
and maintenance planners. Actually, there is a growing need for
utilities around the world to fully utilize capital while maintain-
ing system reliability. In this environment, managing the aging
fleet of power transformers/reactors has become the most criti-
cal issue facing today’s managers and engineers. A key issue
in the management of these important assets is the effective
diagnosis and evaluation of asset condition. Current trends in
the management of the lifespan of electrical equipment are:
• to extend operating life,
• to operate as close as possible to operating limits, and
Figure 17. Punctured rubber bladder membrane of phase B after
35 years in service.
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• to implement less expensive and more flexible replacement
and maintenance strategies.
In this contribution, field experiences from aging power
equipment are reported by describing two independent case
studies. In both cases, the analyses of gases dissolved in oil and
some dielectric and physico-chemical have played an important
role in monitoring the units. Key aspects are related to the fact
that some of the transformers were in service for more than 70
years. The annual average temperature in this region is around
2°C. Unit loading along with maintenance strategies are the
important aspects that have helped maintain the units beyond
their theoretical design life. Reclamation not only removes
decay products but also anti-oxidants. Regular inhibitor con-
tent replenishment has helped to keep the units in fairly good
condition. Appropriate planning and maintenance strategies are
essential to ensure effective servicing of oil-filled apparatus.
Despite reclamations, moisture in transformer is unavoidable
which affects the dielectric strength of oil.
Lesson learned from the rubber bladder case study: accurate
monitoring is essential close to the theoretical design life for
improved asset and risk management.
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U. Mohan Rao (S’15) obtained his bachelor de-
gree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering
from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological
University Kakinada, India in 2010. He ob-
tained his master’s degree in Condition moni-
toring and control of electrical apparatus and
doctoral degrees from National Institute of
Technology (NIT), Hamirpur, India in 2012
and 2017 respectively. Presently, he is a post-
doctoral fellow at the Université du Québec à
Chicoutimi (UQAC), Quebec, Canada with the Research Chair on the
Aging of Power Network Infrastructure (ViAHT). He is a member of
the IEEE DEIS and IEEE SA. Dr. Mohan is also a member of the IEEE
DEIS Technical Committee on “Liquid Dielectrics” and CIGRE
Canada. His research interests include aging phenomena of high volt-
age insulation, condition monitoring of electrical equipment, power
transformer diagnostics, and alternative liquid dielectrics.
Issouf Fofana (M’05, SM’09) obtained his
electro-mechanical engineering degree in 1991
from the University of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire),
and his master’s and doctoral degrees from
École Centrale de Lyon, France, in 1993 and
1996, respectively. He was a postdoctoral re-
searcher in Lyon in 1997 and was at the
Schering Institute of High Voltage Engineering
Techniques at the University of Hanover,
Germany from 1998 to 2000. He was a Fellow
of the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung from November 1997 to
August 1999. He joined Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC),
Quebec, Canada as an Associate Researcher in 2000, and he is now a
professor there. Dr. Fofana has held the Canada Research Chair, tier 2,
of insulating liquids and mixed dielectrics for electrotechnology
(ISOLIME) from 2005 to 2015. He is actually holding the Research
Chair on the Aging of Power Network Infrastructure (ViAHT), direc-
tor of the MODELE laboratory and director of the International
Research Centre on Atmospheric Icing and Power Network Engineering
(CenGivre) at UQAC. Professor Fofana is an accredited professional
engineer in the province of Quebec and Fellow of the IET. He is cur-
rently a member of the DEIS AdCom and member of the international
scientific committees of few IEEE DEIS-sponsored or technically-
sponsored conferences (ICDL, CEIDP, ICHVE and CATCON). He is
a member of the ASTM D27 committee. He has authored/co-authored
42  IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine
over 280 scientific publications, two book chapters, one textbook, ed-
ited two books and holds three patents.
Amidou Betie was born in Treichville, Côte
d’Ivoire, on 5 February 1961. He received his
electromechanical engineering degree in 2007
from the National Polytechnic Institute Félix
Houphouet-Boigny (Côte d’Ivoire). He ob-
tained his Master and doctoral degrees in 2012
and 2015 from the Université du Québec à
Chicoutimi (Canada). Currently he is a lecturer
at the National Polytechnic Institute Félix
Houphouet-Boigny (Côte d’Ivoire). His main
research interests are monitoring and diagnostic of power systems in-
sulation.
Senoussaoui Mohammed El Amine was born
in Algeria. He received the Ph.D. degree in
electrical engineering, from Djilali Liabes
University at Sidi Blabbess, Algeria in 2019.
He is currently an associate professor in the de-
partment of electrical engineering, Mascara
University, Algeria. His research interests are
the application of artificial intelligence tech-
niques in diagnosis of electrical equipment.
Mostefa Brahami was born in Tlemcen, Algeria
in 1956. He received the degree of engineer in
electrical engineering from the University of
Sciences and Technology of Oran, Algeria in
1982. He worked with the national company of
the electronics industry as head of service and
trainer from 1984 to 1992. He is currently
teaching at the Djillali Liabes University of
Sidi Bel-Abbes since 1992. He obtained his
PhD in 2003, under the supervising and the col-
laboration of professor Pol Pirotte from University of Liege, Belgium.
His study area of the PhD thesis was about the electric power systems
and their effect on the environment. He is now director of the research
laboratory “Intelligent Control and Electrical Power Systems” since
2010.
Eduardo Briosso, is head of CTM Salto Grande
Substation’s Department, he oversees opera-
tions and maintenance of over four 500 kV sub-
stations, including over 70 EHV transformer/
reactor units. Graduated from the Uruguayan
Republic’s University in 1981 with a degree in
electronic engineering. Since then, he held dif-
ferent positions related with high voltage trans-
mission. Briosso started at the Protective
Relays Dept. at the Uruguayan Utility, then
joined CTM Salto Grande, a bi-national Uruguay-Argentina Company
where he also started working at the Protective Relays Department,
then moved to a System Studies Division and later to the position of
head of the Department.