DRYING OUT POWER

TRANSFORMER

BY
Dr. DURGA SHARMA
EE DEPARTMENT
DR. C. V. RAMAN UNIVERSITY,BILASPUR
• The most common process of drying out a power
transformer is by using a streamlined filter machine
connected across the inlet and outlet oil hose. The
vacuum chamber and oil heater incorporated in the
filter machine are mainly utilized for this purpose.
Before using the filter machine it should be ensured
that the oil previously filled in the machine, must be
drained out and the machine is refilled with the
transformer oil supplied by the manufacturer.
This oil first circulated inside the machine itself for
several times and tested again and again for achieving
required result. If the required result is achieved then
the machine should be connected across inlets and
outlet hose of the transformer and the entire oil should
be circulated through the transformer and filter machine
several times and the oil sample is to be tested during a
specified interval normally after each one hour.
Fig: Transformer drying out curve
 The vacuum pump of the filter machine should have the capacity of creating

vacuum as high as possible, but not less than 710 mm of mercury. Where

possible, an additional vacuum pump can be connected at the top cover of

the tank to keep the oil in the tank under vacuum consistently. This

additional vacuum pump may accelerate the drying out process of the

transformer.

 Although, the oil was filled in the transformer under vacuum from the

bottom of the tank, but during drying out process oil is drawn out from the

bottom and fed into the top of the transformer tank. This helps to remove

any settled moisture/impurities remain in the oil.

 The oil circulation in that direction must be continued about 8 to 12
hours and then the cycle is reversed i.e. oil is drawn from the top and fed
in the bottom of the tank. During this process the oil must not be heated
beyond 85oC in the machine and the temperature of the oil inside the
transformer tank should not exceed 75oC.

 If this maximum allowable temperature limit is not maintained, the oil

may be decomposed due to higher temperature operation. The process of
drying out is continued until the satisfactory insulation resistance value is
achieved. The insulation resistance or I R value of the oil mainly depends
upon its moisture content hence, by analyzing the I R value, the moisture
content in the oil can be predicted.
 Once the entire moisture is removed from the oil, as well as
interior of the transformer, the I R value again goes up and
becomes steady. Initially insulation resistance value came
down because the moisture contained in the core and winding
of the transformer were removing in the hot oil thereby
moisture content of the oil was increased.
 The I R values of the oil taken in a regular interval (at the
interval of one hour) are plotted against time. It should be
observed from the graph that initially the I R value drops down
and this I R value will be low till the moisture is present inside.
 After, this moisture removed from the oil in the filter machine, the
insulation resistance value of the oil became again high and steady. The
I R values taken at regular intervals as should also be plotted against
temperature readings. In the beginning, I R values drop down as the
temperature goes up. The I R value will be low till the moisture is

present inside.
 Once the moisture is removed, the IR value will start rising and then
becomes steady. In addition to the drying out process by filter machine,
the transformer can also be heated up by short-circuiting the LV
winding and supplying a reduced voltage at the high voltage terminals.
 The value of the applied voltage is so maintained that the
current through the short-circuited winding should be
under 70% of the rated current.
 It must also be of observed during heating up the
transformer winding by applying reduced voltage, the
temperature of the oil must not exceed 75oC. At the same
time temperature of the winding must not exceed 90oC.