The Benefits of On-line DGA Tap Changer Monitoring

Randy Cox
Kelman, North America

Introduction
Dissolved gas in oil analysis has been widely accepted on behalf of transformer main
tanks for many years. In recent years, it has gained notoriety for load tap changers as
well. There are certainly varying opinions regarding evaluation technique, but the value
of testing has now been accepted by a wide audience. The varying techniques for
interpretation centers around the challenges of how to handle the data from varying
types of arcing tap changers. Some of these units are sealed, and thereby present
challenges unique to sealed units. Free breathers are less difficult, and the data is always
fresh, creating fewer challenges to the utility.
To take this a step further, the ability to perform this test on line is also now available
to the utility. This has been a phenomenal breakthrough in the industry, and now
positions the utility for even greater success. While the term on line has been around
for some time, it has not been available in the form of an 8 gas system until the last few
years. Beyond this capability, it is now available in an 8 gas system for both main tank
and load tap changer at the same time, utilizing the same testing device. Historically,
load tap changers have been a sore spot when it comes to transformer outages and
failures. Many utilities have experienced the aggravation caused by a transformer
differential operation only to discover, via off line diagnostics, that a load tap changer
problem was the reason for the outage. Couple that with customers calling in to report
smoke coming from load tap changer vents, flickering lights and a station Patrolman
walking past a transformer while the load tap changer is operating and saying, that
doesnt sound right, and you have the reason why on line dissolved gas measurements
will be of great value to the utility today.

Application
Applying dissolved gas analysis to load tap changers, as stated above, has its own set of
challenges. While they are certainly challenges, they are not challenges that cant be
overcome with some ease. Some of these challenges include:

1. Sealed load tap changers: Previous history of tap changer performance can lay
hidden in the oil if past maintenance practices didnt include replacing, or
degassing the oil.
2. Load Tap Changers arc, and as a result of this can be quite confusing to the
untrained eye. We are accustomed to looking at oil with very low gas rates, and
load tap changers are just the opposite, in most cases.
3. Everyone seems to have differing opinions as to the appropriate method by which
to interpret the results.
There are many laboratories that now offer diagnostic services, and there are also training
classes available to help educate the utility regarding how to interpret the results. With
the right tools, analyzing DGA results from load tap changers can be a more viable tool
than that of time based internal inspections.
Application is the most important part of the on line philosophy. Which load tap
changers need on line monitoring, and how often should the sampling process be? The
answer is simply all load tap changers and as often as possible. This would also include
vacuum load tap changers. For those who already sample their load tap changers, the
process is primarily manual sampling. While this is better than not sampling at all, it is
not the most effective. There are several reasons why automatic, on line sampling is
tremendously more effective than manual sampling:
1. Manual sampling is time consuming with a recurring cost, while on line sampling
returns the sampled oil to the load tap changer with a one time cost.
2. Manual sampling drains the oil level of the load tap changer, while on line returns
the oil, thereby eliminating the need to refill the unit.
3. Manual sampling typically requires some period of time to get results back from
the laboratory, while on line sampling allows the user to get the results
immediately.
4. Manual sampling always runs the risk of being performed either right before a
problem begins, or too late after a problem has begun.
As most in the utility world already know, incipient faults within main tanks on
transformers are typically the starting place for a failure down the road, and being able to
catch these faults in their earliest stage is the best defense from a planning standpoint.
Load tap changers are no different in that regard. Most would agree that faults, whether
in the main tank or load tap changer, dont just happen overnight. Overnight faults are
the rare case, while incipient faults are the norm.

A good example of on line data is listed below. This particular unit is set up to sample
every two hours. As you will see, this allows the user to better identify any sudden
changes in the gasses. Also notice the low content of water once the human factor is
removed from the equation:
Example
Analyser
Oil
Date/Time Temperature H2

CH4 C2H2 C2H4 C2H6 CO

CO2 O2

Gas
content Water

07/30/2008
27
18:00

126.2 265.5 1001.6 920.9 146.1 113.5 373.8 31696.7 2573.8 7.5

07/30/2008
26.2
20:00

135.8 270.5 1014.8 945.8 153.3 105.4 330.4 30696.3 2625.7 5.5

07/30/2008
25.9
22:00

139.3 267 1025.1 928.8 152.5 97.3 299.7 31783.8 2610

07/31/2008 25.8

141.5 268.2 1032.5 929.3 143.3 91.8 271.2 30699.4 2606.7 4.2

07/31/2008
25.7
2:00

143.5 267.7 1034.5 929.7 149.8 87.9 254.6 31370 2613.1 3.8

07/31/2008
25.5
4:00

144.8 264.3 1031.1 921.1 149.2 85.7 243.1 30468.2 2596.4 3.5

07/31/2008
25.2
6:00

146.6 263 1027.6 913.8 143.3 83.9 237.3 30547.9 2578.3 3.3

07/31/2008
25.8
8:00

149.5 269.5 1029.6 939.5 152.1 83

07/31/2008
26.3
10:00

152.4 268.7 1029.9 936.7 152.5 81.4 224 30502.4 2621.6 2.7

07/31/2008
27.1
13:00

154.5 286.7 1093.3 994.5 163.6 93.2 262.1 31436.1 2785.7 2.5

07/31/2008
27
15:00

162 281.7 1109.3 983

07/31/2008
26.8
17:00

161.1 287.2 1109.8 998.7 160.6 87.9 241 31371.5 2805.3 2.2

07/31/2008
26.1
19:00

164.3 285.2 1107.4 991.3 157.7 86.1 235.5 31302.7 2792

2.1

07/31/2008
25.9
21:00

170.2 290.6 1113.6 1008.8 156.8 85

07/31/2008
25.5
23:00

171.6 284.2 1105.2 983.7 154.1 83.8 220.6 31626.9 2782.6 2.1

4.7

229.4 30825.6 2623.2 3

158.4 89.7 242.4 31484.6 2784.2 2.3

224 31232.3 2825

Case Studies
Case Study #1
Below, you will find a load tap changer with on line DGA applied, and the second case
study is a load tap changer with manual sampling applied. The first load tap changer,
which utilized on line DGA, was scheduled for regular maintenance. Typical
maintenance procedures for this US based customer, due to the criticality of the unit,
involved the replacement of all contacts upon entry. On line DGA was applied well in
advance of this maintenance interval and the on line DGA data supported that no problem
existed internally with regards to contacts. It was determined by everyone involved that
the confidence level must first be established in the evaluation of the results before
considering maintenance solely upon the on line DGA. Once crews entered the load tap
changer it was discovered that the contacts had suffered no damage, and it was
determined that the DGA evaluation was correct in the assessment that maintenance was
not needed at that time.
The following samples were the result of on line DGA, as discussed above,, and as you
can see, the relationship of the gasses, along with the gassing rate, pointed to a normally
operating load tap changer.
Timestamp

05/11/2008 3:00
05/11/2008 15:00
05/12/2008 3:00
05/12/2008 15:00

Hydrogen CarbDiox CarbMono Ethylene Ethane Methane Acetylene Water Oxygen TDCG
[ppm]

[ppm]

[ppm]

[ppm]

[ppm] [ppm]

[ppm]

[ppm] [ppm]

[ppm]

3476
3424
3408
3542

1074
1075.5
1080.5
1095

189.2
189.4
190.1
192.8

8596
8604
8624
8768

765.8
767.8
767.5
778.8

29168
28760
29248
30504

21.6
21.7
21.7
21.8

44624
44144
44640
46224

2424
2408
2402
2441

24288
24120
24136
23848

It is clear from the Acetylene/Ethylene ratio that there is roughly a 3:1 ratio of Acetylene
dominating Ethylene, and it is consistent. That alone tells the maintenance personnel that
no problems would be visible upon entry. Keep in mind that this is raw data, and in real
time, which is exactly what the end user needs to make good decisions. The sampling
interval in this case was every 12 hours.
Nobody would deny that maintenance on load tap changers is inevitable. These are
reactive units, even regarding vacuum. Even vacuum load tap changers are called upon
to operate and thereby must, at some point, have maintenance performed. The cycle for
reactive/resistive load tap changers may, or may not be greater than that of a vacuum.
Our experience would tell most of us that entering load tap changers on a time based
maintenance program would typically produce a nothing found experience, other than

what you would expect with carbon in the oil. Today, the carbon is becoming less of a
problem with the advent of on line oil filtering within load tap changers.
Case Study #2
In the second case, we find a reactive load tap changer in trouble, found by manual DGA
sampling. This particular load tap changer was not due for maintenance for another year
under the old guidelines. While the unit was found by DGA as a problem before it failed
and tripped the transformer, you will see from the results and picture that had it been
discovered earlier, a major cost savings would have been realized with regards to contact
replacement.
400
300
200
100
0
Acetylene

Ethylene

Ethane

Methane

It is safe to conclude that this kind of heating/coking is progressive. Had on line DGA
been employed in this circumstance, the utility would have been positioned to discover
this at an earlier stage, thereby reducing the cost of repairs significantly. A typical set of
load tap changer contacts can average $10,000. This can become quite costly, as well as
a time based maintenance program. Both time based maintenance and transformer
5

outages due to load tap changer failures offer little in the way of a cost savings. DGA is a
much better solution than guessing at a time based interval, and on line DGA is much
more effective than manual sampling. The cost, and down time alone can be quite a
headache to the utility today.

Summary
Past maintenance practices were good for their time, but the industry is demanding more
from the utility. The bottom line involves two aspects to the matrix:
1. Greater reliability
2. Overall cost reduction
Customers and shareholders demand a more cost effective means of delivering electricity
and reliability. On line DGA is now available for load tap changers as well as
transformer main tanks. The age old practice of a time driven maintenance program
doesnt fit well in todays market and the tools are now available as opposed to the past,
when they were not. On line DGA is a cost effective means for driving todays
maintenance program, and allows the end user to turn their attention to known problems
that need their attention, as opposed to opening up a load tap changer to see if there is a
problem.