Failure Analysis of Medium Voltage Capacitor Banks: The Egyptian Experience

Prague, 8-11 June 2009
Failure Analysis
of Medium Voltage Capacitor Banks:
The Egyptian Experience
Mohamed A. EL-HADIDY Dalal H. HELMI
Tech. Consultant Studies and Research Dept.

dr_alhadidy@hotmail.com dalalhelmi@hotmail.com
Egyptian Electricity Transmission company

Egypt
Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581
CONTENT
• GENERAL
• APPROACH
• OBJECTIVES
• FAILURE MODES
• EXAMPLES OF FAILURE MECHANISMS
• UTILITY MAINTENANCE PRACTISES
• RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATION

- GENERAL-
• System reliability depends on components’
reliability
• Power capacitor banks reliability evaluation through

their failure modes, rates and mechanisms have
been investigated at about 190 substations in TN, in
which 2450 MVAR capacitor banks are installed
• The study includes 9 vendors for whom the

Capacitor Banks are installed during the period of
early installation in 1985 till 2008.
- APPROACH -
- Analyzing the available Capacitor Failure data
of all vendors, over the banks lifetime.
- Classify different types of failures
- Conducting deep analysis and comparisons
between different vendors
OBJECTIVES
Assess the failure modes, rates and mechanisms of
MV capacitor banks installed in the Egyptian
Network, and sum up utility experience in this field

1.8 MVAR
3.6 MVAR, or
5.4 MVAR
Typical two step capacitor bank installation
- FAILURE MODES-

CAPACITOR BANKS FAILURE RATES

• The following analysis of the failures covers only
5/9 of these vendors.
• The other 4 have smaller number of installations,

and hence capacity, and exist in only one or two of
the Egyptian Network 6 zones.

Table 1: Failure Rates of Capacitor Banks Main Components
% of the total Failure:

Capacitors = 48% Contactors = 18% Controllers = 37%
Table 2: Some subcomponent failure statistics

in one of the zones
2 6 17 1

EXAMPLES OF FAILURE
MECHANISMS
• In 2008, EETC noticed two types of problems in
the newly delivered MV caps from X vendor.
– Observation of oil leakage from some
capacitor bushing
– Decline in capacitance values which leads to
tripping of the bank by the unbalance
protection.
• An investigation task force was formed from

vendor company & utility personnel
1. OIL LEAKAGE FROM THE

BUSHING
Problem traced down to the quality of adhesive

material used to seal the bushing with the tank.
2 CAPACITANCE VALUE DECLINE
Scanning Electron Microscope investigation of faulty capacitor element
Contamination of capacitor metal film by materials

used for soldering Cap units to connection leads
UTILITY MAINTENANCE PRACTISES
• Failed components replaced from the existing

spare parts stock under the responsibility of
– utility maintenance crew
– the technical staff of the vendor
• Sometimes spare parts, such as fuses, contactor

coils, auxiliary relays, timers…etc, are obtained
from the local market.

• Utility perform detailed harmonics measurements

at locations:
– of failed capacitor
– where caps are intended to be installed.
• Also, conducts many tests

– at the factory,
– commissioning tests and
– periodic tests (+ harmonic measurement).

RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATION
• Capacitor bank failure modes and failure rates

analysis is important to reveal the reliability and
goodness of all stages starting from:
– putting specifications, designing, testing,
installing, operating, and maintaining.
• This helps also in selection of good manufacturers

of: capacitors, contactors, fuses, controllers,
bushings …etc (Vendor 3 discarded).

• Failure analysis requires

– a follow up investigation
– and root cause analysis.
(capacitor failures were viewed more as routine
annoyances that had to be accepted).
• The trend today is to approach each capacitor

failure as the potential result of a design,
operation or maintenance defect.

• An in-depth investigation should be conducted

by an expert and before any potential evidence
is disturbed.
Once the root cause of the failure is

determined, the info can then passed on to the
responsible department(s).
Appropriate changes can then be made where

applicable.

• The two problems identified in this paper

illustrate that there are many potential sources
can lead to or cause capacitor failures.

Failure Analysis of Medium Voltage Capacitor Banks: The Egyptian Experience

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Prague, 8-11 June 2009

Tech. Consultant Studies and Research Dept.

Egyptian Electricity Transmission company

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

• Power capacitor banks reliability evaluation through

• The study includes 9 vendors for whom the

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

CAPACITOR BANKS FAILURE RATES

• The other 4 have smaller number of installations,

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

Table 1: Failure Rates of Capacitor Banks Main Components

% of the total Failure:

Table 2: Some subcomponent failure statistics

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

• An investigation task force was formed from

1. OIL LEAKAGE FROM THE

Problem traced down to the quality of adhesive

2 CAPACITANCE VALUE DECLINE

Scanning Electron Microscope investigation of faulty capacitor element

Contamination of capacitor metal film by materials

UTILITY MAINTENANCE PRACTISES

• Failed components replaced from the existing

• Sometimes spare parts, such as fuses, contactor

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

• Utility perform detailed harmonics measurements

• Also, conducts many tests

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATION

• Capacitor bank failure modes and failure rates

• This helps also in selection of good manufacturers

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

• Failure analysis requires

• The trend today is to approach each capacitor

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

• An in-depth investigation should be conducted

Once the root cause of the failure is

Appropriate changes can then be made where

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

• The two problems identified in this paper

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

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