EE4270

BREAKDOWN OF OILS

OBSERVATION SHEET

EXPERIMENT FIELD INSTRUCTED BY

: Breakdown of oils : Electrical Engineering : Ms. S.A.P.U Karunarathne

Breakdown Voltage (kV) Gap Setting(mm) Transformer Oil Coconut Oil Engine Oil

1.5

12

2.5

12

11

17

3.5

15

17

25

4.5

20

23

29

5.5

27

25

30

CALCULATIONS

CONCLUSION Breaking down voltage of Engine oil is higher compared to the other two oils (Transformer oil and coconut oil) for each gap settings. Therefore the engine oil is the best sample.

DISCUSSION Methods of purification of oil before testing Dissolved gasses in transformer oil can cause arcing, corona discharges, and overheating-reducing the electrical efficiency and lifetime of the transformer. Likewise, water contamination at levels as low as 30 ppm (parts per million) can adversely affect the insulating strength of the oil. Method for Degassing Transformer Oil The oil degassing process begins with a pump down from atmosphere and continues until a pre-specified vacuum level indicates that complete degassing has been achieved. Depending on the dissolved gas requirements, the temperature of the oil, and the method for evolving the gas; the level is typically set between 0.1 and 5 Torr. This requires a vacuum gauge that can accurately measure pressures in the sub-Torr range. Another important requirement for the gauge is that it be rugged and tolerant of the oil environment. Dial gauges are not accurate enough for the task. Also, the visual-only output of a dial gauge is inadequate for the current and future needs of this application. Functional features like electronic interfacing and settable trip-points provide integration with process controllers, reduce operator error, and enable data logging and documentation. Method for Transformer Pump-out Evacuating a transformer prior to filling removes trace liquid and gas impurities which, if allowed to remain would quickly deteriorate the purity of the fill oil. Moisture absorbed by the coil insulation and other internal structures after exposure to a humid environment can easily contaminate the fill oil to levels exceeding 100 ppm. Residual solvents and cleaning fluids left behind can also severely degrade the dielectric (or insulating) properties of the oil. A mild bake while pumping is most effective for driving off these contaminants. Depending on the specific transformer and requirements, typical vacuum levels of 0.1 to 0.5 Torr indicate successful pumpout. This approach is superior to a timed pumping method since it ensures sufficient removal of contamination and reduces cycle time to the minimum for a particular process. Ideally, the system should monitor the pressure throughout the pumpdown, including pressure versus time data as this information provides a quality indicator to flag an overly contaminated part. This function can also be accomplished as a go-no-go qualifier using a time-to-trip-point approach. So in a common implementation, one trip point is set at 10 Torr and must be actuated before a predetermined time-out period, while another trip point is set at 0.1 Torr to indicate the end of the pump-out cycle.

Other tests for testing transformer oil. Different types of tests should be carried out when checking the transformer oil condition in addition to oil breakdown voltage test. Some main tests can be given as follows. Interfacial Tension The Interfacial Tension test measures the presence of soluble contaminants and oxidation products. A decreasing value indicates an increase in contaminants and/or oxidation products within the oil. Dissolved Gas Analysis Dissolved gas analysis and the information it can provide are particularly important in analyzing the health of the transformer and determining whether oil treatment is necessary. The rate of insulation decomposition will increase significantly in the presence of faults. By drawing a sample and having the gas composition analyzed, it's possible to distinguish between different fault types. Acid Number The acid neutralization number is a measure of the amount of acid materials present in the oil. As the transformer ages, the oil will oxidize and increase in acidity. The acid value can also increase from contamination of other foreign material such as paint, varnish, etc... Oil Moisture The Karl Fisher Moisture Test measures water ppm within the transformer oil. it does not measure the water content in the paper insulation. Power Factor The power factor test measures the dielectric losses of the oil, or energy that is dissipated as heat. A low value indicates low losses. It is a useful test for measuring changes within the oil resulting from contamination or deterioration. Dielectric Dissipation Factor (Tan Delta) This test reveals the presence of moisture, resins varnishes or their products of oxidation in oil. For transformer rating less than 145 KV, Tan Delta should be maximum 1 and for higher voltages it should be maximum 0.2. This test can perform in two different temperatures at 27 0 C and 90 0C. Resistivity The measurement of Resistivity of insulating oil is a sensitive test for detection of conducting impurities in insulating oil. The specific resistance in ohm-cm of a liquid is the ratio of the DC - potential gradient in volts per centimeter to the current density in ampere per square cm at a given instant of time and under prescribed conditions. High resistance indicates good insulating oil. Resistivity of oil is improved by filtration. Flash Point It is the minimum temperature to which oil must be heated so that it gives enough vapour which can form a flammable mixture with the air under the prescribed conditions of the test. A minimum value of flash point is specified in order to prevent the risk of fire that might result by accidental ignition. Normally a flash point should be greater than 1250C.