Elucidation of formation mechanism of by-products of copper sulfide deposition on insulating paper in oil-immersed transformer

Abstract

Copper sulfide deposition on cellulosic insulating materials in oil-immersed transformers is evaluated by heating tests stipulated by IEC 62535. Although this method is suitable for evaluation of the corrosivity of unused insulating oil, the subject remains in diagnosis of the insulating oil used. It is because dibenzyl disulfide (DBDS), which is the prime compounds that cause copper sulfide deposition, is consumed by the reaction with copper during operating of transformer. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the existence of DBDS in insulating oil diagnosed as non-corrosivity by IEC 62535. The proceeding paper [6] reports that Bibenzyl (BiBz) and Dibenzyl sulfide (DBS) will be formed in the insulating oil as by-products of copper sulfide formation between copper and DBDS in oxygen-poor atmosphere which imitated the closed-type transformers. These by-products are considered to be the indication of copper sulfide formation. However, the influence of oxygen and addition agent (e.g. 2,6-di-tert-butylp- cresol) on the mechanism of the by-product formation is unclear. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the influence of oxygen and DBPC in by-products formation for development of diagnosis. It became apparent that benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde and benzoic acid generate as by-products of copper sulfide formation in the air atmosphere which imitated the open-breathing transformers. Furthermore, it became apparent that the reaction product of benzyl radical and the radical of DBPC generates as by-product of copper sulfide formation in the insulating oil containing DBPC. These by-products are detectable even if DBDS disappears. Therefore, it is thought that diagnosis of the open-breathing transformer is possible by detecting these by-products.