Pressboard Insulation Research Articles

Research on Life Prediction of Oil-Paper Insulation Based on Dielectric Response

The power transformer is an important part of the power grid. The aging of oil-paper insulation is affected by many factors such as temperature and moisture. In order to accurately evaluate the service life of transformer and ensure the stable operation in power system, a method for predicting the lifetime of oil-immersed pressboard under different temperatures and moisture content was proposed. This method is mainly realized by the chemical reaction kinetic equations and transformation factor. Firstly, the effect of temperature and moisture content on the frequency dielectric response of oil-paper insulation was studied by frequency domain dielectric spectroscopy method. The results show that the dielectric loss of oil-immersed pressboard increases with the increase of moisture content and temperature. The activation energy of oil-immersed pressboard also increases exponentially with the increase of moisture content. Then, we analyzed the trend of polymerization degree of insulation pressboard in aging process and calculated the insulation life and the remain lifetime by combining the cellulose degradation kinetic models and translation factor. When the moisture content of the oil-immersed at 70 °C, the life expectancy of oil-paper insulation is about 19.26 years.

Effect of Al2O3 nanorods on the performance of oil-impregnated pressboard insulation

The mineral oil (MO) in conjunction with paper is the main insulation components in oil-immersed transformers; their insulation properties play a significant role in the safe and stable operation of power transformers. To strengthen the insulation level of ultra-high voltage transformer and to reduce its size and weight, it is imminent to enhance the insulating performance of transformer oil and oil-impregnated cellulose. Recently, a unique novel effort of suspension of nanorods (NRs) into MO has been carried out and the results have exhibited improved insulation characteristics of transformer oil. The Al2O3 NRs with favorable features were prepared in our laboratory to develop transformer oil/paper insulation system with better insulation performance. The transformer oil-based nanofluids (NFs) were prepared with nanorod shape, oleic acid surface modification and 0.8 g/L concentration of NRs. The impregnated pressboards were prepared by impregnating them into dried oil and NF under vacuum beneath 1 kPa at 80 °C for almost 48 h to obtain the oil-impregnated pressboard (OIP) and nanofluid-impregnated pressboard (NIP), respectively. The interface at solid/liquid is considered weak link and is the main reason of oil-filled transformer collapse. The effect of Al2O3 NRs on creeping discharge and flashover traits of oil/pressboard (OP) interface under AC and impulse voltages were studied. Partial discharge and creeping flashover test of OIPs and NIPs were conducted. TSDC and PEA tests were applied to examine the space charge properties of OP interface before and after suspension of Al2O3 NRs.

Vacuum ultraviolet laser induced breakdown spectroscopy for detecting sulphur in thermally aged transformer insulation material

Spatially resolved and temporally integrated vacuum ultraviolet laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (VUV LIBS) was used for contaminant analysis in thermally aged oil impregnated pressboard (OIP) insulation material taken from high voltage transformers. The signature of copper sulphide contamination was obtained through detection of copper and sulphur emission lines. The plasma emission also contained highly ionized oxygen and carbon emission lines. In contrast to the UV-VIS spectral region, sulphur emission lines were found to be strong in the VUV region. The concentration of sulphur was found to increase with the duration of ageing of the OIP material.

Improvement of the Space Charge Suppression and Hydrophobicity Property of Cellulose Insulation Pressboard by Surface Sputtering a ZnO/PTFE Functional Film.

Oil-impregnated cellulose insulation polymer (oil-paper/pressboard insulation) has been widely used in power transformers. Establishing effective ways of improving the physical and chemical properties of the cellulose insulation polymer is currently a popular research topic. In order to improve the charge injection inhibition and hydrophobic properties of the cellulose insulation polymer used in power transformers, nano-structure zinc oxide (ZnO) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films were fabricated on a cellulose insulation pressboard surface via reactive radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Before the fabrication of their composite film, Accelrys Materials Studio (MS) software was applied to simulate the interaction between the nanoparticles and cellulose molecules to determine the depositing sequence. Simulation results show that the ZnO nanoparticle has a better adhesion strength with cellulose molecules than the PTFE nanoparticle, so ZnO film should be sputtered at first to fabricate the ZnO/PTFE composite film for better film quality. The sputtered, thin films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The space charge injection behavior and the hydrophobicity performance of the untreated pressboard; and the cellulose insulation pressboard with sputtered nano-structure ZnO, PTFE, and the ZnO/PTFE functional films were compared with each other. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that ZnO, PTFE, and ZnO/PTFE functional films were all successfully fabricated on the cellulose insulation pressboard surface. Scanning electron microscopy and XRD results present the nano-structure of the sputtered ZnO, PTFE, and ZnO/PTFE functional films and their amorphous states, respectively. The ZnO/PTFE composite functional film shows an apparent space charge suppression effect and hydrophobicity. The amount of the accumulated space charge in the pressboard sputtered ZnO/PTFE composite functional film decreased by about 40% compared with that in untreated cellulose insulation pressboard, and the water contact angle (WCA) increased from 0° to 116°.

Kerr Electro-Optic Sensor for Electric Field in Large-Scale Oil–Pressboard Insulation Structure

The design of the oil–pressboard/paper insulation structure is the key to maintain the safe and reliable operation of power transformers, which mainly relies on simulation and verification test undertaken with simple or equivalent models, falling short of the physical entity verification undertaken in the large-scale structure. Based on the Kerr electro-optic effect and the optical fiber technology, a novel electric field measuring sensor was developed in this paper for the application test in the large-scale oil–pressboard structure. The sensor is contained of collimator, total reflection prism, coupler, and customized optical elements, whose appearance is a miniature capsule-shaped configuration. The key technical performance parameters of sensor were obtained, for instance, and the effect of imported sensor on the electric field under measurement is an average 1.17% reduction in intensity; the sensitivity of designed system is 162.84 V/mm under ac voltage and 40.43 V/mm under dc voltage. Under dc voltage, the measuring accuracy of the designed system is greater than 97.42%, while in the context of ac voltage, it could reach 97.14%. The application test was conducted to capture the dynamic process of the electric field in oil in the large-scale outlet device model, which has three uniformly spaced oil spacings divided by pressboards, under ac voltage, dc voltage, and polarity reversal voltage. The experimental results verify that the developed electric field sensor could be effectively and reliably applied in the large-scale oil–pressboard insulation, and it could be confidently inferred that the larger the scale of insulation structure, the better is the performance of sensor.

Multilayers oil and oil-impregnated pressboard electric field simulation based on space charge

Space charge build-up has been considered as the major issue in the development of HVDC apparatus such as the converter transformer. The existence of space charge can distort the local electric field, which could lead to the degradation and even breakdown of insulation materials. Therefore, it is vital to investigate factors that can affect space charge formation and dissipation characteristics such as the temperature, moisture, ageing, thickness, multi-layered structure and electric fields. This paper mainly focuses on the effect of multilayers and thickness on space charge behaviour of oil and pressboard insulation system. Space charge was measured using the pulsed electroacoustic technique (PEA) method. The space charge results are quantitatively analysed to establish the relationship between interfacial charge density and different pressboard and oil thickness ratios. A new space charge interpolation methodology is utilized to input space charge into the multilayers oil and pressboard model using COMSOL software. The local electric field of multilayers oil-impregnated pressboard and oil could be simulated, with the emphasis on the electric field after the polarity reversal operation. From space charge results, they indicate that the increased thickness of pressboard could prohibit the interfacial charge increase while the increased oil thickness could facilitate interfacial charge increase. Moreover, from the electric field simulation results, they indicate that there is the electric field gradient caused by the space charge for multilayers oil and oil-impregnated pressboard structure. After the polarity reversal, the maximum electric field of the oil caused by the space charge is higher than electric field calculated based on the Maxwell-Wagner theory.

Effects of temperature on creepage discharge characteristics in oil-impregnated pressboard insulation under combined AC–DC voltage

Due to the complexity of the valve side winding voltage of the converter transformer, the insulation characteristics of the oil-impregnated pressboard (OIP) of the converter transformer are different from those of the traditional AC transformer. The study on effect of temperature on the creeping discharge characteristics of OIP under combined AC–DC voltage is seriously inadequate. Therefore, this paper investigates the characteristics of OIP creepage discharge under combined AC–DC voltage and discusses the influence of temperature on creepage discharge characteristics under different temperatures from 70 °C to 110 °C. The experimental results show that the partial discharge inception voltage and flashover voltage decrease with increasing temperature. The times of low amplitude discharge (LAD) decrease and amplitude of LAD increases. Simultaneously, the times of high amplitude discharge (HAD) gradually increase at each stage of creepage discharge with higher temperature. The analysis indicates that the charge carriers easily accumulate and quickly migrate directional movement along the electric field ahead of discharging. The residual charge carriers are more easily dissipated after discharging. The ‘hump’ region of LAD moves to the direction of higher discharge magnitude. The interval time between two continuous discharges is shortened obviously. The concentration of HAD accelerates the development of OIP insulation creepage discharge. The temperature had an accelerating effect on the development of discharge in the OIP under applying voltage.

AC Surface Flashover and Gas Generation Difference of the Cellulose Insulation Pressboard Immersed in Novel 3-Element Mixed Oil and Mineral Oil

Surface flashover fault is one of the most challenge issues in oil-cellulose insulation pressboard system used in power transformer. In this study, a comparative study of the AC surface flashover properties of the novel 3-element mixed oil-cellulose insulation pressboard (3EMO-IP) and mineral oil-cellulose insulation pressboard (MO-IP) was performed under needle-plate and finger-finger electrode, respectively, measurement including dielectric property, surface flashover voltage, damage of cellulose pressboard surface and the gas generation behaviors after multiple surface flashover. Results show that the cellulose insulation pressboard immersed in the novel 3-element mixed insulation oil (3EMO) has higher relative permittivity and dielectric loss factor at 50 Hz, and also has slightly lower surface resistivity. The AC surface flashover voltage of the 3EMO-IP is higher than that of MO-IP under needle-plate and finger-finger electrode (electrode distance 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm and 20 mm). Compared to MO-IP, the lower electric field intensity at the oil-pressboard interface, as well as more difficult for surface charge accumulation of 3EMO-IP and the higher breakdown voltage of 3EMO lead to the higher AC surface flashover voltage of 3EMO-IP. Moreover, the carbonization of fibers in 3EMO-IP is slightly less. After multiple surface flashover, C2H2 and total hydrocarbon gases are the main differences between 3EMO-IP and MO-IP, which is more marked with the increase of flashover times. This study offers a reference for improving the surface flashover property of oil-pressboard insulation system by using 3EMO.

Effect of carbonized patterns on oil-impregnated aramid pressboards surface on acoustic emission signals at inhomogeneous electric field

The acoustic emission signals produced by discharges of a point-plane electrode on the surface (surface discharge) of different oil-impregnated aramid pressboards are detected by a 150 kHz acoustic emission sensor mounted on the outside of the experimental tank sample. Numbers, maximum amplitudes and average amplitudes of acoustic bursts are measured via a digital signal processor device and evaluated. The effect of transition mechanism from spark to pseudoglow discharge on acoustic emission signals at different voltages is examined. The tracking patterns on the surface of four different aramid pressboard insulations are compared together by using Matlab image processing program. By experimental results, tracking patterns on the surface of the bulk impregnated pressboard insulation have a significant effect on the acoustic emission signals. Acoustic emission signals amplitudes decrease dramatically on damaged pressboards and cause so called silent PDs.

Feasibility of a universal approach for temperature correction in frequency domain spectroscopy of transformer insulation

Over the past few years, frequency domain spectroscopy (FDS) has been widely utilized to assess transformer insulation. Many investigations have revealed that the FDS measurement has been observed to be dependent on service conditions (aging, moisture, geometry, and temperature). During the onsite FDS measurement, the inner insulation temperature of the de-energized transformer gradually decreases, which affects the FDS results due to moisture migration from oil to the cellulose insulation. This process gives rise to misinterpreting of the condition of the transformer insulation. Presently, the master curve technique reported by several researchers is utilized for temperature correction in FDS measurements. In fact, various researchers have obtained different master curves, so making a universal approach to temperature correction has become an important topic. In the present investigations, a series of experiments was performed on oil-impregnated pressboard insulation under laboratory conditions which was followed by FDS measurements at lower than operating temperature and a universal master curve for temperature correction was studied. Activation energies from oil-impregnated pressboard tests support the effectiveness of the proposed universal approach for temperature correction.

The influence of polarity reversal time on interface charges in oil-impregnated pressboard insulation under non-uniform electric field

The polarity reversal test is one of the routine tests for the evaluation of electric insulation in converter transformers. The polarity reversal time (PRT) has significant effect on the accumulation of interface charges in oil-impregnated pressboard insulation. IEC standard recommends that polarity reversal should be performed within 2 min so as to match with the dispersion rate of interface charges in uniform filed, but not necessarily in the non-uniform field. In order to investigate the influence of PRT on the dissipation rate of interface charges in non-uniform electric field, the density of interface charges was measured by an electrostatic capacitance probe in the needle-plate non-uniform field at the PRT of 2 ms, 4 ms and 2 min respectively. The results showed that the polarity of interface charges did not change with the applied voltage jump at the PRT of 2 ms and 4 ms, while the polarity of interface charges almost synchronously changed with the polarity reversal of applied voltage at the PRT of 2 min. For the PRT of 2 ms and 4 ms, the electric field nearby the needle electrode would be enhanced with applied electric field of the same direction, whilst the total electric field of insulation system would be weakened at the PRT of 2 min. It was inferred that polarity of interface charge might have not enough time to change in polarity reversal test within the PRT of 4 ms under non-uniform electric field, which was more close to the severe condition of covert transformer. The paper suggest that the value of PRT be reconsidered when the polarity reversal test is performed in non-uniform electric field.

Improved method for measuring moisture content of mineral-oil-impregnated cellulose pressboard based on dielectric response

The moisture content in transformer insulation pressboards is an important index to evaluate the insulation aging in the transformer. The dielectric-response technique based on frequency domain spectroscopy is used to accurately measure the moisture content in transformer insulation pressboard. In this study, according to the distribution of water molecules in oil-impregnated cellulose pressboard and the polarization behaviour of water molecules at different frequencies, a theoretical calculation method for moisture content in a composite model of cellulose pressboard, mineral oil, and moisture based on a typical transformer structure is proposed. To verify the effectiveness of the numerical iterative calculation method further, a typical structure model of a transformer with different proportions was prepared under laboratory conditions of natural moisture absorption and accelerated aging. Three groups of comparison tests were done. In the stage temperature rise test (40–90 °C), the moisture contents are compared and analysed by the method proposed in this research and the IDAX-300 software fitting method. It was found that the fitting of the dielectric loss factor curve is more accurate in the high-temperature and low-frequency region. In a room temperature (25 °C) test, the moisture contents obtained by the method proposed in this study, the IDAX-300 instrument test method, and the traditional Karl–Fischer titration method are compared and analysed. After testing the XY model with different moisture absorptions at 25 °C, it was found that the accuracy of the algorithm is higher. Testing the XY model at different degrees of aging at 25 °C, showed the effect of the aging of the oil-impregnated cellulose pressboard. The selected fitting frequency range should be (10−1–103) Hz, and the accuracy of the numerical iterative calculation method is high.

Measurement of dielectric response of transformer moisture content

Over a transformer's operational lifetime, the moisture content of its insulation pressboard increases because of the ageing of its internal insulation. Thus, this moisture content becomes an important index for judging the ageing of this insulation. In this study, to analyse the moisture content of a transformer's insulation pressboard using the dielectric response insulation technique, the XY-equivalent model analysis method for classical transformers is combined with a dielectric-constant algorithm for mixed media. In addition, a new method for calculating the moisture content of a pressboard is obtained via cyclic iterative comparison calculations based on the dielectric response translation formula, the temperature, and the material activation energy. The XY-equivalent models of transformers with various proportions are derived under laboratory conditions. The moisture contents of the transformers’ insulating pressboards are obtained under the corresponding dielectric loss factor curves by using the proposed moisture content calculation method, which provides a result that is within 4.83% of that provided by the IDAX-300 moisture content analysis algorithm, thus demonstrating its validity.

Optical Sensing Techniques for Condition Monitoring of Transformer Insulation Material

Non contact optical sensing techniques—probing of surface flashover and probing of laser induced plasma, spectrally and temporally, were used to study the thermal ageing induced degradation of oil impregnated pressboard (OIP) insulation material of transformer. Optical probing of surface flashover discharge, gave parameter values comparable with, flashover discharge current measurements. Optical emission persistence time was increasing with ageing level of the insulation. Optical emission spectroscopy of impulse surface flashover gave atomic emissions from the copper sulphide contaminant, diffused in the OIP material due to ageing. Failed insulation samples showed larger Cu emission intensity. Optical emission intensity during AC, + DC and − DC flashover was used to indicate ageing and to identify initiation and arcing stages of surface flashover. Alternatively, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) indicated neutral Cu emission in the aged OIP material, indicating diffusion of Cu contaminants. Quantitative analysis was performed on OIP samples with surface deposited Cu and thermally aged specimen. A minimum detection limit of 4.5 µg/cm2 was achieved. LIBS plasma persistence time was identified as an alternative tool for understanding ageing level of OIP material of transformer.

Experimental Study on Trap Characteristics of Nano-Montmorillonite Composite Pressboards

To improve space charge properties and the breakdown strength of insulation pressboard, nano-modifications with nano-montmorillonite fillers are developed using nanocomposite techniques in this study. Employing trap theory, charge carrier trapping characteristics are analyzed to interpret the space charge distribution modification from nano-montmorillonite (MMT) filling and explore the correlated mechanism of direct current (DC) breakdown strength enhancement. The trap energy level distribution is measured by a thermally stimulated current test and space charge distribution is tested with pulsed electro-acoustics. A DC power system is used to perform DC the breakdown experiment. The nano-MMT filler composite pressboard demonstrates increased trap density as filling concentration increases, which dominates the total trap charge quantity. Shielding layers formed from the trapped charges localized at the interface of the nano-MMT fillers with pressboard matrix reduce the injection of charge carriers from the electrodes and thus inhibit the internal space charge accumulation prophase and then charge carriers move to the interior of the pressboard. Space charge quantity increases with increasing trap density. However, the trapping of charges into the trap levels releases significant energy to destroy the primitive molecular chain of pressboard cellulose, resulting in reduced DC breakdown strength. The trap mechanism accounts for the modified space charge distribution and the enhanced DC breakdown strength deriving from nano-MMT fillers.

Preparation Nano-Structure Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Functional Film on the Cellulose Insulation Polymer and Its Effect on the Breakdown Voltage and Hydrophobicity Properties.

Cellulose insulation polymer is an important component of oil-paper insulation, which is widely used in power transformer. The weight of the cellulose insulation polymer materials is as high as tens of tons in the larger converter transformer. Excellent performance of oil-paper insulation is very important for ensuring the safe operation of larger converter transformer. An effective way to improve the insulation and the physicochemical property of the oil impregnated insulation pressboard/paper is currently a popular research topic. In this paper, the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) functional film was coated on the cellulose insulation pressboard by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering to improve its breakdown voltage and the hydrophobicity properties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that the nano-structure PTFE functional film was successfully fabricated on the cellulose insulation pressboard surface. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) present that the nanoscale size PTFE particles were attached to the pressboard surface and it exists in the amorphous form. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows that the sputtered pressboard surface is still rough. The rough PTFE functional film and the reduction of the hydrophilic hydroxyl of the surface due to the shielding effect of PTFE improve the breakdown and the hydrophobicity properties of the cellulose insulation pressboard obviously. This paper provides an innovative way to improve the performance of the cellulose insulation polymer.

Analysis of copper contamination in transformer insulating material with nanosecond- and femtosecond-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

This work examines the oil-impregnated pressboard insulation of high-voltage power transformers, for the determination of copper contamination. Nanosecond- and femtosecond-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy revealed atomic copper lines and molecular copper monoxide bands due to copper sulphide diffusion. X-ray diffraction studies also indicated the presence of CuO emission. Elemental and molecular mapping compared transformer insulating material ageing in different media—air, N2, He and vacuum.

The microscopic morphology of insulation pressboard: an image processing perspective

To analyze the changes in microscopic morphology of the pressboard under surface partial discharge conditions, some methods such as enhancement, denoising, segmentation, optimization, edge detection, expansion, and corrosion were used to process scanning electron microscope images of the pressboard, so as to extract the fiber width, hole size, and surface roughness. Experiments show that after different thermal aging times, the trends to change in the microscopic morphology of insulation pressboard under partial discharge are different; the microscopic morphology of the pressboard is changed by the breaking of the chemical bonds in the internal structure of the fiber. At a degree of polymerization of 500, the insulation life is only about half of its original value: at this time, the corresponding fiber width is 91.1% of the unaged pressboard fiber width, and the corresponding roughness is 0.162. At a degree of polymerization of 250, the insulation pressboard is nearing the end of its life: at this time, the corresponding fiber width is 79.2% of that of the unaged pressboard, and the corresponding roughness is 0.225.

Accelerating frequency domain dielectric spectroscopy measurements on insulation of transformers through system identification

Frequency domain dielectric spectroscopy (FDS) is a non-destructive method widely used to evaluate the state of dielectric materials. Traditional FDS measurement is conducted in frequency sweep mode between 1 kHz and 1 mHz. However, this method requires long measurement time when sweeping in low frequencies (1 mHz–1 Hz), thereby limiting its field applications. Hammerstein model is selected as the mathematical model for insulation systems according to known property of dielectric and established based on system identification theory. An equivalent mathematical model fitting >97% with the insulation system is obtained. The equivalent model can be used to calculate dielectric response parameters and construct an FDS. The proposed method requires 10 min to obtain dielectric response parameters under any frequency excitation in the low-frequency section. The measurement time decreases by up to 90% compared with that of traditional FDS. Comparison experiments are conducted between system identification method and traditional FDS measurement applied to different insulation systems, such as insulation pressboards, testing transformers, and field power transformers. Results show that frequency responses are consistent between the equivalent model and insulation system, ensuring the accuracy of FDS curve obtained by the proposed method.

Influence of moisture on the interface charge of oil–pressboard composite insulation under DC voltage

The distortion of the electric field in the oil–pressboard composite insulation caused by the accumulation of the interface charge is detrimental to both the insulation design and operation of converter transformers. The influence of moisture content on the surface charge accumulation of oil–pressboard insulation under DC voltage was studied in this study. In accordance with the Kerr electro-optic effect, the electric field strengths in transformer oil and the surface charge density were acquired after applying the positive and negative DC voltages in three oil–pressboard insulation models with different moisture content, respectively. The resistivities of the oil and pressboard in three models, namely Model 1# with 3.8–4.2 ppm moisture in oil and 0.35–0.37% moisture in pressboard, Model 2# with 7.6–7.9 ppm moisture in oil and 0.79–0.82% moisture in pressboard and Model 3# with 14.9–15.4 ppm moisture in oil and 1.39–1.42% moisture in pressboard, was also measured. The results indicate that: (i) as negative charges in oil accumulated on the pressboard surface in a much greater speed than the positive ones, the electric field in transformer oil under negative DC voltage decreases more rapidly with time than that under positive DC voltage; (ii) the increase of the moisture content in both oil and pressboard, under either positive or negative DC voltage, leads to the decrease of both the electric field strength in transformer oil and the charge density with time; and (iii) the increase of moisture content could not only decrease the resistivity of both oil and pressboard, but also the ratio of the resistivity between the pressboard and the oil. On the basis of the Maxwell–Wagner theory, the decrease of the ratio between the pressboard and oil could lead to the decrease of the interfacial charge density, leading to the slow transient process of the electric field in transformer oil under DC voltage.