2013 Short-Circuit Performance of Power Transformers PDF
2013 Short-Circuit Performance of Power Transformers PDF
org/ijace International Journal of Automation and Control Engineering Volume 2 Issue 3, August 2013
120
Shortcurrent Testing Laboratories. Short-
Circuit Performance of Power Transformers,
Transformer Testing Experience
Yury G. Shakaryan
1
, Yury A. Dementyev
2
, Alexander Yu. Khrennikov
3
Division of electrical equipment and transmission lines, Scientific and Technical Center of Federal Grid Company
of United Energy System/
1
PhD of El. Eng.,
3
PhD of El. Eng.22/3, Kashirskoe highway, 115201, Moscow, Russia
1
[email protected],
2
[email protected],
3
[email protected]
Abstract
The electrodynamic testing of transformers consists in the
creation in the process of the specific quantity of short-circuit
shots (as a rule 5-6). In service winding electrodynamic
deformations after short-circuit currents can result in
insulation disruption and in to turn-to-turn internal short-
circuit immediately.
All transformer design elements (Winding, pressing system,
and etc.) must be checked during short-circuit testing by real
values of short-circuit currents. Transformer testing for
short-circuit withstand is an instrument for reliability
improvement of power transformer design.
Keywords
Short-circuit; Testing Laboratory; Winding fault; Electrodynamic
Deformation; Low Voltage Impulse Method
I nt r oduc t i on
Dozens tons of fire dangerous substances are inside the
transformer tanks. If it starts burning due to winding
failures, fire occurs, and further development of failure
can move to the adjacent equipment, it will decrease
reliability of electric power supply, increase financial
damage from interruption of electric power supply and
deteriorate ecological situation.
Failure rate depends on some factors. In service
winding electrodynamic deformations after short-
circuit currents can result in insulation disruption and
further to turn-to-turn internal short-circuit
immediately. However, in other cases, the insulation
weakness center can probably appear in the winding
deformation point. This insulation weakness center can
exist in the winding for few years. And an increase of
partial discharge (PD) intensity, which will result in
insulation disruption is registered.
Power transformers are one of the basic parts in
the circuitry of power transmission and delivery.
Therefore the interest to perfection of the power
transformers' fault diagnostic methods is increased.
The repairs of power transformers and other electrical
equipment are carried out, using diagnostic measurement
results.
LVI-testing, FRA and short-circuit inductive reactance
measurements are sensitive to detecting such typical
transformers winding faults as buckling, axial shift and
other. The 70 units of 25-240 MVA 110-500 kV power
transformers have been checked by low voltage
impulse (LVI) method. A few power transformers were
detected with winding deformations after short-circuit
with aperiodical short-circuit current.
Shor t c ur r ent Test i ng Labor at or i es
FIG. 1 TOGLIATTY POWER TESTING LABORATORY, 1150 KV
TEST STATION (RUSSIA)
22 units of power transformers extending in capacity
range from about 25 MVA to over 666 MVA and in
voltage range from 110 kV to 750 kV were tested at
short-circuit at Togliatty Power Testing Laboratory,
Russia, during 1983-1995 (fig. 1). The application of
LVI method and measurement of inductive reactance
deviation allowed detecting a twisting of low-voltage
International Journal of Automation and Control Engineering Volume 2 Issue 3, August 2013 www.seipub.org/ijace
121
winding and radial winding's deformations at tests of
the 400MVA and a 250MVA block power transformers.
Transformer testing for short-circuit withstand is an
instrument for reliability improvement of power
transformer design. All transformer design elements
(winding, pressing system, and etc.) must be checked
during short-circuit testing by real values of short-
circuit currents.
As known, the essence of the electrodynamic testing of
transformers consists in the creation in the process of
the specific quantity of short-circuit shots (as a rule 5-6)
of the conditions. Maximally approximating the fact 6
short-circuits can occur with the transformer during
the period of its operation as a result of possible
emergencies.
Into the complex of short-circuit testing enters the
inspection of the state of the most important elements
of transformer, in particular windings. Already final
conclusion about the results of tests was doing after the
dismantling of transformer at the manufacturing plant.
The most well known Shortcurrent Testing
Laboratories are KEMA (the Netherlands) (fig.2), CESI
(Italy) (fig.3), EDF (France), Bina (India) (fig. 4), Xihari
(China) and other.
FIG. 2 KEMA HIGH-POWER TESTING LABORATORY (THE
NETHERLANDS)
FIG. 3 CESI POWER TESTING LABORATORY AT RONDISSONE
(ITALY)
FIG. 4 1200 KV NATIONAL TEST STATION AT BINA (INDIA)
For substation electrical equipment of joint stock
company Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy
System (JSC FGC UES) the problem of short-circuit
withstand of power transformers windings also is
sufficiently urgent.
Shor t -c i r c ui t Tr ansf or mer Test i ng i s an
I nst r ument f or Rel i abi l i t y I mpr ovement of
Pow er Tr ansf or mer Desi gn
During short-circuit, the copper wires of transformer
winding were deformed under the influence of
electromagnetic forces by Biot-Savarts law, which will
be in differential form [10-15]:
df = [Bj]dv, (1)
where: df forces vector, which is influenced on the
element of current with volume dv in magnetic field
with magnetic induction and current density j.
The vector product in the right part of equality showed
that electromagnetic force is perpendicular to the
direction of magnetic induction and current density
(by left-hand rule).
The force, which acts on the winding or its part, can be
calculated by integrating the equation (1):
[ ]
=
V
dV j B F
(2)
If and j are perpendicular to each other and they are
constant throughout entire volume, then electromagnetic
force, which has influence on the element of current in
magnetic field, is:
F = Bli, (3)
where llength of wire or winding; ivalue of current
into wire or winding; Bvalue of magnetic induction.
In the case of the appearance of short circuit regime as
a result of the internal damage of transformer
windings in service or during electrodynamic testing
for short-circuit withstand with the artificial short-
circuiting of the outlets of windings, the value of the
greatest steady short-circuit current on high-voltage
side in the double winding regime without taking into
account the intermediate network elements will
www.seipub.org/ijace International Journal of Automation and Control Engineering Volume 2 Issue 3, August 2013
122
comprise:
) ( 3
. _
.
L S tr C S
tr nom
HV SC
Z Z Z
U
I
+ +
=
, (4)
where:
tr nom
U
.
- nominal voltage of transformers tap-
changer;
L
Z
- the impedance of transmission line from
the source of generation to Shortcurrent Testing
Laboratory, then short-circuit impedance of
transformer comprises (U in kV, S in MVA):
tr nom
tr nom
C S
tr C S
S
U u
Z
.
.
2
. _
100
(%)
(5)
where: (%)
C S
u
-short-circuit voltage of transformer
(from formular of transformer);
tr nom
S
.
-nominal capacity
of transformer, then short-circuit impedance of network
will be:
S C S
nom S
S
S
U
Z
_
2
. _
= (6)
where:
. _ nom S
U
-nominal voltage of network;
S C S
S
_
-
short-circuit capacity of system, which is determined
by the network capacity.
Transformation ratio is equal to:
LV
HV
T
W
W
K = (7)
where:
HV
W -the number of turns of HV winding;
LV
W -
the number of turns of LV winding.
The steady current in LV winding will comprise:
T HV SC LV SC
K I I =
(8)
Normalized values of first peak of aperiodic components
(transient) short-circuit currents will comprise:
HV SC ap
HV
ap
I K I
. .
2 =
(9)
LV SC ap
LV
I K I
. ap.
2 =
(10)
where:
. ap
K
- the value of the impact coefficient
(aperiodic coefficient) of short-circuit current, for the
powerful transformers starts
. ap
K
= 1,85.
The problem of the damage of power transformers
from the loss short-circuit withstand is not always
connected with the fact that they were originally
connected dynamically unstable to short-circuit
currents.
One should also consider that the actual short-circuit
current could be more than permission according to
the technical specifications, the effort of the pressing of
windings was reduced or it was weakened by prior
short-circuit, and other reasons.
The following aspects of the possibility of conducting
the electrodynamic tests of the power transformers at
new Shortcurrent Testing Laboratory in Russia should
be taken into consideration:
1. proximity to the source of generation with a
sufficient amount of short-circuit capacity (Ssc);
2. the agreement between generating companies,
JSC FGC UES and system operator about the
cooperation;
3. the proximity of manufacturing plants to Power
Testing Laboratory;
4. suitable territory and infrastructure, including
the railway for the transportation of
transformers;
5. human factor, i.e., the presence of the qualified
personnel;
6. large amount of financial investments.
FIG. 5 RADIAL BUCKLING IN THE HV WINDING OF 250 MVA
500/110 KV AUTOTRANSFORMER
The damage of regulating winding was detected at the
short-circuit tests of link 167MVA/ 500kV/ 220kV and
125MVA/ 220kV/ 110kV autotransformer at Togliatty
Power Testing Laboratory, Russia. The regulating
winding was untwisted at short-circuit tests of 25
MVA railway transformer. The windings of 160 MVA
metallurgical transformer were pressed off during
these testings. Deformations of turns were detected at
the electrodynamic testing of 666 MVA 500 kV
powerfull transformer for the Hydroelectric Power
Station. The LVI method is very sensitive to small local
changes of winding geometry: turn-to-turn and coil-
to-coil capacitances, mutual inductances between
transformer windings. The LVI oscillograms, containing
basic resonance frequencies of transformer winding,
are a "fingerprint" or condition state of transformer.
Generally, windings of large power transformers have
three basic resonance frequecies. Frequency Response
International Journal of Automation and Control Engineering Volume 2 Issue 3, August 2013 www.seipub.org/ijace
123
Analysis (FRA) showed presence of 110 kHz,
320kHz and 550kHz frequencies for 250MVA/220kV
transformer. Radial buckling in the HV winding of 250
MVA /500/110 kV autotransformer after short-circuit in
service is in the fig. 5.
The block diagram of new Shortcurrent Testing
Laboratory (STL) planned for the building instead of
Togliatty Power Testing Laboratory can include the
following subdivisions:
- group of the calculation of short-circuit regimes;
- group of testings and diagnostics of the state of
transformers before, after tests and between the
short-circuit shots;
- group of servicing the high-voltage thyristor
valves, which will be used in the regime of
thyristor key;
- group of the maintenance intermediate
transformer groups.
The electrical circuit of electrodynamic testing for short-
circuit withstand of 250MVA/220kV power transformer
is represented on the fig. 6, consists of disconnectors,
circuit breakers, intermediate transformer groups, high-
voltage thyristor valves, capacitive voltage dividers,
limiting resistance, tested transformer at short-circuit
and low-induction current-measuring shunts.
FIG. 6 THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT OF ELECTRODYNAMIC
TESTING FOR SHORT-CIRCUIT WITHSTAND OF 250 MVA/220
KV POWER TRANSFORMER AT TOGLIATTY POWER TESTING
LABORATORY, WHERE: 1PBB, 2PBB DISCONNECTORS; BB
CIRCUIT BREAKERS; T-1 - INTERMEDIATE TRANSFORMER
GROUPS; A1-A4, B3-B6, C2-C5 - HIGH-VOLTAGE THYRISTOR
VALVES; DH-1, DH-3 CAPACITIVE VOLTAGE DIVIDERS; R -
LIMITING RESISTANCE; TDC-250000/220 - . TESTED
TRANSFORMER AT SHORT-CIRCUIT; 1-4 THE LOW-
INDUCTION CURRENT-MEASURING SHUNTS
Short-circuit current oscillograms of HV and LV
windings of 250 MVA /220 kV transformer during first
short-circuit shot are in the fig. 7.
FIG. 7 SHORT-CIRCUIT CURRENT OSCILLOGRAMS OF HV AND
LV WINDINGS OF 250 MVA /220 KV TRANSFORMER DURING
FIRST SHORT-CIRCUIT SHOT OF PHASE B, WHERE: 1- HV
PHASE A; 2- LV PHASE B; 3- HV PHASE C; 4- HV PHASE
B
The first variant of new Shortcurrent Testing
Laboratory (STL) could become the power transformer
testing for short-circuit withstand on the area of
substation 750 kV Beliy Rast near Moscow, and with
the use short-circuit capacity of Konakovskaya
Electric Power Station with the length of 500 kV
individual transmission line Konakovskaya- Beliy Rast
of 88,9 kilometers (variant of 1).
By the second alternative (variant of 2) it is possible
to examine the electrodynamic testing of power
transformers on the 750 kV Opitnaya substation near
Tver, which is located near Konakovskaya Electric
Power Station at a distance 430 meters only.
The third variant of new STL is on the 330 kV
Vostochnaya substation near Saint-Petersburg.
LVI -t est i ng and FRA Met hod f or Tr ansf or mer
Di agnost i c
a) FOR LVI-TESTING OF PHASES - OF LV WINDING
b) FOR LVI-TESTING OF PHASES -B OF LV WINDING
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124
c) FOR LVI-TESTING OF PHASES B-C OF LV WINDING
FIG. 8 LVI-OSCILLOGRAMS OF IN LV WINDING OF 250 MVA/220
KV TRANSFORMER AFTER SHORT-CIRCUIT SHOT WITH 85%
VALUE OF TRANSIENT (APERIODIC) CURRENT IN THE PHASE
A, ILLUSTRATING THE APPEARANCE OF SIGNIFICANT
AMPLITUDE-FREQUENCY CHANGES WITH VALUE TO 1,5
VOLTS, SHORT-CIRCUIT IMPEDANCE Z =+1% (RADIAL
DEFORMATIONS)
Significant amplitude-frequency changes with value to
1,5 Volts in the LVI- oscillograms, corresponding to
radial deformations in LV winding of phase A, were
occurred during the short-circuit tests of phase A of
250 MVA/220 kV transformer after short-circuit shot
with 85% value of transient (aperiodic) current .
Conclusion was made about the impossibility of
conducting further transformer testing (fig. 8).
FIG. 9 CALCULATED FRA-SPECTRUM OF LV WINDING OF 250
MVA/220 KV TRANSFORMER AFTER SHORT-CIRCUIT SHOT
WITH 85% VALUE OF TRANSIENT (APERIODIC) CURRENT IN
THE PHASE A, BUILT ON THE BASIS OF LVI-OSCILLOGRAMS
The changes in the spectra of windings, which
occurred as a result of radial deformations, bear in
essence amplitude nature, while changes in the
frequency are less significant. One of the fundamental
resonance frequencies (fig. 9) appears frequently in the
period of 3 microseconds, i.e. 330 kHz.
It is confirmed by the calculations of spectra that the
frequency of 320 kHz is one of the fundamental
resonance frequencies. Resonances are also the
frequencies of 110 kHz and 510 divided by 550 kHz. It
is possible to establish an increase in the amplitudes
after the appearance of the deformations of at
frequencies 320 kHz and 550 kHz (fig. 9).
Typical example of deformation due to radial buckling
in the A phase LV internal winding of 250 MVA/220kV
transformer(