Power Transformer Diagnosis from Furan Compounds

Abstract

The lifetime of power transformers depends on the exploitation and maintenance.  During their operation, are subjected to mechanical, thermal, electrical and environmental stresses that degrade oil and insulating materials, causing internal defects, of slow development, that if detected early, can be avoided by becoming in costly major faults. During the last 30 years, various studies have shown that the correlation between the furans and the polymerization degree has a direct relationship with the level of paper degradation, which aging process consists essentially in a depolymerization caused by chemical reactions: acid-hydrolysis, pyrolysis and oxidation. The objective of the research is to use the furan compound analysis in operating oil transformer to determine their degree of polymerization, diagnose faults and know the aging state of the insulation in them. The following methods are used: Historical - logical; in the analysis of the history and evolution of the topic; induction - inference and generalization in the study of literature related to research; deductive - for from the results of laboratory tests – make the diagnosis and mathematicians, in the calculations and data revisions. As a result, diagnoses were made in operating transformers, which allow us to conclude that furan concentrations in the dielectric oil can be used for determining the status of transformers and to detect newly started small faults and of slow evolution.