Search by keyword:

43 Search Results

Understanding Your Test Results

One of the most important functions of oil in a transformer is to protect the paper (solid insulation).  As oil ages, it loses its ability to protect the paper from degradation.  Aging also weakens the oil’s ability to act as a cooling medium and provide dielectric strength – ultimately protecting the transformer from failure.  Through the aging process, chemical by-products build up in the oil and the paper, creating acid by-products and sludge. These decay products begin to affect the oil’s protective qualities almost immediately after they form, they begin to break down the molecular structure of the solid insulation.

Furan Testing - Part 5

The significance of the furan test results depends, in part, on the reason for testing the unit in the first place. If you have baseline data, or if you have other past history, any increase in total furans, and especially the presence of specific furans other than 2-furaldehyde, may be significant. Even a small increase may indicate a significant, suggesting ongoing breakdown in the solid insulation. When we do not have a history of furans analysis to follow up on other abnormal results or for a baseline determination, we have to make our judgement and recommendations based on complete information and some general guidelines.

Ethane Levels in Natural Esters

Over the years, customers have asked us a variety of questions about dissolved gas analysis (DGA) results that indicate elevated ethane levels in natural ester fluid. Natural ester-filled transformers, specifically those filled with FR3, have a tendency to generate ethane—and sometimes hydrogen—as stray gasses at temperatures normally found in a properly operated transformer. While not typical in every case, it does happen frequently enough that we do not consider it to be abnormal. 
Please wait while logging in.