Estimating the Remaining Lifetime of Power Transformers Using Paper Insulation Degradation

• Autor(a) principal: Nuno Filipe Osório Morais
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/115985
• topic: Engenharia electrotécnica, electrónica e informática; Electrical engineering, Electronic engineering, Information engineering

Power transformers play a major role in electrical networks. Due to their high price and the inconveniences that may derive from them reaching the end of life, it is crucial that companies who own this type of equipment may predict what is its remaining lifetime. This prediction becomes even more important when the expected useful life (approximately 40 years) has been overcome. This specific situation is very common and, in some cases, there are 60 years old devices.Therefore, the present work conceives and implements an algorithm that allows to estimate the remaining lifetime of power transformers, making it possible to owners to make an adequate and early plan for maintenance and replacement when it is needed. This estimation is made using the paper insulation degradation, with the analysis of 2-furaldehyde (2FAL) content and Degree of Polymerization(DP) measures.This method's viability is evaluated by performing tests with real Power Transformers' data. By performing this tests, it is possible to conclude that this is a viable method. However, it's effectiveness can not be confirmed due to the lack of information on the studied power transformers' end of life.