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Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "F6: High Voltage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 21532

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Prof. Dr. Tomasz Norbert Kołtunowicz

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Department of Electrical Devices and High Voltage Technology, Lublin University of Technology, 38A Nadbystrzycka Street, 20-618 Lublin, Poland
Interests: diagnostics of power transformers; insulation condition diagnostics; failure prevention; environmental pollution; nanocomposite materials
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Guest Editor is inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on the subject area of “Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement”.

This Special Issue will focus on the detection of degradation and failure mechanism of dielectric insulation in medium- and high-voltage power equipment. Diagnostic investigations will help to eliminate damage to the insulation components of power equipment. This can effectively reduce and even eliminate catastrophic failures and avoid accompanying environmental pollution. The Special Issue will also deal with metering, the use of sensors, and other solutions to continuously monitor the condition of the components of power equipment.

Topics of interest for publication include but are not limited to:

Determination of degradation and failure mechanism of dielectric insulation;
Diagnostics and monitoring of insulating components of power equipment, including the condition of solid, liquid (oil), and gas insulation;
Modern diagnostic methods, including the FDS method, PDC method, RVM method, SFRA method, partial discharge measurements, and localization of their places of occurrence, vibroacoustic and acoustic measurements;
Development and implementation of new diagnostic methods, etc.;
Improvement of electrical parameters of power equipment.

Prof. Dr. Tomasz Norbert Kołtunowicz
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

medium- and high-voltage power equipment
diagnostics of power equipment
degradation and failure mechanism
insulation condition diagnostics
new diagnostic methods
electrical parameter improvement
failure prevention
environmental pollution

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Related Special Issue

Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement: 2nd Edition in Energies (3 articles)

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

4 pages, 153 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement

by Tomasz N. Koltunowicz

Energies 2024, 17(11), 2704; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17112704 - 3 Jun 2024

Viewed by 1211

Abstract

The proper operation of medium- and high-voltage power equipment is greatly affected by the degradation of its insulation [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

22 pages, 24583 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Insulation Resistance Degradation Models of Extruded Power Cables under Thermal Ageing

by Xufei Ge, Fulin Fan, Martin J. Given and Brian G. Stewart

Energies 2024, 17(5), 1062; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17051062 - 23 Feb 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1337

Abstract

Insulation resistance (IR) is an essential metric indicating insulation conditions of extruded power cables. To deliver reliable IR simulation as a reference for practical cable inspection, in this paper, four IR degradation models for cross-linked polyethylene-insulated cables under thermal ageing are presented. In addition, the influences of methodologies and temperature profiles on IR simulation are evaluated. Cable cylindrical insulation is first divided into sufficiently small segments whose temperatures are simulated by jointly using a finite volume method and an artificial neural network to model the thermal ageing experiment conditions. The thermal degradation of IR is then simulated by dichotomy models that randomly sample fully degraded segments based on an overall insulation (layer) ageing condition estimation and discretization models that estimate the gradual degradation of individual segments, respectively. Furthermore, uniform and non-uniform temperature profiles are incorporated into dichotomy and discretization models, respectively, for a comparison. The IR simulation results are not only compared between different models, but also discussed around the sensitivity of IR simulation to segment sizes and degradation rates. This provides cable assessment engineers with insights into model behaviour as a reference for their selection of appropriate IR degradation models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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20 pages, 9400 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Mechanism Effect of Bending Loads on the Decay-like Degradation of Composite Insulator GFRP Core Rod

by Xiaoyu Yi, Likun Ding, Hongliang Liu, Jiaxin Zhang, Jie Liu, Zhaohui Li, Yuming Zhang, Ping Wang and Jianghai Geng

Energies 2024, 17(2), 423; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17020423 - 15 Jan 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1173

Abstract

This paper investigates the deterioration of, and the abnormal temperature rise in, the GFRP core rod material of compact V-string composite insulators subjected to prolonged alternating flexural loading under wind-induced stresses. The axial stress on the GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic) core rod, resulting from transverse wind loads, is a focal point of examination. By establishing a stress model and damage model, the paper simulates and computes the evolution of damage in the outer arc material of composite insulator core rods subjected to alternating flexural loads. Additionally, a multi-factor coupled aging platform is set up, integrating humidity, heat, and mechanical stress, to simulate the crazing deterioration process of composite insulators under alternating flexural loads. Experimental results reveal that during 400,000 alternating load cycles, the core rod underwent stages of surface damage, damage increasing, fatigue embrittlement, matrix hydrolysis, and fiber fracture. Simultaneously, the silicone rubber sheath on the outer side of the composite insulator’s bending arc develops cracks over aging time, creating pathways for moisture ingress into the interface and core rod. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor of the aging region of the core rod increase to varying degrees compared to the non-aging part. Moreover, the degree of abnormal heating of the samples intensifies with the duration of aging experiments. These findings underscore the significance of understanding the aging and decay-like fracture process of compact line V-string composite insulators. They provide crucial insights for future research aimed at enhancing the material properties of composite insulator core rods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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14 pages, 4505 KiB

Open AccessArticle

OLTC Fault detection Based on Acoustic Emission and Supported by Machine Learning

by Andrzej Cichoń and Michał Włodarz

Energies 2024, 17(1), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17010220 - 31 Dec 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1551

Abstract

Power transformers are an essential part of the power grid. They have a relatively low rate of failure, but removing the consequences is costly when it occurs. One of the elements of power transformers that are often the reason for shutting down the unit is the on-load tap changer (OLTC). Many methods have been developed to assess the technical condition of OLTCs. However, they require the transformer to be taken out of service for the duration of the diagnostics, or they do not enable precise diagnostics. Acoustic emission (AE) signals are widely used in industrial diagnostics. The generated signals are difficult to interpret for complex systems, so artificial intelligence tools are becoming more widely used to simplify the diagnostic process. This article presents the results of research on the possibility of creating an online OLTC diagnostics method based on AE signals. An extensive measurement database containing many frequently occurring OLTC defects was created for this research. A method of feature extraction from AE signals based on wavelet decomposition was developed. Several machine learning models were created to select the most effective one for classifying OLTC defects. The presented method achieved 96% efficiency in OLTC defect classification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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14 pages, 5552 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Monte Carlo Simulation of Percolation Phenomena for Direct Current in Large Square Matrices

by Pawel Zukowski, Pawel Okal, Konrad Kierczynski, Przemyslaw Rogalski, Vitalii Bondariev and Alexander D. Pogrebnjak

Energies 2023, 16(24), 8024; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16248024 - 12 Dec 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1179

Abstract

In this study, an in-depth analysis of the percolation phenomenon for square matrices with dimensions from L = 50 to 600 for a sample number of 5 × 10⁴ was performed using Monte Carlo computer simulations. The percolation threshold value was defined as the number of conductive nodes remaining in the matrix before drawing the node interrupting the last percolation channel, in connection with the overall count of nodes within the matrix. The distributions of percolation threshold values were found to be normal distributions. The dependencies of the expected value (mean) of the percolation threshold and the standard deviation of the dimensions of the matrix were determined. It was established that the standard deviation decreased with the increase in matrix dimensions, ranging from 0.0262253 for a matrix with L = 50 to 0.0044160 for L = 600, which is almost six-fold lower. The mean value of the percolation threshold was practically constant and amounted to approximately 0.5927. The analysis involved not only the spatial distributions of nodes interrupting the percolation channels but also the overall patterns of node interruption in the matrix. The distributions revealed an edge phenomenon within the matrices, characterized by the maximum concentration of nodes interrupting the final percolation channel occurring at the center of the matrix. As they approached the edge of the matrix, their concentration decreased. It was established that increasing the dimensions of the matrix slowed down the rate of decrease in the number of nodes towards the edge. In doing so, the area in which values close to the maximum occurred was expanded. Based on the approximation of the experimental results, formulas were determined describing the spatial distributions of the nodes interrupting the last percolation channel and the values of the standard deviation from the matrix dimensions. The relationships obtained showed that with increasing matrix dimensions, the edge phenomenon should gradually disappear, and the percolation threshold standard deviation values caused by it will tend towards zero. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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14 pages, 3268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Uneven Distribution of Nodes Creating a Percolation Channel in Matrices with Translational Symmetry for Direct Current

by Pawel Zukowski, Pawel Okal, Konrad Kierczynski, Przemyslaw Rogalski and Vitalii Bondariev

Energies 2023, 16(22), 7647; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16227647 - 18 Nov 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 976

Abstract

In this study, the phenomenon of node percolation was tested using the Monte Carlo computer simulation method for square matrices with dimensions L = 55, 101 and 151. The number of samples for each matrix was 5 × 10⁶. The spatial distributions of the coordinates of the nodes creating the percolation channel were determined, and maps of the density distribution of these nodes were created. It has been established that in matrices with finite dimensions, an edge phenomenon occurs, consisting of a decrease in the concentration of nodes creating a percolation channel as one approaches the edge of the matrix. As the matrix dimensions increase, the intensity of this phenomenon decreases. This expands the area in which values close to the maximum occur. The length distributions of the left and right clusters of non-conducting nodes were determined for the situation when the next randomly selected node connects them and thus reaches the percolation threshold. It was found that clusters whose dimensions are close to half of the matrix dimensions are most likely to occur. The research shows that both the values of the standard deviation of the percolation threshold and the intensity of the edge phenomenon are clearly related to the dimensions of the matrices and decrease as they increase. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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15 pages, 3525 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dielectric Breakdown Strength of PDMS Elastomers after Mechanical Cycling

by Emmanuel Taine, Thomas Andritsch, Istebreq A. Saeedi and Peter H. F. Morshuis

Energies 2023, 16(21), 7424; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16217424 - 3 Nov 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1773

Abstract

PDMS-based composites such as silicone elastomers are commonly found in high-voltage engineering, especially in outdoor insulation as coatings or structural elements or at interfaces between network elements, such as cable sealing ends (CSE). They are also promising prospects for dielectric elastomer generators (DEG), which are retrieving electrostatic energy from large strain amplitudes. The upper limit of energy conversion from these transducers is determined by the dielectric breakdown strength (DBS). Therefore, developing reliable systems that operate under high electric fields and variable repeated strains requires a thorough understanding of the mechanisms behind electrical breakdown and its coupling to mechanical cycling. In this study, the effect of Mullins damage and mechanical fatigue on silicone elastomers has been investigated. An electro-mechanical instability model that considers cyclic softening allows for predicting the evolution of the breakdown strength depending on the loading history. The results highlight the importance of the “first cycle,” where up to a 30% reduction in the mean DBS was measured. However, subsequent mechanical fatigue only marginally contributes to the degradation, which is a promising perspective for the long-term performance of any silicone elastomer as long as the precise impact of the first cycle is known. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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19 pages, 4714 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigations into the Influence of Matrix Dimensions and Number of Iterations on the Percolation Phenomenon for Direct Current

by Pawel Zukowski, Paweł Okal, Konrad Kierczynski, Przemyslaw Rogalski, Sebastian Borucki, Michał Kunicki and Tomasz N. Koltunowicz

Energies 2023, 16(20), 7128; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16207128 - 18 Oct 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1037

Abstract

The paper presents studies of the site percolation phenomenon for square matrixes with dimensions L = 55, 101 and 151 using the Monte Carlo computer simulation method. The number of iterations for each matrix was 5 × 10⁶. An in-depth analysis of the test results using the metrological approach consisting of determining the uncertainty of estimating the results of iterations with statistical methods was performed. It was established that the statistical distribution of the percolation threshold value is a normal distribution. The coefficients of determination for the simulation results in approximations of the percolation threshold using the normal distribution for the number of iterations 5 × 10⁶ are 0.9984, 0.9990 and 0.9993 for matrixes with dimensions 55, 101 and 151, respectively. The average value of the percolation threshold for relatively small numbers of iterations varies in a small range. For large numbers of iterations, this value stabilises and practically does not depend on the dimensions of the matrix. The value of the standard deviation of the percolation threshold for small numbers of iterations also fluctuates to a small extent. For a large number of iterations, the standard deviation values reach a steady state. Along with the increase in the dimensions of the matrix, there is a clear decrease in the value of the standard deviation. Its value is about 0.0243, about 0.01 and about 0.012 for matrixes with dimensions 55, 101 and 151 for the number of iterations 5 × 10⁶. The mean values of the percolation threshold and the uncertainty of its determination are (0.5927046 ± 1.1 × 10⁻⁵), (0.5927072 ± 7.13 × 10⁻⁶) and (0.5927135 ± 5.33 × 10⁻⁶), respectively. It was found that the application of the metrological approach to the analysis of the percolation phenomenon simulation results allowed for the development of a new method of optimizing the determination and reducing the uncertainty of the percolation threshold estimation. It consists in selecting the dimensions of the matrix and the number of iterations in order to obtain the assumed uncertainty in determining the percolation threshold. Such a procedure can be used to simulate the percolation phenomenon and to estimate the value of the percolation threshold and its uncertainty in matrices with other matrix shapes than square ones. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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21 pages, 10791 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Numerical Modeling of PD Pulses Formation in a Gaseous Void Located in XLPE Insulation of a Loaded HVDC Cable

by Paweł Mikrut and Paweł Zydroń

Energies 2023, 16(17), 6374; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16176374 - 2 Sep 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1569

Abstract

Power cables are one of the key components of fast-growing HVDC transmission systems. The long-term reliability of HVDC cables is closely related to the occurrence of partial discharges (PDs) in their insulation systems. The article analyzes the conditions for the formation of PD pulses in gaseous voids located in the XLPE insulation of an HVDC cable. For this purpose, the MATLAB^® procedure and the coupled electro-thermal simulation model implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics^® software were used. The FEM model was used to study the effect of the applied voltage, the temperature field (created in the insulation of the loaded cable) and the location of the gaseous void (on cable radius) in the distribution and values of the electric field in the cable insulation. The model takes into account the influence of temperature and the electric field on the conductivity of the insulating material and relates the value of the PD inception field to the temperature/pressure of the gas inside the void. In the numerical simulation procedure, the time sequences of PDs arising in the gaseous defects of the HVDC cable insulation were analyzed, by observing changes caused by the increase in the temperature of the cable core. The model was used for a study of conditions for PD formation in models of three HVDC cables, for DC voltages from 150 kV to 500 kV. The critical dimensions of gaseous voids were also estimated for each of the analyzed cables, i.e., the dimension which, if exceeded, makes a void a source of PD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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21 pages, 14629 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Advanced Diagnostic Approach for High-Voltage Insulators: Analyzing Partial Discharges through Zero-Crossing Rate and Fundamental Frequency Estimation of Acoustic Raw Data

by Kaynan Maresch, Luiz F. Freitas-Gutierres, Aécio L. Oliveira, Aquiles S. Borin, Ghendy Cardoso, Jr., Juliano S. Damiani, André M. Morais, Cristian H. Correa and Erick F. Martins

Energies 2023, 16(16), 6033; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16166033 - 17 Aug 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1566

Abstract

Acoustic inspection is a valuable technique that can detect early stage defects in equipment, thereby facilitating predictive maintenance. In recent times, ultrasonic sensors have made detecting partial discharges through acoustic sensing increasingly feasible. However, interpreting the acoustic signals can pose challenges, as it requires extensive expertise and knowledge of equipment configuration. To address this issue, a technique based on zero-crossing rate and fundamental frequency estimation has been proposed to standardize insulator diagnosis. In an experiment involving a database of 72 raw acoustic signals with frequencies ranging from 0 to 128 kHz, various types of pollution and defects were introduced to a chain of insulators. By employing the proposed technique, the occurrence of partial discharges can be detected and classified according to type, such as corona or surface discharges. This advanced approach to diagnosis simplifies the process while providing valuable insights into the severity of observed phenomena in the field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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17 pages, 6962 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Partial Discharge-Originated Deterioration of Insulating Material Investigated by Surface-Resistance and Potential Mapping

by Marek Florkowski and Maciej Kuniewski

Energies 2023, 16(16), 5973; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16165973 - 14 Aug 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2212

Abstract

The endurance of medium- and high-voltage electrical insulation is a key reliability element in a broad spectrum of applications that cover transmission and distribution levels, the transportation segment, the industrial environment, and power electronics-based energy-conversion systems. The high electric-field stress and high-frequency switching phenomena as well as the impact of environmental conditions lead to the occurrence of partial discharges (PD) and the subsequent deterioration of electrical insulation. Partial discharges usually occur inside solid insulation materials in tiny voids that may either be located adjacent to the electrodes or in the bulk of dielectric material. This effect refers to both AC and DC systems; however, AC voltage is usually much more intensive as compared to DC voltage. This paper describes a novel combined approach based on surface-resistance and potential mapping to reveal the effects of internal processes and the deterioration of insulating material due to the actions of partial discharges. To realize the research objective, the following two-step approach was proposed. Multi-point resistance mapping enables us to identify the spots of discharge channels, manifesting a-few-orders-of-magnitude-lower surface resistance as compared to untreated areas. In addition, surface-potential mapping that was stimulated by corona-charge deposition reflects quasi-equipotential clusters and the related polarity-dependent dynamics of charge decay. A high spatial and temporal resolution allows for the precise mapping and tracing of decay patterns. Experiments were carried out on polyethylene (PE) and Nomex specimens that contained embedded voids. During PD events, the effective discharge areas are identified along with the memory effects that originate from the accumulation of surface charges. Long-term aging processes may drive the formation of channels that are initiated from the deteriorated micro clusters, in turn, penetrating the bulk isolation. The presented methodology and experimental results extend the insight into PD mechanisms and internal surface processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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16 pages, 5797 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simulation and Protection of Reignition Overvoltage in Wind Farm Considering Microscopic Dielectric Recovery Process of Vacuum Circuit Breaker

by Ziheng Pu, Hao Liu, Yaoqiang Wang, Xinyun Yu and Tian Wu

Energies 2023, 16(4), 2070; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16042070 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2077

Abstract

The high amplitude and steep overvoltage generated by the breaking of the vacuum circuit breaker in the wind farm damages the inter-turn insulation of the transformer. There is a certain difference between the simulation results of the traditional reignition model and the measured overvoltage. It is necessary to improve the simulation model to simulate the overvoltage condition of the transformer more accurately and then select appropriate overvoltage protection measures. In this paper, based on the physical process of dielectric recovery during the opening process of the vacuum circuit breaker, a model of dielectric strength recovery is built to simulate the arc reignition of the vacuum circuit breaker. The model was applied to compare the overvoltage protection effects of RC snubbers, surge arresters, and choke coils. The simulation results show that the overvoltage amplitude and reignition times calculated by the model proposed in this paper are closer to the measured values. Compared with the traditional linear curve reignition model, the accuracy was increased by 24% and 51.2%, respectively. The parameter value of RC snubbers, the connection mode of surge arresters, and the combination mode of choke coil have an influence on overvoltage suppression. Finally, a suitable suppression scheme is proposed by installing a combined arrester on the high-voltage side of the transformer and connecting a choke coil in series, which can limit the phase-to-ground voltage and the phase-to-phase voltage to 2.43 p.u and 3.24 p.u, respectively, and reduce the steepness from 157.2 kV/μs to 22.3 kV/μs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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18 pages, 7737 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inter-Turn Breakdown Fault Analysis and Winding Structure Optimisation of Winding of Dry-Type Transformers in Wind Farms

by Ziheng Pu, Xinyun Yu, Yaoqiang Wang, Hao Liu and Zihao Feng

Energies 2023, 16(4), 2012; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16042012 - 17 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2553

Abstract

To address the problem of winding turn-to-turn breakdown faults in 35 kV dry-type transformers in wind farms under overvoltage conditions, this paper establishes a simulation model based on the structural dimensions and material parameters of the transformer windings. The winding distribution parameters were calculated using the finite element method. The transient processes inside the high-voltage coil were calculated by constructing a multi-conductor transmission line model (MTL) that took into account the influence of the secondary winding. The voltage distribution of the winding was analysed for both lightning shock and extra-fast transient overvoltage conditions. The simulation results show that the maximum overvoltage between turns of the transformer winding under lightning shock is 5.282 kV; the maximum overvoltage between turns of the winding under very fast transient overvoltage is 11.6 kV, which occurs between the first 2–3 layers of the section, close to the insulation breakdown margin. On this basis, the transformer winding structure was optimised and the maximum inter-turn overvoltage after optimisation was 9.104 kV, reducing the likelihood of insulation breakdown by 24.1%. Finally, the accuracy of the winding structure optimisation simulation study was verified by testing the transformer’s impulse voltage before and after optimisation, providing a reference for the stable operation of 35 kV dry-type transformers in wind farm practical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dielectric Insulation in Medium- and High-Voltage Power Equipment—Degradation and Failure Mechanism, Diagnostics, and Electrical Parameters Improvement)

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