3rd International Conference on Engineering and ICT (ICEI2012)

Melaka, Malaysia
4 5 April 2012

ANALYSIS OF KRAFT PAPER INSULATIONS LIFE FOR 15MVA POWER

DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMER IN TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD
I.S. Chairul 1,a*, Y.H. Md Thayoob2,b, Y.Z. Yang Ghazali3,c, M.S. Ahmad Khiar4,d and S.A. Ghani5,e
1,4,5

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, Malaysia.
Email: imransc @utem.edu.my, dEmail: mohd.shahril@utem.edu.my, eEmail: sharinag@utem.edu.my.
2 College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang, Malaysia. bEmail: yasmin@uniten.edu.my.
3
TNB Distribution Division, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. cEmail: young@tnb.com.my.
a

Abstract - Among the most expensive and major equipment

in any transmission and distribution electrical network is a
transformer. Examples of electrical insulations for
transformer are mineral oil and cellulose based paper. The
said insulations degraded as transformers performed their
work, while the most critical component of the transformer
insulation system is the paper insulation. It is not easily
replaced as compared to oil where it is easily reconditioned
in-order to remove water and contaminants. Experimental
and simulation studies on paper insulation showed that
temperature, oxygen and moisture contents contributed to
its degradation. Moisture and Furan were produced from
these deterioration processes. In this study level of 2Furaldehyde (2FAL) were obtained from Tenaga Nasional
Berhad (TNB) in-service distribution power transformer.
Categorizations were then carried out on these data for endof-life analysis. This study shows that the end-of-life in years
derived from probability density function (Pdf)) can be used
to estimate the life of paper insulation.

influence [1,2] which using a test cell and a stainless steel

tube [3].
Non-destructive testing (NDT) or diagnostic can be
used to determine insulation status of electrical power
equipment whether in good condition or other wise at any
given point in time [3]. Regular analysis of an oil sample
is the basic method of NDT applied by many utilities to
identify the onset of unreliability paper insulation as the
end of its life approaches. This is because the
decomposition-by products due to the aged paper
insulations are transported into the transformer oil.
Diagnostic methods used for furan level detection is
High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The
furan level which is 2-Furaldehyde(2FAL) are used as
paper insulation degradation indicator after Degree of
Polymerization (DP) [4] was no longer being used for the
same purpose due to paper samples collection difficulty
via opening the transformer.

KeywordsKraft Paper, Paper Insulations Life, Power

Transformer, Probability Density
Furaldehyde (2FAL)

I.

Function (Pdf),

2-

INTRODUCTION

Transformer played a major role in transmission and

distribution electrical network and is also among the most
expensive equipment. Transformers cannot last for long
and its health is depending on the electrical insulation
mineral oil and cellulose based paper insulation which
acted as the principal insulation components in most
power transformers. The most critical component of the
insulation system for power transformer is the paper
insulation which is intimately wound around the copper
or aluminum conductors in the windings; as such it is not
easily replaced. This paper will be focusing on the paper
insulation condition and its life assessment using
probability density function (Pdf) by utilizing the
parameters levels of 2-Furaldehyde (2FAL).
II.

III.

METHODOLOGY

2FAL levels data were collected by the TNB through

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
technique. The HPLC were executed according to ASTM
D 5857 standard as in [5,6] where a sample of the oil will
be extracted either with another liquid such as acetonitrite
or with a solid phase extraction device. The extracted
compound is then analyzed using HPLC. The results are
usually reported in terms of parts per billion (ppb).
The categorization using 2FAL levels are as in Table
1[7] which gives the general guidelines for the
relationship between 2FAL, DP and percentage of
remaining life of paper insulation. The evaluated
percentage of remaining life is equal to 0% when the
2FAL level is at 7337 ppb. In other words, 0% life means
the paper insulation is no longer functioning as it is
supposed to be which is to insulate the conductors. There
are only 2 state of conditions will be used in this study,
either the parameters data show that it still remain in
operation (S) or failure (F).

BACKGROUND

There are several methods conducted in-order to simulate

the degradation of paper insulation. They were carried out
experimentally in the laboratory under controlled
condition so that the degradation processes of paper
insulation were accelerated from years to hours. The
simulation experiments were under thermal ageing

418

3rd International Conference on Engineering and ICT (ICEI2012)

Melaka, Malaysia
4 5 April 2012
Table 1: Evaluation of Remaining Life Using 2FAL and DP[7].
54 C Rise

Evaluated

Transformer

Degree of

2FAL

Polymerization

Evaluated
Percentage
of
Remaining

(ppb)

(DP)

Life

58

800

100

130

700

90

292

600

79

654

500

66

Accelerated
Ageing

1,464

400

50

Rating

1,720

380

46

2,021

360

42

2,374

340

38

Excessive Ageing

2,789

320

33

Danger Zone

3,277

300

29

3,851

280

24

4,524

260

19

5,315

240

13

6,245

220

7,337

200

Suggested

Site

Interpretation

TUDM T2
TANJUNG KARANG T2
SUNGEI WAY T1
BANDAR SEPANG T1
KALUMPANG T2
BANDAR SEPANG T2
SERENDAH T1
TANJUNG KARANG T1
MORIB T1
MORIB T2
SEK 9 BANGI T2
SIME DARBY T2
SIME DARBY T1
SUBANG AIRPORT T2
SG LANG SABAK
BERNAM T1
SALAK TINGGI T2
SUBANG AIRPORT T1
BANGI LAMA T1
SUNGEI WAY T2
TELUK PANGLIMA
GARANG 2 T2
NORTH KLANG STRAITS
T1
KALUMPANG T1
SUNGAI MANGGIS T1
BERANANG T1
AIR HITAM T1
SEK 9 BANGI T1
SUNGAI MANGGIS T2
SALAK TINGGI T1
TELUK PANGLIMA
GARANG 2 T1
TAMAN MAS T1
TELUK PANGLIMA
GARANG 1 T2
TAMAN MAS T2
PJ OLD OFFICE T2
PJ OLD OFFICE T1
BERANANG T2
TELUK PANGLIMA
GARANG 1 T1
PANDAMARAN T2
PJ OLD OFFICE T3
DAMANSARA UTAMA
T2
DAMANSARA UTAMA
T3
NORTH KLANG STRAITS
T3
PANDAMARAN T1
NORTH KLANG STRAITS
T2

Normal Ageing
Rate

High Risk of
Failure
End of Expected
Life
of Paper
Insulation and
of transformer

Webull++7 software [8] is a reliability and life data

analysis software which is used to produce the Pdf. The
data required by this software are 2FAL condition
whether it is still remain in operation (S) or failure (F)
and the age of Kraft paper during 2FAL level detection.
The end years of the Pdf produced will shows the
estimation life of Kraft paper insulation.
IV

Table 2: State of Paper Insulation According to 2FAL Levels

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

All data were collected in the best knowledge of the

personal concern by following a very stringent
procedures set by TNB. Data were verified by the
superior and as such they were undeniable and disputed.
2FAL levels were collected from the 43 units of different
TNBs in-service transformers in the state of Selangor
which have the capacity and type of paper of 15MVA,
33/11kV and electrical Kraft insulating paper
respectively.
Table 2 shows the state of 43 unit of the
transformers paper insulation according to their
categories, either still remains in operation (S) or failure
(F). Results shows only 3 out of 43 unit of transformers
had its paper insulation in failure state.

Transformer
Age (yrs)
16
12
14
12
13
10
15
11
15
15
14
15
15
16

2FAL
(ppb)
2
25
36
46
48
66
70
79
110
122
135
151
154
158

F/S
Condition
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S

10

177

14
15
11
9

184
194
216
233

S
S
S
S

14

290

24

356

23
22
14
31
14
18
25

363
451
498
754
846
989
1003

S
S
S
S
S
S
S

14

1133

29

1197

27

1377

29
26
27
16

1484
2437
2440
2606

S
S
S
S

27

3200

25
43

3997
6757

S
S

40

7067

35

7250

33

7677

26

11590

34

16940

Figure 1 shows a probability graph which is a

graph for unreliability, F(t) in percentage (%) versus time
(t) in years obtained using Weibull++7 software. As
shown, there is a straight line was between 20.0380 and
48.2693 years which represents the BX information at 1%
and 99% respectively. BX information is the time at
which X% of the units in a population would have failed.
Noted that, 1% unreliability or failure occur when the
time is 20 years. In other words, within 20 years, there
would be only 1% failure among the paper insulation for
the total 43 units of transformer while there would be
99% failure after 48 years of survive.

419

3rd International Conference on Engineering and ICT (ICEI2012)

Melaka, Malaysia
4 5 April 2012
Re liaS oft Wei bull ++ 7 - www.Relia Soft.com

VI

Pr ob ab ilit y - W eib ull

99
2FA L
We ibu ll-2P
RRX S RM MED F M
F=3 /S=40
Data Po in ts
Pro bab ility L in e

90

50

FURTHER WORK

More data of 2FAL need to be collected for future works

suggestion. Instead of collecting the 2FAL level from
15MVA, 33/11kV power distribution transformer for this
study, the 30MVA, 33/11kV power distribution
transformer will be considered.

10

REFERENCES
5

[1]

[2]

1
10

10 0

Ti me ( t) , years

Figure 1: Probability of 2FAL versus Time

Estimation of Weibull distribution parameters, slope

parameter,
and scale parameter,
can also be
obtained from the probability plot of Figure 1. These
parameters then are used to obtained the Weibull Pdf as
shown in Figure 2 by using formula of equation 1[8].

f (T )

[3]

[4]

[5]
[6]

(1)

Figure 2 shows a graph of probability density

function (Pdf). As shown, it is bell shape graph with the
total area under the Pdf curve is always equal to 1. The
end point for this Pdf is at 55 years which is also
indicates the end life estimation of Kraft paper insulation

[7]

[8]

P. Verma et al, Generation of Furanic Compounds in

Transformer Oil Under Accelerated Thermal and Electrical
Stress,IEEE 2005, pp 112-116.
M. K. Pradhan, Assessment of the Status of Insulation during
Thermal Stress Accelerated Experiments on Transformer
Prototypes, IEEE Trans on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation
Vol. 13, No. 1; February 2006, pp 227-237.
Zalizah Poniran, Zulkurnain Abdul Malek, Life Assessment of
Power Transformer via Paper Ageing Analysis, IEEE
POWERENG 2007, pp 460-465.
Technical Bulletin, DGA Expert systems, Degree of
Polymerization of Cellulose, ASTM D 4243 Northern Technology
and Testing
Technical Bulletin, DGA Expert systems, Furan Testing, ASTM
D 5837 Northern Technology and Testing.
Masoud Aminian et. Al, Investigation of Paper Aging Assessment
by Furan Concentration Monitoring, IEEE SCOReD 2009
Mr.K Baburao et al, The Experience of DP and Furan In
Remnant Life Assessment of Power Transformer, 2008
International Conference on Condition Monitoring and Diagnosis
Reliasoft Corporation (2009), Reliability and Life Data Analysis
Reliasoft Publishing

Re liaS oft Wei bull ++ 7 - www.Relia Soft.com

Pr ob ab ilit y Den sit y F un ctio n

0.070
2 FAL
Weibu ll-2 P
RRX S RM MED FM
F=3/S=40
Pdf L i ne

0.056

0.042

0.028

0.014

0.000
0

12

24

36

48

60

Time ( t) , years

Figure 2: Pdf of 2FAL versus Time

CONCLUSION

As conclusions from this study, levels of 2FAL could be

used as an indicator for paper insulation ageing.
Probability density function (Pdf) could be used to
estimate the Kraft papers life condition. Pdf of insulating
paper condition could provide the probability and
prediction of transformers life. It can be used as input for
asset management planners whether to change a
transformer, controlling parameters levels for winding
temperature, oxygen level, moisture or just observing the
2FAL levels.

420