CIGRE 2012

Elektrotechnik & Informationstechnik DOI 10.1007/s00502-012-0112-2

Condition assessment of instrument

transformers using dielectric response
analysis
S. Raetzke, M. Koch, M. Krueger, A. Talib

Dielectric response analysis is an advanced technique, providing information about the insulation condition of the measured test
object. It is typically used for power transformers, where the water content in the solid cellulosic insulation can be assessed. Water
in oil-paper/pressboard insulations is decreasing the dielectric strength, accelerating the ageing and causing the bubble effect at
high temperatures. Also instrument transformers are oil-paper insulated and therefore exposed to the harming effects of water. The
condition assessment of the insulation system of instrument transformers has not played an important role up to now since typical
measurement methods which might be used for power transformers are not applicable here. For example oil sampling is often avoided
due to the small oil volume. However, the increasing age is leading to a higher risk of explosions, which can damage surrounding parts
and cause high follow-up costs. This paper introduces a new approach to use the dielectric response analysis for condition assessment
of instrument transformers.
The measurement of the dielectric response in a wide frequency range (e.g. 100 Hz up to 5 kHz) provides information about the
insulation condition and especially for oil-paper/pressboard insulations about the water content in the solid insulation. The measured
curve is formed by the superposition of the dielectric response of the cellulosic material and the oil. It is reflecting the conductivity
and polarization effects of each material. Due to the high content of cellulosic material, the oil has a minor impact on the dielectric
response of an instrument transformer and the curve is highly determined by the behavior of the cellulosic material.
The resulting curve can be used for the assessment of the insulation condition in various ways. Qualitative comparisons, e.g. between
instrument transformers of the same type and age, might give general information which of these is in better condition. The dissipation
factor and the capacitance trend can also deliver valuable data. Furthermore, the water content in the solid insulation can be assessed.
An automatic analysis algorithm compares the measured dielectric properties of the actual instrument transformer with modeled
dielectric properties to calculate the water content in the solid insulation. This paper describes the modeling in concerns of water
content, oil conductivity and geometry. Furthermore, the influences of temperature and ageing products are explained.
To confirm the validity of this assessment, measurements on several instrument transformers in service were performed. Dielectric
response curves and the trend of the capacitances for new and aged instrument transformers with different water contents are
discussed. Selected examples presented in this paper show, that the dielectric response is well-modeled and the water content can be
derived. Also ageing effects can be observed. To avoid explosions of their instrument transformers, this method is now regularly used
by TNB.
Keywords: current transformer; voltage transformer; instrument transformer; condition; dielectric response analysis; dielectric
frequency response

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1. Introduction
Instrument transformers are important apparatuses used in transmission and distribution networks all over the world. Being not as
expensive as e.g. power transformers, instrument transformers were
rather replaced than repaired. However, a defect instrument transformer can explode, what may cause extensive damages of surrounding plant sections.
Nearly 50 % of all major failures are caused by an internal dielectric failure (Cigr 2011). Since the majority of instrument transformers is oil-paper insulated, ageing of the paper material is a crucial
factor for the lifetime. Paper is made of cellulose. Its ageing might
lower the dielectric strength and will lead to a decreased degree of
polymerization in paper. It is depending on some influencing factors, like the temperature, present oxygen, water or acids. Especially
water in the cellulosic insulation can be critical (Sokolov et al. 2008).
Existing water causes hydrolysis, which is producing more water as a
product of this chemical reaction. Therefore water is an accelerator
for ageing of the solid insulation.

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Typically, new oil-paper insulations have a very low water content

of about 0.5 % in the solid insulation. During service the water content is increasing due to e.g. leakages and hydrolysis. Above 2.2 %
water content the solid insulation is called moderately wet (Koch
und Krueger 2008), what is typical for instrument transformers being in service for several years. At the physically end of life, the insulation is often wet having a water content of 3.5 % or above.
Even though water content in the solid insulation is no direct measurand for ageing, it is a strong indicator for the condition of the
solid insulation.
To avoid failures with expensive secondary damages, several tests
can be performed to determine the condition of instrument trans-

Paper submitted for the CIGRE Session 2012, SC B3, Paris, France, August 2731, 2012.
Raetzke, S., OMICRON Electronics Austria, Klaus, Austria
(E-mail: stephanie.raetzke@omicron.at); Koch, M., OMICRON Electronics Austria, Klaus,
Austria; Krueger, M., OMICRON Electronics Austria, Klaus, Austria; Talib, A., TNB
Research Sdn. Bhd., 43650 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

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Fig. 1. Measurement of the dielectric response on a current transformer

formers. The choice of tests and the testing frequency is widely varying from utility to utility. Typical are for example visual inspection,
oil analysis and DGA, insulation resistance measurement, high voltage withstand tests, partial discharge measurement or ratio checks
(CIGR Study 2009). Unfortunately the gained information about
the insulation condition is limited. Oil sampling is often avoided due
to the small volume. The partial discharge measurement detects
weak points in the insulation and can not give information about
the overall condition. Finally the insulation resistance is helpful to
find already defective insulations, but is limited for lifetime estimation.
The measurement of dielectric properties, like the dissipation factor (tan or DF) or capacitance at mains frequency (50/60 Hz) is often used to gain information about the insulation condition. However, several factors are influencing the dissipation factor reading at
mains frequency, what causes uncertainties in the assessment. The
measurement over a wide frequency range can help to distinguish
between different effects for a more detailed analysis of the insulation condition.
2. Dielectric response of instrument transformers
Dielectric response methods have been developed to deduce water
content in paper and pressboard from dielectric properties like polarization currents and dissipation factor (Gubanski et al. 2010). They
are typically used to assess the condition of power transformers, but
can also be applied to other oil-paper insulations like bushings, cables or instrument transformers. Due to the wide frequency range
of the dielectric response measurement it is possible to distinguish
between different effects and gain information about the insulation
condition itself, water content in the solid insulation or oil conductivity (Koch und Krueger 2008).
The setup for the dielectric response measurement is the same as
for traditional dissipation factor measurement at mains frequencies
(Fig. 1). The resulting curves are similar to the single response of cellulosic material without any oil (Fig. 2) (Koch et al. 2009), since the
insulation itself consists mainly of paper material. The dielectric dissipation factor is decreasing with increasing frequency, usually having a minimum around 1100 Hz. Especially at low frequencies, the
slope of the curves seems to be linear. As for other oil-paper insulations, the temperature as well as the oil conductivity is influencing the dielectric response. Higher temperatures and higher oil con-

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S. Raetzke et al. Condition assessment of instrument transformers

Fig. 2. Dielectric response of paper at 20 C with 1 % (2 % and 3 %)

water content

ductivities are shifting the curves towards higher frequencies (Koch

2008).
3. Assessment of the dielectric response
3.1 Qualitative comparison
A measured dielectric response curve can be assessed using different
methods. Like shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a comparison between instrument transformers of the same type can give information, whether
the overall condition in the solid insulation is similar or if one of
them shows a stronger deterioration of the insulation. Typically the
one with a worse insulation condition shows a higher dissipation
factor. Reason for a worse insulation condition could be e.g. a defect sealing and resulting water ingress or a higher workload.
Figure 3 shows the dielectric response curves of four current transformers of the same type. All of them were manufactured in 1963
and having nearly identical slopes, suggesting a similar ageing behavior. The curve shape itself is very similar to the one of paper
material only (Fig. 2). According to the analysis (Sect. 3.2), the insulations have a water content of 1.81.9 % and an oil conductivity
of 36 pS/m.
Figure 4 shows another example of two current transformers of
the same type. They are having different curve shapes. Like mentioned above, the curve with a higher DF is typically in a worse condition, in this case it is having a water content of 2 % in the solid
insulation according to the analysis. The other current transformer
has a significant lower water content of 0.6 % in the solid insulation.
The principle changes of the dielectric response curves due to ageing and/or moisture ingress can be understood by comparing instrument transformers of different age and condition (Fig. 5). Newly
manufactured and very dry instrument transformers have a very flat
response. Both, water content and ageing result in a steeper slope
at lower frequencies. However, the values for the dissipation factor
at mains frequencies are in the same range as for new ones. Only
for the heavily aged and wet instrument transformer the dissipation
factor at mains frequency is significantly enhanced.
3.2 Moisture determination
The moisture determination using the dielectric response curves is
based on a comparison between the measured curve and a modeled curve (Fig. 6). The curve modeling is done with help of a data

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S. Raetzke et al. Condition assessment of instrument transformers

Fig. 6. Calculation of the water content based on comparison of the

measured dielectric response to a modeled curve

Fig. 3. Dielectric response of four current transformers of the same

type

Fig. 7. Dissipation factor for new and aged pressboard samples at

20 C, having similar water contents

Fig. 4. Dielectric response of two current transformers of the same

type

Fig. 5. Dielectric response of instrument transformers of different

age and condition

base including material properties of cellulosic materials with different water contents and temperatures. Using the so called XY -model
(Koch 2008), a dielectric response is calculated under consideration
of the insulation geometry, temperature, oil and moisture content.
A fitting algorithm aligns the modeled response of the data base to

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the measured curve of the real insulation and automatically delivers the water content of the cellulose material as well as the water
saturation or the oil conductivity.
The used XY -model is developed to model the properties of oilpaper insulations, initially for power transformers. The model takes
into account the amount of barriers and spacers of the insulation.
Instrument transformers consist as well of a cylindrical insulation,
similar to power transformers. The main part of the insulation (70
90 %) is consisting of paper, enwrapping the inner conductor and
therefore having similar behavior as barriers. Also oil gaps exist, as
between spacers of power transformer insulations. Therefore it is
assumed, that the XY -model can be applied to instrument transformers as well. However, the insulation of instrument transformers
is not as ideal cylindrical as power transformers. Therefore the uncertainty of the assessment of the water content will be higher compared to power transformers. Several measurements on instrument
transformers were done and the analysis algorithm was able to get
a proper fitting and reasonable results, leading to the presumption
that this approach is adequate for the dielectric response analysis on
instrument transformers.
Aging of cellulose and oil causes conductive byproducts as carboxylic acids. These acids are deposited in the insulation and influence the resulting dielectric response. Figure 7 compares the dissipation factor of aged material to that of new material at similar water contents. The conductive ageing products have a similar effect
as higher water contents. Accordingly, this might lead to an overestimation of the water content. To avoid such an overestimation,
the analysis algorithm compensates for the influence of conductive

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Fig. 8. DF at 50 Hz and water content for various instrument transformers of different condition (temperature: 25 C . . . 30 C)

Fig. 9. DF at 10 mHz and water content for various instrument transformers of different condition (temperature: 25 C . . . 30 C)

aging byproducts, resulting in a more reliable result for aged insulations.

3.3 Analysis of dissipation factor at different frequencies
Besides the water content the dielectric response delivers more valuable data. If single values are needed, e.g. for an asset management
software, information about the dissipation factor or capacitance
trend might be used. To visualize the general influence of water
content and ageing, the results of more than 30 instrument transformers of different types and designs were analyzed. The condition
varies from newly manufactured, medium aged in service, to heavily aged and out of service. Unfortunately no direct quantification
for ageing is possible without dismantling. For measuring the degree of polymerization a paper sampling would be necessary. Since
the water content in paper is increased during lifetime due to the
hydrolysis, it is used as an indicator for the insulation condition.
A typical measurement providing information about the insulation condition of high voltage assets is the dissipation factor measurement at mains frequency. For all investigated instrument transformers, the dissipation factor at 50 Hz is shown in Fig. 8. This value
tends to increase for higher moisture contents in the solid insulation
and is strongly influenced by the insulation temperature. However,
the dissipation factor at 50 Hz is having very similar values (0.002
0.004) for dry insulations and insulations with a water content up

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S. Raetzke et al. Condition assessment of instrument transformers

Fig. 10. Frequency dependent capacitances of various instrument

transformers depending on frequency

Fig. 11. Ratio of capacitance values between 10 mHz and 50 Hz for

investigated instrument transformers

to about 3 %. This is reasonable, since the slope of the dissipation

factor has the smallest steepness and its minimum around mains
frequencies. A high measured dissipation factor of more than 0.01
would therefore indicate a high water content, what is usually a sign
for bad insulation condition.
The dielectric response enables to analyze also lower frequencies,
e.g. the dissipation factor at 10 mHz. This value also tends to increase with increasing water content in the solid insulation (Fig. 9).
As it can be seen in Fig. 5 as well, water content and ageing is increasing the slope of the dissipation factor curve leading to wider
range of the values at 10 mHz.
3.4 Analysis of capacitance trend
An ideal insulation has a frequency independent capacitance. However, the capacitance of a real insulation is slightly increasing towards low frequencies (Fig. 10). This trend is more pronounced for
aged insulations compared to new ones. The capacitance trend can
be visualized in the ratio of the capacitances, e.g. at 10 mHz and
50 Hz (Fig. 11). This value is independent of capacitance and insulation temperature. A clear tendency can be observed, that the ratio
is increasing with increasing water content (wc). This finding suggests the capacitance ratio as a good value, which can be used for
assessment decisions.

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4. Field experiences using dielectric response analysis

TNB (Tenaga National Berhad) is the largest utility in Malaysia. After
a series of instrument transformer failures it was looking for a new
method for condition assessment. During a test in 2009 it was using
the dielectric response analysis for an instrument transformer, being
out of service for more than 5 years. This instrument transformer
should replace a defective component. Performing the normal test
procedure according to established criteria, no anomaly was noticed.
However, due to the experiences of the past a dielectric response
analysis was done additionally. The dielectric response curve did not
show anything critical at 50 Hz, but below 100 mHz and above
100 Hz significant deviations from the typical curves were observed.
The analysis showed that the insulation was moderately wet and the
instrument transformer was therefore dried before service.
The dielectric response analysis is now regularly done at TNB. Furthermore it is considered to use the method also for other high voltage equipments.
5. Conclusion
The dielectric response analysis, typically used for power transformer
can also be applied to oil-paper insulated instrument transformers. The measurement of the dielectric properties over a wide frequency range enables a detailed analysis of the insulation condition,
amongst others delivering information about ageing and water content:
A qualitative comparison between instrument transformers of the
same type can easily be used for identifying defect units.
Using the described algorithm it is possible to estimate the water
content from the dielectric response curve. The water content is

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typically a good indicator for ageing, since the dominant ageing

mechanism in the solid insulation is hydrolysis.
The dissipation factor at 50 Hz is typically increasing with increasing water content. Also the dissipation factor at low frequencies,
for example 10 mHz can be used. It is also increasing with increasing water content.
There is a trend of an increasing capacitance at low frequencies.
This trend is stronger with increasing age and/or water content.
A ratio, formed of capacitances between 10 mHz and 50 Hz, can
visualize the increase.
The mentioned results of the dielectric response analysis provide single values, which might be helpful for asset management or lifetime
estimation.
References
CIGR Study Committee A3 (2009): State of the art of instrument transformers. In Technical
brochure (Vol. 394), Paris
Cigr WG A3-06 (2011): Tutorial on reliability of high voltage equipment. Held during the
SC A3 high voltage equipment symposium, Vienna, Austria, September 7.
Gubanski, S. M., et al. (2010): Dielectric response diagnoses for transformer windings. In
CIGR task force D1.1.14. Technical brochure (Vol. 414). Paris.
Koch, M. (2008): Reliable moisture determination in power transformers. PhD Thesis, institute of energy transmission and high voltage engineering, University of Stuttgart, Sierke
Verlag, Gttingen, Germany.
Koch, M., Krueger, M. (2008): A fast and reliable dielectric diagnostic method to determine
moisture in power transformers. In International conference on condition monitoring and
diagnosis (CMD), Peking, China, 2124 April 2008.
Koch, M., Krueger, M., Puetter, M. (2009): Advanced insulation diagnostic by dielectric
spectroscopy. In TechCon Asia pacific, Sydney, Australia. May 2009.
Sokolov, et al. (2008): Moisture equilibrium and moisture migration within transformer
insulation systems. In Cigr Working Group A2.30. Technical brochure (Vol. 359). Paris.

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