2008 International Conference on Condition Monitoring and Diagnosis, Beijing, China, April 21-24, 2008

Vibration Monitoring on Power Transformer

Rikardo Siregar A1*, Bambang Cahyono B2, Sumaryadi C2, Yulian Tamsir D2,
Arief Setyowibowo E2, Irvan Kharil Solin F2
*E-mail : r_zegar@yahoo.com


Abstract--Nowadays electrical utilities or industries are trying
to monitor their electrical apparatus with online monitoring,
without shutting the apparatus down. We are in PLN has taken
this monitoring concept by applying vibration monitoring. This
vibration monitoring has been applied to some of the
transformers as a pilot project in PLN Region Jakarta and
Banten. As voltage applied to the transformer, vibration is
produced. This vibration level depends on the transformer
construction and design. Vibration level shall increased by
through fault current, phase to ground or phase to phase fault.
This electrical fault will change the transformer core or winding
construction by mechanical force produced. The effect of the
fault can be found by measuring the vibration level before and
after several faults on low voltage side. In this method, vibration
level is measured by putting twelve magnetic vibration sensors on
the transformers body in the same height, six sensors on each
side. By using this configuration, the transformer vibration can
be measured confidently from different sides. Further
investigation is still needed to determine the transformer
condition by measuring the vibration level after fault on low
voltage side.

these force impact is deformation in winding and core. It will

increase the vibration level, some of structure supporting like
clamping is loosen.
Vibration in transformer can be found in winding or core.
Winding vibration is caused by electro dynamic force due to
interaction of the current in the winding with leakage flux
(Bd). This electro dynamic force is proportional to square
current that flows in the winding.

Fw f i 2

(1)

Core vibration is caused bay core magnetostriction and

magnetic forces.
Beside of core or winding vibration as vibration sources,
loosen on clamping and partial discharge give a contribution
on transformer vibration.
In monitoring the internal structure condition there are
some methods that possibly used. They are Frequency
Response Analysis (FRA) and Vibration Monitoring. In this
occasion we will describe Transformer Vibration Monitoring.
But unfortunately monitoring with FRA is applicable when
the apparatus out of service. Vibration monitoring is of
Index TermsVibration monitoring, vibration sources, sensor,
solution to get the latest condition when the monitoring object
winding deformation.
is in service.
I. INTRODUCTION
II. VIBRATION MONITORING
RANSFORMER is one of the important and expensive
For ideal transformer moving parts or vibration do not exist.
apparatus in power system. Many researcher or electrical
But
in reality it is exist. Transformer with good design has low
company try to develop a new monitoring method that can be
level
vibration.
used to get the latest transformer condition. Off line
Vibration
on winding or transformer core produced sound
monitoring is still needed but on line monitoring is more
wave.
This
sound
is transmitted to the transformer through oil.
preferred because in many occasion, apparatus could not be
After being propagated, vibration data can be got by applying
shut down because of operational reason.
Some of the transformer in our system, PT. PLN some vibration sensors on the transformer tank.
Vibration level will increase if the transformer performance
(PERSERO) P3B Java and Bali have been loaded more than
100% with temperature above of 100oC. More over is going down.

disturbance rate in lower voltage side is quite often. With

these reasons, early on line monitoring is really needed.
Overloading, overheating or through fault current impact
the transformer performance. Through fault current (TFC)
gives two impacts to transformer, electrically and
mechanically impact. From electrical side, TFC will brake the
insulation down because of over heating, and from mechanical
side TFC produces axial force and radial force. Axial force
gives an impact vertically and radial force, compress the
internal winding and expand the external winding and it will
happen if the current flows in an opposite direction. One of

This research is supported financially bay PT. PLN (PERSERO) P3B Java
and Bali.

978-1-4244-1622-6/08/$25.00 2007 IEEE

A. Vibration Sources
The analysis of the transformer vibration is taken from
winding and core vibration but other possible vibration
sources could be incidentally included when measurement is
running. Tap changer operation (LTC) is one of them. It will
give additional vibration value. Another one is elements of
refrigeration system, i.e., oil pumps and fans. They generate
vibration as well that are added to the main vibration. To cope
with this problem, monitoring is conducted when LTC or
elements of refrigeration is not in service.
B. Vibration Monitoring Method
Vibration that produced by winding or transformer core in
wave sound form is transmitted to all direction. Longer the

distance between sources of vibration to the transformer tank

weaker the sound wave got. That is why in this monitoring,
some sensors are needed.
One thing that must be considered in this monitoring that
oil viscosity gives contribution for analysis. Oil viscosity will
influence the vibration propagation to the tank. But it will
discuss in a different occasion.
Using some sensors will help in fault locating, vibration
level prediction for core clamping pressure, winding clamping
pressure and construction looseness. We can compare one
sensors usage with multi sensors (12 sensors). Fault location
can not be detected with one sensor only. But not for twelve
sensors usage, fault location is predictable. It can be seen in
Fig. 1.

Fig. 3. Vibration Signal Monitoring in Time Domain and Frequency Domain

The upper picture is a vibration signal from in time domain

and the lower in one is a vibration signal in frequency domain.

Fig. 1. Comparison vibration monitoring single sensor and multi sensors (12
sensors)

Twelve sensors are applied, six sensors on each side. Each

sensor will be connected to parallel connection (Fig. 2). All
information got from each sensor will be sent to data reading
(Computer) and save it into data base.

C. Analysis
There are several considerations for vibration analysis.
First, data base for vibration monitoring data. This
information will be used as a finger print for the transformer.
Second, operational data (transformer load, temperature and
through fault current). It can be predicted that unusual
operational will change the internal condition or transformer
performance. This changing can be measured by comparing
the finger print vibration data to the last measurement result.
Higher the vibration level got means that the transformer
performance is getting worse.
For the further development, another monitoring method is
needed to increase the analysis confidence level.
Further investigation will be conducted to develop this
method.
III. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of
Hakim A. Dairi and STEI ITB CBM TEAM to develop this
monitoring method.
IV. REFERENCES
[1]

Beln Garca, Member, IEEE, Juan Carlos Burgos, Member, IEEE, and
ngel Matas Alonso, Member, IEEE, Transformer Tank Vibration
Modeling as a Method of Detecting Winding DeformationsPart I:
Theoretical Foundation. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER DELIVERY,
VOL. 21, NO. 1, JANUARY 2006

[2]

Beln Garca, Member, IEEE, Juan Carlos Burgos, Member, IEEE, and
ngel Matas Alonso, Member, IEEE, Transformer Tank Vibration
Modeling as a Method of Detecting Winding DeformationsPart II:
Experimental Verification IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER DELIVERY,
VOL. 21, NO. 1, JANUARY 2006

Fig. 2. Sensors are applying on a lower position and connected to parallel

connection

While monitoring the measurement result, transformer

vibration can be monitored for the computer. Each
measurement from a specified sensor will be visualized in a
different color (Fig. 3).