Prediction Model of Bubble Formation in Oil-Paper Insulation Based on the ITBE Envelope.

Due to rapid temperature rise and insulation moisture, bubbles can generate in the oil-paper insulation of oil-immersed power transformers, which can reduce the dielectric strength of oil-paper insulation and even bring about the risk of insulation breakdown. In order to accurately evaluate the conditions of bubble formation, the physical process of bubble formation in oil-paper insulation is studied in this article. Considering the effects of water vaporization, gas dissolution in oil, and moisture migration on bubble formation, a bubble formation prediction model is constructed. Based on Henry’s law, the dissolution equilibrium of gas in oil is taken into consideration and the upper boundary of the initial temperature of bubble effect (ITBE) envelope is obtained in this model. Based on the moisture equilibrium in oil-paper insulation, the bubble formation process caused by the emergence and rapid evaporation of free water is analyzed, and then, the lower boundary of the ITBE envelope is obtained in this model. The model results show that the moisture content of the pressboard and the presence of free water have a great impact on ITBE. Specifically, the higher the moisture content, the lower the ITBE value. In addition, with the further increase of moisture content, the upper and lower boundaries of the ITBE envelope gradually tend to be the same. However, once free water is present on the surface of cellulose, ITBE decreases rapidly to below 120 °C. The model built in this article is of great significance to study the temperature limit of the power transformer. Hence the ITBE envelope can provide an important theoretical reference for reducing the risk of bubble formation during power transformer operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]