Studying the Aging Evolution of Oil-Paper Insulation Comprising of a Gas Cavity Under the Stress of AC and DC Voltage Depending on Partial Discharge and Dissolved Gases Measurements

The oil-paper insulation system is widely used for the insulation purposes of power transformers as a result of its ability to withstand high thermal and electrical stresses. The presence of a gas cavity between impregnated papers layer is a serious problem. When localized breakdown takes place within this cavity, partial discharge (PD) occurs and ages the rest of the insulation system. This aging phenomenon declines the expected life time of the insulation system and subsequently the life time of the power transformers. Dissolved gas analysis is a recommended technique that is used in order to assess the state of the insulation system inside the transformers. In this paper, PD is recorded in the case of gas cavity presence between the layers of the impregnated papers under the effect of AC and DC voltage stress. This record is extended from the instance of PD inception until the breakdown of the whole insulation system. Furthermore, the concentration of the gases that dissolve in the insulating oil due to the aging of the impregnated paper is measured eight times during the record of the PD. Finally, the degradation of the insulating papers is studied optically through the use of a microscope at different stages of the aging test. Depending on PD measurements, dissolved gas analysis (DGA) results, and the optical study of the paper aging, the evolution of the aging of oil-paper insulation system as a result of internal PD is declared when AC and DC voltage stresses are applied. It is obtained that the aging evolutionary process totally differs with the alteration of the applied voltage.