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Overheating Protection in Transformers

Transformers can overheat from overloads and short circuits, damaging insulation. Temperature sensors measure oil or winding temperature, typically using top-oil or hot-spot measurements, to detect overheating and activate alarms or protective trips. Fiber optic cables now directly measure winding temperature for more accurate overheating protection.

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Izzat Haziq
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444 views2 pages

Overheating Protection in Transformers

Transformers can overheat from overloads and short circuits, damaging insulation. Temperature sensors measure oil or winding temperature, typically using top-oil or hot-spot measurements, to detect overheating and activate alarms or protective trips. Fiber optic cables now directly measure winding temperature for more accurate overheating protection.

Uploaded by

Izzat Haziq
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Overheating Protection in Transformers

Transformers overheat due to the overloads and short circuit conditions. The allowable
overload and the corresponding duration are dependent on the type of transformer and class
of insulation used for the transformer.

Higher loads can be maintained for a very short amount of time if it is for a very long, it can
damage the insulation due to temperature rise above an assumed maximum temperature.
The temperature in the oil-cooled transformer is considered maximum when its 95*C, beyond
which the life expectancy of the transformer decreases, and it has detrimental effects in the
insulation of the wire. That is why overheating protection becomes essential.

Large transformers have oil or winding temperature detection devices, which measure oil or
winding temperature, typically there are two ways of measurement, one is referred to hot-
spot measurement and second is referred to as top-oil measurement, the below image
shows a typical thermometer with a temperature control box from reinhausen used to measure
the temperature of a liquid insulated conservative type of transformer.

The box has a dial gauge which indicates the temperature of the transformer (which is the
black needle) and the red needle indicates the alarm set point. If the black needle surpasses
the red needle, the device will activate an alarm.
If we look down, we can see four arrows through which we can configure the device to act as
an alarm or trip or they can be used to start or stop pumps or cooling fans.

As you can see in the picture, the thermometer is mounted on the top of the transformer tank
above the core and the winding, it's so done because the highest temperature is going to be at
the centre of the tank because of the core and the windings. This temperature is known as the
top oil temperature. This temperature gives us an estimate of the Hot-spot Temperature of
the transformer core. Present-day fibre optic cables are used within the low voltage winding
to accurately measure the temperature of the transformer. That is how overheating protection
is implemented.

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