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SSIMS Molecular Selective Imaging: a new diagnostic tool to investigate metal passivators in scrapped transformers

SSIMS Molecular Selective Imaging: a new diagnostic tool to investigate metal passivators in scrapped transformers
SSIMS Molecular Selective Imaging: a new diagnostic tool to investigate metal passivators in scrapped transformers
In every high voltage grid, the replacement of assets is a slow but steady process that guarantees long-term reliability of the power distribution networks. The prioritisation of such interventions is based on complex rating criteria specifically designed to highlight potential issues of certain machines (or families of machines) in need of care. Given the tremendous costs of operations such as the replacement of a power transformer it is not surprising to observe constant efforts devoted to finding new and better monitoring and diagnostic tools. These are capable of delivering invaluable information about the conditions of a transformer, in service or after it is either failed or proactively scrapped, allowing a better comprehension of underlying chemical-physical phenomena occurring. Ideally, advanced monitoring and diagnostic tools should ultimately result in improved rating parameters to be applied in the evaluation of future interventions. This feasibility study evaluates the use of static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS) molecular selective imaging as a diagnostic tool for power transformer. SSIMS is herein demonstrated to be able to assess, without doubts, the presence and integrity of the passivation layer produced by Irgamet®39 on copper surfaces in laboratory tests. The technique has also been tested on real samples collected from one of the phases of a 400/275kV autotransformer proactively scrapped and proved to be applicable without significant sample preparation. The possibility of its use in the study of the distribution of Irgamet®39 across the windings is also demonstrated. Further development of SSIMS as a diagnostic tool would be significantly increasing the grade of detail at which scrapped/failed units could be inspected. A better understanding on how the operating conditions or the design of a transformer can affect the anticorrosion protection layer at the molecular level would open the way to significant ad hoc improvements of both operative guidelines and rating criteria for power transformers.
transformer, scrapping, diagnostics, passivator, corrosive sulphur, SSIMS
978-1-4799-7354-5
388-391
Facciotti, M.
3c5dd179-8124-4d79-99b2-faa2aa37e96f
Amaro, P.S.
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Brown, R.C.D.
21ce697a-7c3a-480e-919f-429a3d8550f5
Lewin, P.L.
78b4fc49-1cb3-4db9-ba90-3ae70c0f639e
Pilgrim, J.A.
4b4f7933-1cd8-474f-bf69-39cefc376ab7
Wilson, G.
8fd34f42-b70e-48a6-b256-cd6f938aa8c1
Jarman, P.N.
1af51308-5da8-41ef-a152-4e4bdfdb557c
Facciotti, M.
3c5dd179-8124-4d79-99b2-faa2aa37e96f
Amaro, P.S.
960fdb38-48a2-4f1f-a511-4d29a51ecec7
Brown, R.C.D.
21ce697a-7c3a-480e-919f-429a3d8550f5
Lewin, P.L.
78b4fc49-1cb3-4db9-ba90-3ae70c0f639e
Pilgrim, J.A.
4b4f7933-1cd8-474f-bf69-39cefc376ab7
Wilson, G.
8fd34f42-b70e-48a6-b256-cd6f938aa8c1
Jarman, P.N.
1af51308-5da8-41ef-a152-4e4bdfdb557c

Facciotti, M., Amaro, P.S., Brown, R.C.D., Lewin, P.L., Pilgrim, J.A., Wilson, G. and Jarman, P.N. (2015) SSIMS Molecular Selective Imaging: a new diagnostic tool to investigate metal passivators in scrapped transformers. 2015 IEEE Electrical Insulation Conference (EIC), Seattle, United States. 07 - 10 Jun 2015. pp. 388-391 .

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

In every high voltage grid, the replacement of assets is a slow but steady process that guarantees long-term reliability of the power distribution networks. The prioritisation of such interventions is based on complex rating criteria specifically designed to highlight potential issues of certain machines (or families of machines) in need of care. Given the tremendous costs of operations such as the replacement of a power transformer it is not surprising to observe constant efforts devoted to finding new and better monitoring and diagnostic tools. These are capable of delivering invaluable information about the conditions of a transformer, in service or after it is either failed or proactively scrapped, allowing a better comprehension of underlying chemical-physical phenomena occurring. Ideally, advanced monitoring and diagnostic tools should ultimately result in improved rating parameters to be applied in the evaluation of future interventions. This feasibility study evaluates the use of static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS) molecular selective imaging as a diagnostic tool for power transformer. SSIMS is herein demonstrated to be able to assess, without doubts, the presence and integrity of the passivation layer produced by Irgamet®39 on copper surfaces in laboratory tests. The technique has also been tested on real samples collected from one of the phases of a 400/275kV autotransformer proactively scrapped and proved to be applicable without significant sample preparation. The possibility of its use in the study of the distribution of Irgamet®39 across the windings is also demonstrated. Further development of SSIMS as a diagnostic tool would be significantly increasing the grade of detail at which scrapped/failed units could be inspected. A better understanding on how the operating conditions or the design of a transformer can affect the anticorrosion protection layer at the molecular level would open the way to significant ad hoc improvements of both operative guidelines and rating criteria for power transformers.

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More information

Published date: 7 June 2015
Venue - Dates: 2015 IEEE Electrical Insulation Conference (EIC), Seattle, United States, 2015-06-07 - 2015-06-10
Keywords: transformer, scrapping, diagnostics, passivator, corrosive sulphur, SSIMS
Organisations: EEE

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 378092
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/378092
ISBN: 978-1-4799-7354-5
PURE UUID: b1702237-13dd-43a1-bc7a-92b2491e54e1
ORCID for R.C.D. Brown: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0156-7087
ORCID for P.L. Lewin: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3299-2556
ORCID for J.A. Pilgrim: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2444-2116

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Date deposited: 16 Jun 2015 11:23
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:25

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Contributors

Author: M. Facciotti
Author: P.S. Amaro
Author: R.C.D. Brown ORCID iD
Author: P.L. Lewin ORCID iD
Author: J.A. Pilgrim ORCID iD
Author: G. Wilson
Author: P.N. Jarman

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