Power Transformer Troubleshooting

If you are an electrical engineer then you will responsible for taking care of a power transformer in your workplace. Like me, I am responsible for taking care of two power transformers. This is a new factory and I joined this company from the very beginning.

Every construction work is done in front of me like making a substation, install all new machine even the civil construction work. Now my factory is running pretty well. We already provided the power to our all machines inside of factory floor. We built a Switchgear room and all power control from this room.

We already spent about six months of our running factory life and some problems already started with our all electrical components like the transformer, air circuit breaker, electronic parts, and others.

In this post, I will discuss how to troubleshoot the power transformer in your real life that I am doing now with our two power transformer. So let’s go and find out.

Power Transformer Troubleshooting:

In my place, we are having two transformers and the first one is 33/11 KV and the second one is 11/0.415 KV. This troubleshooting procedure will be used for both transformers. You just need to inspect the abnormality and act with the solution procedure.

Fault 1: Abnormal Noise:

1. External Noise: You may find a loose-fitting bolt or nut from the transformer main cover or some other loose metallic parts. Now you just need to tighten the fixing bolt or nut and metallic parts from the body of the transformer.
2. Internal Noise: You may find two kinds of internal noise. This noise can be created when the transformer winding having slacks or noise due to capacitance discharging. Now come to the solution for the first reason. If your transformer is small then just open the transformer body and take up slackness by tightening in the core fixing bold. For the second noise problem you just need to get the expert opinion from the manufacturer. Because they will give you the best solution to this problem.

Related: Protection for a Power Transformer

Fault 2: Abnormal Temperature Rising:

1. Transformer Overheated: If you find out that the transformer in overheated then just reduce the loading at least rated load.
2. Transformer Room: If the transformer room is not properly well ventilated then try to improve the ventilation of the transformer room.
3. Transformer Winding: Transformer temperature can rise it certain turns of the winding are short-circuited, increases contact resistance at the tap changing system or any local short circuit in the main iron core. Now for troubleshooting this problem you just need to measure the per phase (If 3 Phase Transformer) resistance, measure the insulation resistance and measure the load current (3-10% of rated current will be necessary)
4. Poor Termination: If there is poor termination either inside or outside of the transformer then checked the external contract.

Fault 3: Local Faults:

1. Winding Short Circuit: If there is any short circuit in the transformer winding then just flow the step form Fault 2: Problem 3.
2. Insulation: If there is any damage insulation then just dismantle the transformer.

Related: Transformer Installation, Inspection, and Commissioning

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