How to Determine if Your Transformer Oil Contains PCBs
Determining whether transformer oil contains PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) is an important part of managing older transformers and electrical equipment. Although PCBs have been restricted for decades, they may still be present in older insulating fluids or equipment due to historical use, previous servicing, fluid handling, or cross-contamination. The only reliable way to determine whether PCBs […]
Every Transformer Oil Sample Tells a Story
Every transformer oil sample contains valuable information about the condition of your asset. Through comprehensive transformer oil diagnostic testing, developing problems can often be identified long before they result in unplanned outages, expensive repairs, or premature transformer failure. By analyzing the condition of the insulating oil, utilities and industrial facilities gain the data needed to […]
Choosing the Right Transformer Oil Testing Package for Reliable Asset Management
Keeping transformers operating reliably starts with a diagnostic program that matches the needs of each asset. While routine oil testing is an essential part of transformer maintenance, a one-size-fits-all approach often fails to provide the level of insight needed for different transformer types, operating conditions, and reliability goals. At MVA Diagnostics, we offer a comprehensive […]
Transformer Oil Analysis Test Packages
Effective transformer maintenance starts with the right diagnostic strategy. MVA offers a comprehensive range of transformer fluid testing packages designed to support everything from routine condition monitoring to advanced diagnostics. Our standard testing packages provide a proven foundation, but we also customize diagnostic programs based on transformer design, insulating fluid, operating environment, criticality, and reliability […]
Transformer Oil Diagnostics: Understanding Oil Aging and the Transformer Life Cycle
The condition of transformer insulating oil is one of the best indicators of overall transformer health. Over time, heat, oxygen, and moisture drive oxidation and chemical changes that degrade both oil and cellulose insulation. Interfacial Tension (IFT) and Acid: IFT is the leading indicator of oil oxidation. As oil oxidizes, acids and polar compounds form, […]
Furan Analysis: What It Reveals About Transformer Insulation Health and Aging
Furan analysis: a window into transformer insulation health When cellulose insulation in a transformer degrades, it produces furanic compounds that dissolve in the oil. Measuring these compounds gives us a critical insight into the condition of the cellulose insulation without invasive sampling. Here’s what each compound tells us: 5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (5HM2F): Often linked to wet insulation […]
Interfacial Tension (IFT)
ASTM D-971 Interfacial Tension of Oil against Water by Ring Method IFT is a fluid test used to determine the presence of oxidation by-products, polar contaminants, and other decomposition products. These can be acids, oxidation intermediate compounds, varnishes, and other fluids that are in the fluid. These compounds generally lower the IFT value, and that […]
Destruction of Dibenzyl Disulfide in Transformer Oil
ABSTRACT Dibenzyl Disulfide (DBDS) is one of several sulfur compounds known to cause copper corrosion in transformers under certain circumstances. Remedial processes such as adsorbents, absorbents, and oil change-out have been known to reduce the concentration of DBDS in the oil. However, if not destroyed or removed below several mg/kg (ppm), the breakdown of the […]
What is DGA Testing?
Dissolved Gas Analysis, or DGA Testing, is one of the sharpest sticks in the tool bag of analyses used in a predictive/preventative maintenance plan by transformer oil testing. The insulating fluids used in transformers and related equipment are used because of their high dielectric strength and chemical stability. However, conditions and faults within the equipment […]
Methodologies for PCB Analysis of Transformer Oil
Before their manufacture was banned in 1979, PCBs were used widely in electrical equipment, including transformers and fluorescent light ballasts. Many transformers still contain traces of PCB-contaminated oil even after the oil has been changed several times. Because of Federal and State regulations, PCB content is frequently required when servicing or disposing of electrical equipment containing […]