Many electric utilities and large industrial, commercial and institutional owners of medium and large power transformers are beginning to develop their own "Life Cycle Transformer Management" programs to properly adddress the concept of "Transformer Asset Management".

This year's 2005 Power Transformer Forum will deal with many of the technical and economic issues dealing with a) The Screening Process to prioritize the transformer fleet; b) Transformer Condition Assessment of individual transformers, and c) Life Cycle Decisions: retire, refurbish, replace, relocate.

Course Time Table for Both Days
Start 9:00 am
Coffee Break 10:30 am
Luncheon 12 Noon
Restart 1:00 pm
Refreshments 2:30 pm
Adjournment 4:30 pm (approx.)

Tuesday, SEPT. 13, 2005

9:00AM – 9:45AM

TRANSFORMER ASSET MANAGEMENT
Speaker T.B.A.
To educate delegates as to the benefits of properly managing their transformer maintenance to gain the maximum useful life out of their assets.

Transformers carry a large capital cost to a company, yet maintenance of these assets is rarely budgeted effectively and many use a reactionary approach to their management. Waiting until a transformer fails to address necessary repairs is very costly and often results in irreversible loss of useful life to the transformer. A proper maintenance program, when implemented, will be much more cost effective and lead to longer life cycles for asset replacement.

Managing Your Transformers:

1. Begin with a good sampling program – the appropriate tests must be carried out.
2. Visual inspections.
3. Analyze the results – Most have a sampling program, however, many cannot interpret the results to determine required maintenance.
4. What do the results mean
   1. Dielectric Strength
   2. Interfacial Tension
   3. Moisture Content
   4. Acid Number
   5. Power Factor
   6. Dissolved Gases
5. Oxidation Inhibitor – What it can mean to the useful life of a transformer
6. What types of maintenance actions may be required:
   1. Oil reclamation – Fuller’s Earth, Activated Aluminum
   2. Degasification
   3. Dehydration
   4. Re-inhibit treatment
   5. Retro-fill
   6. Electrical Testing
   7. Further oil testing – Furans Analysis
7. Prioritized maintenance schedule based on analysis of test results
8. Budgeting for the required maintenance

Questions

9:45AM – 10:30AM

NEW DIAGNOSTIC APPROACHES TO TRANSFORMER CONDITION ASSESSMENT
Dave Hanson, David Burns, TJ|H2b Analytical Services
Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) has been a widely accepted preventive maintenance tool for the electric power industry for over thirty (30) years. Though DGA continues to be a vital component of assessing transformer condition the demands imposed by the increased loading of transformers and the aging of the transformer population require new assessment tools and diagnostic approaches. It has been suggested that over 70% of transformer condition information is contained within the insulating fluid and that many transformer failures are attributable to manageable problems. Many of these problems are identified only after a thorough understanding of the complex relationships that exist between DGA data and information obtained from analyzing the insulating fluid in transformers. This paper will explore recent advances in insulating fluid technology that improves the assessment of transformer condition.

10:30AM – COFFEE BREAK

10:45AM – 12:00PM

Equipment Health Rating of Transformers
Nick Dominelli, Powertech Labs
Transformers are major components of the power delivery system. In North America, a large proportion of them is approaching the end of their design life and in need of replacement or refurbishment. A computer program, called Equipment Health Rating of Transformers, i.e. EHRt, has been developed to assist engineers to diagnose and assess the health of power transformers. The program calculates Condition Indexes for each of the transformer components based on test and inspection results and combines them with equipment information such as age, Known Problems, operating and maintenance history to provide an Equipment Health Rating (EHR). The program has the capability to automatically recalculate the ratings as the data is updated. It also allows for experts to review and accept the ratings, provide diagnostics and make recommendation on intervention. The results can be used to provide quick overview of equipment health and to provide comparison within a substation or the entire utility for asset management purposes.

12:00NOON – LUNCHEON

1:00PM – 1:45PM

THE USE OF CHEMICAL TRACERS TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF WEAR IN LTC AND OCB CONTACTS
Nick Dominelli & Ed Hall, Powertech Labs Inc.; Bruce Nichols, Nichols Applied Technology; John Pruente, High Voltage Supply; Barry Ward, EPRI
It has been estimated that a third of all transformer failures can be traced to faulty LTCs. A major cause of LTC failures is due to excessive contact wear. This may be averted if the extent of contact wear can be determined. One approach to monitoring contact wear is to imbed a tracer compound into the contact at a predetermined depth. As the contact wears out and the tracer is exposed, it is released into the fluid where it can be monitored by routine oil analysis or continuously by measuring its optical absorption, emission or fluorescence properties. If the tracer is a dissimilar metal, the arc will cause light emission at discreet wavelengths that can be detected by specific sensors. This paper presents research to date to develop both oil sampling and continuous monitoring systems for the detection of contact wear. Results of laboratory work and accelerated switching tests of an LTC with metal implants and chemical tracers, including nanocrystal materials and organic compounds are presented and discussed.

1:45PM – 2:30PM

ASSESMENT OF MOISTURE IN HIGH VOLTAGE POWER TRANSFORMERS
N. Fujimoto, J.M. Braun and S. Rizzetto - Kinectrics Inc.
Moisture-in-oil measurements are often made as an indirect means of assessing moisture content in the insulating papers and pressboards used in power transformers. Excessive moisture levels can accelerate thermal ageing processes and cause dielectric problems for the transformer. The most common method is a laboratory measurement of oil samples by Karl Fischer titration. However, for proper moisture assessment, accurate records of transformer temperatures are required. Other online/offline methods are also available that offers some advantages over the laboratory methods. Experience with these methods is discussed. Actual moisture assessments from actual measurements are also compared with direct measurements of moisture content from pressboard samples taken from a decommissioned transformer.

2:30PM – REFRESHMENTS

2:45PM – 4:15PM

DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND MAINTENANCE OF OIL-FILLED TRANSFORMERS
Dan Sinasac, PowerTran Company Ltd.
A number of elements come into play when maintaining your facility's power transformers. Understanding the role each element plays in your transformers operation is key to extending the transformer's useful service life.

1. Understanding transformer designs including tanks and core/coil assemblies.
2. Materials incorporated into transformer core and coil assemblies.
3. Common problems to look for, how to identify them and take corrective actions
4. Case histories of different problems in different industries and applications.
5. Senario examples with costs and timelines. Feel free to bring project questions for estimates concerning transformers.
6. Electrical test: outline of factory testing of new transformers.
7. Electrical testing in the field: outline of instrument tests.

4:15PM - Adjournment

WEDNESDAY, September 14, 2005

9:00AM – 9:45AM

OIL RECLAMATION TECHNOLOGY
Representative, A.F. White
The process of reclaiming used transformer oil serves an important role in supporting the environment. Not only does it permit the re-use of a non-renewable resource, it also ensures that valuable, high quality mineral oil is not diverted to the fuel market for blending with other commercial oil products. A case study will be presented demonstrating this method.

9:45AM – 10:30AM

IMPROVING THE FIRE RISK AND INSULATION PERFORMANCE OF POWER TRANSFORMERS
Representative, Cooper Power Systems
Many substation transformers have reached or exceed their expected life. Many other transformers load demand profiles have reached or exceeded their ratings. Eventful failures are more probable as service years and/or loading demand increases. Utilities are trying to reduce their maintenance cost and equipment replacement and outage time.

It appears from laboratory data and field experience that replacing petroleum based oils with ester based dielectric coolants can address these issues and provide other benefits to the owners of substation and distribution transformers. This presentation will summarize the benefits as well as some of the challenges of converting to esters. One class of esters, vegetable oil based, also addresses their potential for improving the environmental profile of substations.

10:30AM – COFFEE BREAK

10:45AM – 12:00PM

APPLICATION OF DISSOLVED GAS ANALYSIS TO LOAD TAP CHANGERS
Karl Jakob, Weidmann-ACTI Inc.
Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) is universally accepted as a vital tool for diagnostic evaluation of power transformers. DGA is based on the observation that thermal or electrical faults must result in partial destruction of liquid and solid insulation with subsequent formation of low molecular weight gases. The ability to extend DGA to other oil filled electrical apparatus has more recently been developed. It is now recognized that ratios of key gases are a valuable tool for interpretation of DGA data for Load Tap Changers (LTCs). The interpretation of this data provides the ability to monitor LTCs, detect problems and achieve significant maintenance cost savings.

12:00NOON – LUNCHEON

1:30PM – 4:15PM

INNOVATIVE DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES FOR TESTING AND COMMISSIONING POWER TRANSFORMERS
Bill Fernihough, Doble Engineering
As an owner of transformers you are faced with the challenge of how to minimize downtime and maximize life expectancy of your valuable asset. With budget restraints, what testing should be done and how often you should perform maintenance is key. This session will review what traditional maintenance testing procedures are being utilized and what new methods are available, including on-line monitoring systems to determine the condition of the high voltage insulation systems in transformers. Some of the new methods to be presented are Sweep Frequency Response Analysis and Intelligent Diagnostic Devices.

Sweep Frequency Response Analysis (SFRA) is an advanced method for assessment of high voltage dielectric systems. In a SFRA measurement, the dielectric properties (capacitance and loss) of the insulation system are measured. An important output of SFRA, applied on power transformers, is assessment of average volume moisture in the solid insulation and the power factor of the oil. With knowledge of the transformer design, modeling allows us to separate the influence of the oil conductivity and moisture in the cellulose. In this presentation, Mr. Fernihough will show cases from field measurements on power transformers, and measurements on model transformers subject to different levels of moisture and ageing.

4:15PM - Adjournment

GENERAL INFORMATION

When and Where

The 2005 Transformer Asset Management Forum will be held as follows:

Toronto, ON - September 12-13, 2005
Park Plaza Hotel, 33 Carlson Court [near the airport]
Tel: 416-675-1234

Vancouver, BC
Executive Airport Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre
7311 Westminster Hwy., Richmond
Tel: 604-278-5555

Edmonton, AB
The Coast Terrace Inn
4440 Gateway Blvd.
Tel: 780-437-6010

The registration fee to attend the 2005 Transformer Forum (Sept. 13-14, 2005) is $699.00 + 48.93 GST. Register and prepay 14 days prior to forum date and receive an early bird registration fee of $649.00 + 45.43 GST per delegate. Companies registering 3 delegates at the regular price ($699.00) will receive a 4th registration FREE.

The registration fee to attend the The Substaion Automation Tutorial (Sept. 12, 2005) AND The 2005 Transformer Forum (Sept. 13-14, 2005) is $899.00 + 62.93 GST. Register and prepay 14 days prior to forum date and receive an early bird registration fee of $849.00 + 59.43 GST per delegate. Companies registering 3 delegates at the regular price ($899.00) will receive a 4th registration FREE.

What is Included:
The fee includes forum participation, a forum materials package, refreshments and luncheons on both days. Delegates will also receive a FREE 108-Page Transformer Handbook (Value $35) and a FREE subscription to Electricity Today Magazine (Value $40), as well as an Electricity Forum Coupon (Value $100) to be used against any future 2005-6 Electricity Forum event (restrictions apply), as well as 1.4 CEU credits issued by the Engineering Institute of Canada. (GST #R105219976)

Air Flight Information
We have appointed Air Canada as the official airline of our 2005 forums. Simply contact Air Canada’s North America toll free number at 1-800-361-7585 or local number 514-393-9494 or your travel agent and take advantage of Special Discounted Airfares. Our convention number is CV041955.

Cancellation and Refund Policy
Registration fees are refundable only upon receipt of written notification 10 days prior to the conference date, less a 10 per cent service charge. Substitution of participants is permissible.
The Canadian Electricity Forum reserves the right to cancel any conference it deems necessary and will, in such event, make a full refund of the registration fees.