Major Causes of Transformer Oil Leak

HIMALAYAL - SHANGHAI - CHINA

The transformers are susceptible to oil leakage which can be caused by many causes. The oil leak of power transformer will do harm to stable and safe operation of power supply system for a long term. If leaks are not repaired, further deterioration will occur resulting in loss of oil, environmental damage, downtime, ongoing maintenance costs and potential high replacement costs. To facilitate the normal running of electric system, major causes of transformer oil leak are summarized here. 

1.Low Quality Product 

The application of the common butterfly valve and single-layer seal combined with rough joint surface is more likely to cause oil leak of domestic transformers manufactured in the early days. The kind of product has been wiping out now. However, it is difficult to weld during the process of present transformer production because there are a lot of oil tank joints, leading to problems of stoma, pseudo soldering and blowhole. 



2. Unfriendly Transportation 

The parts of power transformer hit each other in transit, causing the damage. The unfriendly transport tends to cause some parts to deform and rupture, and even certain welded joints snap.  

3. Inappropriate Installation   

In spite of high product quality and careful transport, all the previous efforts are in vain if installed improperly. First of all, due to workers’ lack of professional skills and excessive force, the flange connection will be not smooth. As a result, the stress on gaskets are not uniform and good sealing is not achieved. Next, the man-made uniform stress on bolts also creates the same effect. At last, the flange joint deforms and dislocate, resulting in insufficient amounts of compression. However, an excessive amounts of compression tend to accelerate the aging of gaskets.   

4. Aging and Deformation of Seals  

The oil leak of power transformer tends to happen at the connections. A major cause of oil leak is the seals. The aging and deformation of seals is mainly dependent on its oil resistance performance. If the performance is good, the speed of aging is slow. The gaskets ages quickly at high temperature, causing deformation and loss of sealing effect.