Low temperature and moisture effects on polarization and depolarization currents of oil-paper insulation

In the last decades, dielectric testing techniques are being used and investigated as potential tools for condition assessment of oil-paper insulation. From fields and laboratory investigations these techniques were found to be highly operating conditions (moisture, ageing, temperature, etc.) dependant. Because field measurements (generally performed after de-energizing the transformer), last hours after de-energizing the transformer, the ambient temperature may affect the results. Especially in cold regions of the world, extreme care is required to interpret the results when performing tests at surrounding low temperatures. A better understanding and analysis of the dielectric test results are therefore only possible with a clear understanding of the physical behaviour of the insulation system in response to the ambient conditions. In the current research project, a series of experiments have been performed under controlled laboratory conditions with preset moisture content inside the insulation. This paper reports the effects of low temperature on the time domain dielectric response of oil impregnated paper insulation.