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Failure Analysis of Medium Voltage Capacitor Banks: The Egyptian Experience

1) The document analyzes failure modes and rates of medium voltage capacitor banks installed in the Egyptian electrical network over the past 30+ years. 2) Key findings include that capacitors account for 48% of failures, contactors 18% and controllers 37%. Common failure mechanisms included oil leakage from bushings and capacitance value decline. 3) The utility replaces failed components and performs maintenance, while also conducting detailed testing of capacitors. Failure analysis aims to identify root causes and improve reliability.

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Dalal Helmi
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41 views19 pages

Failure Analysis of Medium Voltage Capacitor Banks: The Egyptian Experience

1) The document analyzes failure modes and rates of medium voltage capacitor banks installed in the Egyptian electrical network over the past 30+ years. 2) Key findings include that capacitors account for 48% of failures, contactors 18% and controllers 37%. Common failure mechanisms included oil leakage from bushings and capacitance value decline. 3) The utility replaces failed components and performs maintenance, while also conducting detailed testing of capacitors. Failure analysis aims to identify root causes and improve reliability.

Uploaded by

Dalal Helmi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Failure Analysis of Medium Voltage Capacitor Banks: The Egyptian Experience

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Prague, 8-11 June 2009

Failure Analysis
of Medium Voltage Capacitor Banks:
The Egyptian Experience
Mohamed A. EL-HADIDY Dalal H. HELMI

Tech. Consultant Studies and Research Dept.


[email protected] [email protected]

Egyptian Electricity Transmission company


Egypt
Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581
Prague, 8-11 June 2009

CONTENT
• GENERAL
• APPROACH
• OBJECTIVES
• FAILURE MODES
• EXAMPLES OF FAILURE MECHANISMS
• UTILITY MAINTENANCE PRACTISES
• RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATION

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581


Prague, 8-11 June 2009

- GENERAL-
• System reliability depends on components’
reliability

• Power capacitor banks reliability evaluation through


their failure modes, rates and mechanisms have
been investigated at about 190 substations in TN, in
which 2450 MVAR capacitor banks are installed

• The study includes 9 vendors for whom the


Capacitor Banks are installed during the period of
early installation in 1985 till 2008.
Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581
Prague, 8-11 June 2009

- APPROACH -
- Analyzing the available Capacitor Failure data
of all vendors, over the banks lifetime.
- Classify different types of failures
- Conducting deep analysis and comparisons
between different vendors

OBJECTIVES
Assess the failure modes, rates and mechanisms of
MV capacitor banks installed in the Egyptian
Network, and sum up utility experience in this field

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581


Prague, 8-11 June 2009

1.8 MVAR
3.6 MVAR, or
5.4 MVAR
Typical two step capacitor bank installation
Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581
Prague, 8-11 June 2009

- FAILURE MODES-

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581


Prague, 8-11 June 2009

CAPACITOR BANKS FAILURE RATES


• The following analysis of the failures covers only
5/9 of these vendors.

• The other 4 have smaller number of installations,


and hence capacity, and exist in only one or two of
the Egyptian Network 6 zones.

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581


Prague, 8-11 June 2009

Table 1: Failure Rates of Capacitor Banks Main Components

% of the total Failure:


Capacitors = 48% Contactors = 18% Controllers = 37%
Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581
Prague, 8-11 June 2009

Table 2: Some subcomponent failure statistics


in one of the zones

2 6 17 1

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581


Prague, 8-11 June 2009

EXAMPLES OF FAILURE
MECHANISMS
• In 2008, EETC noticed two types of problems in
the newly delivered MV caps from X vendor.
– Observation of oil leakage from some
capacitor bushing
– Decline in capacitance values which leads to
tripping of the bank by the unbalance
protection.

• An investigation task force was formed from


vendor company & utility personnel
Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581
Prague, 8-11 June 2009

1. OIL LEAKAGE FROM THE


BUSHING

Problem traced down to the quality of adhesive


material used to seal the bushing with the tank.
Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581
Prague, 8-11 June 2009

2 CAPACITANCE VALUE DECLINE

Scanning Electron Microscope investigation of faulty capacitor element

Contamination of capacitor metal film by materials


used for soldering Cap units to connection leads
Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581
Prague, 8-11 June 2009

UTILITY MAINTENANCE PRACTISES

• Failed components replaced from the existing


spare parts stock under the responsibility of
– utility maintenance crew
– the technical staff of the vendor

• Sometimes spare parts, such as fuses, contactor


coils, auxiliary relays, timers…etc, are obtained
from the local market.

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581


Prague, 8-11 June 2009

• Utility perform detailed harmonics measurements


at locations:
– of failed capacitor
– where caps are intended to be installed.

• Also, conducts many tests


– at the factory,
– commissioning tests and
– periodic tests (+ harmonic measurement).

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581


Prague, 8-11 June 2009

RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATION

• Capacitor bank failure modes and failure rates


analysis is important to reveal the reliability and
goodness of all stages starting from:
– putting specifications, designing, testing,
installing, operating, and maintaining.

• This helps also in selection of good manufacturers


of: capacitors, contactors, fuses, controllers,
bushings …etc (Vendor 3 discarded).

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581


Prague, 8-11 June 2009

• Failure analysis requires


– a follow up investigation
– and root cause analysis.
(capacitor failures were viewed more as routine
annoyances that had to be accepted).

• The trend today is to approach each capacitor


failure as the potential result of a design,
operation or maintenance defect.

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581


Prague, 8-11 June 2009

• An in-depth investigation should be conducted


by an expert and before any potential evidence
is disturbed.

Once the root cause of the failure is


determined, the info can then passed on to the
responsible department(s).

Appropriate changes can then be made where


applicable.

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581


View publication stats

Prague, 8-11 June 2009

• The two problems identified in this paper


illustrate that there are many potential sources
can lead to or cause capacitor failures.

Dalal HELMI – Egypt, Session 1 Paper no. 0581

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