Transformer oil purification equipment is essential for maintaining the quality and performance of transformer oil, which is critical for insulation and cooling in transformers. Over time, transformer oil can become contaminated with water, gases, particulates, and acids, which can degrade its insulating properties and impact the transformer’s efficiency and longevity. To address these issues, several types of transformer oil purification equipment are used to restore the oil to its optimal condition. Here are the most common types:
1. Vacuum Oil Purification Systems (Dehydration & Degassing)
- Function: These systems use vacuum technology to remove moisture and dissolved gases (such as oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide) from transformer oil.
- How it works: The oil is heated in a vacuum chamber where the lower pressure causes moisture and gases to evaporate and then be removed from the oil.
- Benefits:
- Efficiently removes water and gases.
- Restores the dielectric strength of transformer oil.
- Often includes multiple stages, such as dehydration, degassing, and filtration.
- Applications: Widely used for large transformers, power stations, and large substations.
Example Equipment:
- Vacuum Dehydration and Degassing Units
- Vacuum Oil Purifiers (typically mobile or skid-mounted)
2. Oil Filtration Units (Full-Flow & Bypass Filters)
- Function: These units are designed to remove solid contaminants such as dirt, dust, and particulates from transformer oil.
- How it works: The oil is passed through filtration media such as cellulose, fine mesh, or activated carbon filters to trap particulate matter.
- Benefits:
- Removes solid particles and sludge from the oil.
- Improves oil cleanliness and enhances insulating properties.
- Reduces the wear and tear on transformer components.
- Applications: Useful for routine maintenance of transformers and oil filtration during installation or after maintenance.
Example Equipment:
- Pressure Filter Units
- Coalescer Filters
- Belt Filter Machines
- Inline Filtration Units
3. Transformer Oil Regeneration Machines
- Function: Regeneration systems not only remove moisture and particulate contaminants but also restore the oil’s chemical properties, removing acid and oxidation products.
- How it works: These machines often use a combination of filtration, adsorption (molecular sieve), and chemical regeneration to restore the oil. The oil is typically heated, passed through multiple filters, and then treated with activated clay or other adsorbent materials to remove dissolved impurities and acidic compounds.
- Benefits:
- Restores the oil’s dielectric properties.
- Removes both dissolved and particulate contaminants.
- Can rejuvenate heavily oxidized or aged oil.
- Applications: High-performance units for large transformers and critical applications such as power plants or high-voltage substations.
Example Equipment:
- Molecular Sieve Regeneration Systems
- Activated Clay Regeneration Units
- Dual-Stage Oil Regeneration Systems
4. Mobile Transformer Oil Purifiers
- Function: These are portable purification units that can be moved to transformer sites for on-site purification. They are typically mounted on trailers or in containers and are equipped to filter, dehydrate, and regenerate transformer oil.
- How it works: These units integrate various purification methods, such as vacuum dehydration, degassing, and particulate filtration, and are often equipped with automatic control systems for monitoring and managing the purification process.
- Benefits:
- Flexibility and mobility for on-site oil treatment.
- Quick response for emergency oil purification in remote locations.
- Can handle a variety of oil purification needs (dehydration, filtration, regeneration).
- Applications: Emergency field service, routine maintenance, and site-specific purification of transformer oil.
Example Equipment:
- Trailer-Mounted Oil Purifiers
- Skid-Mounted Mobile Purification Units
5. Oil Dehydration Units
- Function: Dehydration units are specifically designed to remove water from transformer oil, which is critical to prevent electrical failures due to moisture contamination.
- How it works: The oil is heated and then passed through a vacuum chamber or through desiccant materials to absorb and remove moisture.
- Benefits:
- Effectively removes moisture that degrades the oil’s insulating properties.
- Reduces the risk of transformer failure due to water contamination.
- Applications: Used when the primary concern is moisture content in the oil, such as in transformers that have suffered water ingress or after a transformer failure.
Example Equipment:
- Vacuum Dehydrators
- Desiccant Dehydration Units
6. Gas Treatment Systems
- Function: These systems are designed to remove gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and ethane that may be dissolved in the transformer oil due to partial discharge or other operational issues.
- How it works: Often combined with vacuum and thermal treatment, these systems employ specialized adsorption materials or vacuum degassing to remove dissolved gases.
- Benefits:
- Reduces the risk of transformer failure due to dissolved gases.
- Helps to maintain the dielectric strength of the oil.
- Applications: Critical for maintaining transformer oil in operation where there are issues with dissolved gases due to internal transformer conditions.
Example Equipment:
- Gas Stripping Systems
- Gas Removal Filters
7. Portable Oil Filtration Systems
- Function: Portable filtration systems are designed to remove contaminants from transformer oil without having to drain the oil. They are easy to move and set up in the field for quick filtration and oil maintenance.
- How it works: These systems typically use pump-driven filtration to circulate the oil through a series of filters that capture solid particulates and remove water and gases.
- Benefits:
- Cost-effective for smaller or less critical transformers.
- Can be used as a temporary solution between more comprehensive regeneration processes.
- Applications: Routine maintenance and oil purification in smaller transformers or when full regeneration is not required.
Example Equipment:
- Portable Oil Filtration Units
- Mobile Oil Filtering Systems
8. Oil Vacuum Filtration Machines
- Function: These machines are used specifically for filtering transformer oil under vacuum conditions to remove water and particulate contaminants.
- How it works: Oil is passed through a vacuum chamber to lower the boiling point of water, causing it to evaporate and be removed. Particulates are filtered out through a series of filtration media.
- Benefits:
- Ideal for treating oils with a high level of moisture and solid contamination.
- Extends the lifespan of transformer oil.
- Applications: Used in situations where there is significant moisture contamination in the oil, such as after transformer failure or when oil has been exposed to environmental moisture.
Example Equipment:
- Vacuum Oil Filtration Units
The types of transformer oil purification equipment vary based on the specific need (e.g., moisture removal, gas removal, regeneration, or particulate filtration). Some systems combine multiple methods for more comprehensive treatment, while others focus on a single function, such as dehydration or filtration.
Key systems include:
- Vacuum purification systems (for moisture and gas removal),
- Filtration systems (for particulate removal),
- Regeneration machines (for restoring oil quality),
- Mobile purification units (for on-site applications),
- Gas treatment systems (for dissolved gases).
The choice of equipment depends on the scale, contamination level, and specific requirements of the transformer or oil.
