A study on the deterioration characteristics of power capacitors with oil-impregnated paper

Power capacitors are highly reliable due to their completely enclosed configuration. They are relatively trouble-free over the long term. However, their dielectric strength can be reduced due to some stresses, including overvoltage application or thermal degradation of the insulation material during long periods of operation; these events can result in dielectric breakdown of capacitors in extreme cases. Since almost all power capacitors with oil-impregnated paper have been operated for more than twenty years, some kind of failure should be expected. To prevent these incipient accidents, it is important to examine the insulation deterioration mechanism and evaluate the degree of deterioration before capacitor breakdown. To establish a diagnostic method of deterioration of the capacitors with oil-impregnated paper, we have conducted thermally and electrically accelerated deterioration tests and investigated the changes of their characteristics. Based on the experimental results we obtained, it can be concluded that the behavior of the oil-dissolved gases can be used as a useful index to diagnose the insulation deterioration of these capacitors.