Why Transformer Oil Produces Acetylene

Writer： Kaiqian Oil Purifier Release time：2025-11-03 16:45 Clicks：

1. Causes of Acetylene Generation
  Acetylene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon gas. In transformers, it is typically produced by the decomposition of transformer oil (primarily composed of various hydrocarbons) under high-temperature arcing or localized high-temperature discharge.

2. Types of Faults That Generate Acetylene

  The presence of acetylene in transformer oil typically indicates one or more of the following serious faults:

• High-energy arc discharge: The insulation is completely broken down, forming a continuous, high-energy arc path.
• Partial discharge: In areas of excessively high electric field strength, localized spark discharges occur that do not penetrate the entire insulation. Long-term partial discharges gradually accumulate energy, generating localized high temperatures and potentially generating small amounts of acetylene.
• Overheating and discharge: Poor contact causes overheating and discharge, resulting in the generation of acetylene.

3. Solution

  Step 1: Immediate Analysis and Diagnosis

• Closely monitor the changing trends of acetylene levels. Pay attention to the levels of other characteristic gases, such as hydrogen, ethylene, and methane.
• Fault characteristics should be determined according to standards, including arcing, partial discharge, or overheating.

  Step 2: Comprehensive Electrical Testing and Location

• While ensuring safety, conduct a series of electrical tests to locate the fault:
• DC Resistance Test: Checks the contact between the windings and tap changer.
• Core Insulation Resistance Test: Checks for multiple core grounding points.
• Turn Ratio Test: Checks the windings for inter-turn short circuits.
• Frequency Response Analysis: Detects mechanical deformation in the windings.
• Partial Discharge Detection: Uses ultrasonic or high-frequency current transformers to locate the source of partial discharge.

  Step 3: Implement Targeted Remedial Measures
  According to the diagnostic results, take appropriate measures:

Immediate Shutdown: If the acetylene level is high or increasing rapidly, or if the diagnosis clearly indicates severe internal discharge (such as an inter-turn short circuit), the transformer must be shut down immediately to prevent further damage (such as fire or explosion).

  Step 4: Oil Treatment

  After troubleshooting, the transformer oil must be vacuum degassed and filtered to completely remove dissolved acetylene and other fault gases, as well as any carbon particles. After treatment, the oil should be re-analyzed with a chromatographic analysis to ensure that all gas indicators return to normal.

 Kaiqian provides single-stage or two-stage vacuum transformer oil purifiers, dedicated to solving the pollution problems of transformer oil, such as moisture, impurities, and harmful gases, to restore the oil's insulating performance. Contact us for detailed information and professional solutions.