Specification and evaluation of coating systems for power transformer radiators

The protective coating system used on power transformer radiators should be able to last without any appreciable maintenance during the first 10 to 15 years. The steel used for the radiators is significantly thinner than that of the main tank and most of the accessories. This makes the performance of the coating system used on the radiators very important. The coating system used on the transformer may be considered to include the following elements: base metal(s) welding materials and processes surface pre-treatment protective coating. All of these elements can affect the durability of the radiator. In order to predict the performance of the radiators as an element in the substation maintenance requirements, a method to evaluate the performance of various systems must be developed.