A fuzzy dissolved gas analysis method for the diagnosis of multiple incipient faults in a transformer

Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) of transformer oil has been one of the most useful techniques to detect the incipient faults. Various methods, such as the IEC codes, have been developed to interpret DGA results directly obtained from a chromatographer. Although these methods are widely used in the world, they sometimes fail to diagnose, especially when more than one fault exists in a transformer. This paper presents a fuzzy logic technique which can diagnose multiple faults in a transformer and quantitatively indicates the likelihood/severity of each fault. Insulation deterioration at each fault location can then be monitored closely according to its trend, which is important for a transformer in critical situation. Tests using this technique on a number of transformers have given promising results.