Unusual cases of gassing in transformers in service

This paper presents some unusual cases of gassing in transformers in service without an actual fault. These cases reveal that hydrogen production caused by stray gassing may be due to strongly hydro-treated oils, but is also very strongly influenced by transformer materials. Stray gassing with overproduction of saturated hydrocarbons with no production of hydrogen and no increased rates of hydrogen, ethylene, and other fault gases has probably always existed and is possibly related to oxidation. The overproportional development of methane and especially ethane proceeds in the first years of service and reaches a plateau after considerable consumption of oxygen. Possibly, this process is also catalytically triggered by transformer materials. Catalytic phenomena and stray gassing can be distinguished from a transformer fault through regular checks not only of the absolute DGA values but also the rates of gas increases