Research on the online monitoring technique for transformer oil level based on ultrasonic sensors

Abstract In order to solve the problem of remote oil level measurement for unmanned transformers, this paper proposes an online monitoring technology for transformer oil level based on ultrasonic sensors. Subsequently, a finite element model and experimental testing platform were constructed to analyse and verify the influencing factors of the transformer oil level sensors. The results indicated that there is a lower measurement error at 140 kHz in the ultrasonic frequency range of 20–320 kHz, which can be selected as the recommended frequency. The impurities in the oil and the thickness of the tank wall have a slight impact on the accuracy of oil level measurement, and can lead to a decrease in the signal‐to‐noise ratio of the echo. Furthermore, as the speed of sound increases by about 4 m/s, for every 1°C increase in oil temperature, it is necessary to calibrate the measurement results based on the oil temperature. The test results of actual experimental transformers showed that the designed online monitoring device can achieve high‐precision monitoring of transformer oil level, with a relative error generally less than 3%.