Substation transformer failures have the potential to release large amounts of oil, which can pollute the environment and damage plant and animal life. Any incident of this nature draws negative media coverage and results in costly cleanup operations. A power utility in Brooklyn experienced this firsthand in when a catastrophic transformer failure released an estimated 37,000 gallons of dielectric fluid. The oil seeped into the East River requiring a significant cleanup operation.
Besides the negative publicity and costly cleanup and reclamation following an oil spill, utility companies also face federal and state fines and years of lengthy litigation. Learn the transformer oil containment requirements and how to comply.
The overarching body of legislation related to oil spills is U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 40. It aims to protect the environment by preventing spills from affecting navigable waters.
40 CFR 112.7 establishes the rules for Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC), specifically General Secondary Oil Containment requirements. Owners and operators of oil-filled equipment must access their potential risks of an oil release migrating offsite and into the navigable waters of the U.S. This assessment may require an SPCC plan.
In , the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) established a working group to apply SPCC to substation transformers, which resulted in the development of IEEE Standard 980 – Guide for Containment and Control of Oil Spills in Substations.
The 980 Standard provides an overview of the SPCC requirements and application for substation transformers. It details site risk assessment and evaluation parameters as well as options and alternative solutions for spill control and countermeasures within substations.
SPCC RegulationsSPCC applies to facilities that have more than 1,320 gallons of above-ground oil storage or more than 42,000 gallons below ground. Since transformers are considered oil-filled equipment, most substations fall into this category.
There are two criteria for self-certification. First, the above ground oil storage capacity in the substation transformer must be 10,000 gallons or less. Second, companies must have a good environmental track record.
The limit is only one spill into navigable waters greater than 1,000 gallons in the previous three years. There is also a maximum of two spills greater than 42 gallons in any 12-month period during that time.
Companies that fail to meet these criteria must use a Professional Engineer to certify their SPCC plan.
SPCC plans list oil spill sources. IEEE 980 highlights oil filled equipment like substation transformers. Other sources for potential spills include cables, oil-handling equipment, reactors, oil circuit breakers, pots and storage tanks.
BCI Barrier Boom features patented oil filtration technology to prevent oil from migrating off site
A plan is required to describe the probability of a failure and the size of spill that could result. Operational and inspection procedures help identify early warning signs to prevent spills.
SPCC plans cover general containment of the entire facility, including specific measures taken for individual pieces of oil filled equipment. The regulations provide numerous alternatives and methods for secondary oil containment.
BCI supplies multiple secondary containment options for the power utility sector. Our patented oil filtration technology captures hydrocarbons present in water as it evacuates from the containment area, without the aid of valves or pumps. It instantly and completely shuts off in the event of an oil release.
Finally, remember that no SPCC plan is complete without having countermeasures specified and in place. Facilities must prepare to respond to a spill when it happens. Speed of response is critical to prevent pollution to navigable waters.
BCI prides itself on being a global leader in providing secondary containment solutions for substation transformers. We deliver technical solutions that meet and usually exceed EPA and SPCC requirements. Contact us for more information about our revolutionary technology.
Substation transformer failures have the potential to release large amounts of oil, which can pollute the environment and damage plant and animal life. Any incident of this nature draws negative media coverage and results in costly cleanup operations. A power utility in Brooklyn experienced this firsthand in when a catastrophic transformer failure released an estimated 37,000 gallons of dielectric fluid. The oil seeped into the East River requiring a significant cleanup operation.
Besides the negative publicity and costly cleanup and reclamation following an oil spill, utility companies also face federal and state fines and years of lengthy litigation. Learn the transformer oil containment requirements and how to comply.
The overarching body of legislation related to oil spills is U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 40. It aims to protect the environment by preventing spills from affecting navigable waters.
40 CFR 112.7 establishes the rules for Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC), specifically General Secondary Oil Containment requirements. Owners and operators of oil-filled equipment must access their potential risks of an oil release migrating offsite and into the navigable waters of the U.S. This assessment may require an SPCC plan.
In , the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) established a working group to apply SPCC to substation transformers, which resulted in the development of IEEE Standard 980 – Guide for Containment and Control of Oil Spills in Substations.
The 980 Standard provides an overview of the SPCC requirements and application for substation transformers. It details site risk assessment and evaluation parameters as well as options and alternative solutions for spill control and countermeasures within substations.
SPCC RegulationsSPCC applies to facilities that have more than 1,320 gallons of above-ground oil storage or more than 42,000 gallons below ground. Since transformers are considered oil-filled equipment, most substations fall into this category.
There are two criteria for self-certification. First, the above ground oil storage capacity in the substation transformer must be 10,000 gallons or less. Second, companies must have a good environmental track record.
The limit is only one spill into navigable waters greater than 1,000 gallons in the previous three years. There is also a maximum of two spills greater than 42 gallons in any 12-month period during that time.
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Companies that fail to meet these criteria must use a Professional Engineer to certify their SPCC plan.
SPCC plans list oil spill sources. IEEE 980 highlights oil filled equipment like substation transformers. Other sources for potential spills include cables, oil-handling equipment, reactors, oil circuit breakers, pots and storage tanks.
BCI Barrier Boom features patented oil filtration technology to prevent oil from migrating off site
A plan is required to describe the probability of a failure and the size of spill that could result. Operational and inspection procedures help identify early warning signs to prevent spills.
SPCC plans cover general containment of the entire facility, including specific measures taken for individual pieces of oil filled equipment. The regulations provide numerous alternatives and methods for secondary oil containment.
BCI supplies multiple secondary containment options for the power utility sector. Our patented oil filtration technology captures hydrocarbons present in water as it evacuates from the containment area, without the aid of valves or pumps. It instantly and completely shuts off in the event of an oil release.
Finally, remember that no SPCC plan is complete without having countermeasures specified and in place. Facilities must prepare to respond to a spill when it happens. Speed of response is critical to prevent pollution to navigable waters.
BCI prides itself on being a global leader in providing secondary containment solutions for substation transformers. We deliver technical solutions that meet and usually exceed EPA and SPCC requirements. Contact us for more information about our revolutionary technology.
Today, most transformers are filled with mineral oil. This has been the case since the late 19th century, when chemist Elihu Thomson, whose company later merged to form General Electric, patented the use of mineral oil in transformers to help disperse heat from the core of a transformer in order to prolong its life. Presently, transformer oils alternative fluids are becoming more and more popular as we look for alternatives that further prolong transformer life, lower environmental risks, and save money.
There are a small handful of companies that make natural and synthetic esters, including Cargill, ABB, M&I Materials and GE Prolec, to name a few. By far, one of the most popular alternative fluids in today’s market is Cargill’s FR3. One of the biggest drivers behind the popularity of FR3 and other natural and synthetic esters is the fluid’s high flash point (330°C) and fire point (360°C). This is more than double what mineral oil filled transformers can stand, making them great fluids for both indoor and outdoor transformer placement.
Over the years, the transformer industry has seen little change. The shift in fluids is one of the bigger changes we have seen in years, and there is extreme interest in learning as much as they possibly can about these natural and synthetic ester fluids.
Another factor driving popularity is their biodegradability. Biodegradable fluids are more suitable for sensitive areas like dams and any property close to water. By choosing these fluids, you will avoid investing large sums of money on containment structures to hold 110% of nameplate gallons. Environmentally speaking, because these fluids are biodegradable, leaks or failures of units will have a much lower environmental impact than what we see with traditional transformer fluid. FR3, for example, contains no petroleum, halogens, silicones, or sulfurs, making the cleanup easier and less expensive than that of typical transformer mineral oils. As a result, this type of fluid is very desirable to insurance companies. For example, companies like FM Global are offering incentives and encouraging some industrial manufacturers to retrofill or replace all their oil filled units with these high fire point, less flammable, natural or synthetic ester fluids.
Reliability is very important in today’s electrical energy industry. Natural and synthetic esters are very stable fluids and have a greater cooling capacity than the high-molecular-weight silicone fluids and hydrocarbon dielectric fluids, adding to their desirability. Transformers with thermally upgraded paper and FR3 take about eight times longer to reach end of life criteria than a mineral oil filled transformer.
The testing of FR3 is similar to the way one would test mineral oil – by pulling a good representative sample from the bottom valve of the transformer. The difference is more about the interpretation of the results than the tests themselves. To maximize the life of natural and synthetic ester fluid transformers, you need to maintain the units at low oxygen levels and low moisture levels, just like mineral oil filled transformers.
During the first few years, natural esters will generate small amounts of ethane (C2H6; around 200 to 300 ppm). The cause of this is the stray gassing that naturally occurs with these natural ester fluids. This is not an indicator of a localized hot spot in the transformer. The C2H6 emissions should level off after a few years.
One of the biggest drivers behind the popularity of FR3 and other natural and synthetic esters is the fluid’s high flash point (330°C) and fire point (360°C), which is more than double what mineral oil filled transformers can stand.
One of the biggest enemies to the solid insulation in the transformer is water. Natural and synthetic ester fluids will hold more moisture in the fluid and less moisture in the paper as compared to mineral oil filled transformers, helping to keep the most important part of the transformer, the solid insulation, dry.
For instance, at about room temperature, mineral oil will hold approximately 50 ppm, whereas FR3 will hold around ppm. If you have a high moisture content in your ester fluid filled transformer, the ester fluids will generate acids. These weak, long-chain fatty acids react to form new ester links that put a protective layer over the solid insulation, protecting it from future decay. In oil filled transformers, the oil does not help keep the paper dry. As a matter of fact, the paper can hold hundreds or even thousands of times more moisture than the oil, which results in a very long and drawn out process to dry an oil filled transformer in the field.
Extensive lab testing and field work confirmed that transformers filled with mineral oil and high temperature hydrocarbon fluids (R-Temp) can be retrofilled with natural ester fluids. Performing the retrofill can help slow the transformer aging process, lower the environmental risk, and improve the short-term capability to overload the transformer.
Before you begin, there are a few things you should know. The biggest issue with retrofilling an oil filled unit with FR3 is the draining process. You will never get 100% of nameplate gallons out of the transformer because the winding, core, paper, and cardboard inside the transformer have been absorbing some of the oil over time. While your transformer is being drained, confirm enough of the original fluid is removed from the windings, or you may lower the fire point to below 300°C, making the transformer unacceptable for indoor use. You should also verify that there are no free breathing capabilities by checking that the conservators and nitrogen systems are working properly, and that atmosphere cannot come in contact with the FR3.
Extensive lab testing and field work confirmed that transformers filled with mineral oil and high temperature hydrocarbon fluids can be retrofilled with natural ester fluids. However, if you are topping off a transformer with a different fluid, you need to make sure the two fluids are compatible.
Some of these transformer fluids are not compatible with each other. Take silicone for example. While you can still buy silicone, it does not mix well with other fluids. If you top off an oil filled transformer with silicone, the two fluids will not be miscible; the fluids inside your transformer will look like a lava lamp – unmixed. Again, if you are topping off a transformer with a different fluid, make sure the two fluids are compatible.Remember that there are quite a few different types of transformer fluids out there, some of which you can no longer purchase. If you have these types of fluids and your transformer develops a leak, you must be very careful when choosing which type of fluid you are going to use to top off your transformer.
Over the years, the transformer industry has seen little change. The shift in fluids is one of the bigger changes we have seen in years, and everyone is extremely interested in learning as much as they possibly can about these natural and synthetic ester fluids. Today, we have many more codes that dictate which type of fluids we can use depending on where we install our transformers (NEC codes, fire prevention codes, etc.).
Mineral oil is still, by far, the most popular fluid for transformers because it is lower in cost and readily available, but is it always going to be available to us? Though the change may not be quick, the natural and synthetic ester fluids market is coming on strong. If you do not have a transformer with one of these fluids, you probably will soon
Southwest Electric Co. is here to assist you with all your transformer and electrical distribution system needs. Ask us about retrofilling your transformers, or contact us with any questions you have. Call or us now!
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