Development of ANN and AFIS Models for Age Prediction of In-Service Transformer Oil samples

Power transformer is one of the most important and expensive equipment in electrical network. The transformer oil is a very important component of power transformers. It has twin functions of cooling as well as insulation. The oil properties like viscosity, specific gravity, flash point, oxidation stability, total acid number, breakdown voltage, dissipation factor, volume resistivity and dielectric constant suffer a change with respect to time. Hence it is necessary that the oil condition be monitored regularly to predict, if possible, the remaining lifetime of the transformer oil, from time to time. Six properties such as moisture content, resistivity, tan delta, interfacial tension and flash point have been considered. The data for the six properties with respect to age, in days, has been taken from literature, whereby samples of ten working power transformers of 16 to 20 MVA installed at different substations in Punjab, India have been considered. This paper aims at developing ANN and ANFIS models for predicting the age of in-service transformer oil samples. Both the the models use the six properties as inputs and age as target. ANN (Artificial Neural Network) model uses a multi-layer feedforward network employing back propagation algorithm, and ANFIS (Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System) model is based on Sugeno model. The two models have been simulated for estimating the age of unknown transformer oil samples taken from generator transformers of Anpara Thermal Power Project in state of U.P. India. A comparative analysis of the two models has been made whereby ANFIS model has been found to yield better results than ANN model.