Methanol: A Novel Approach to Power Transformer Asset Management

All electrical utilities deal with the task of determining the residual life of their in-service power transformers. Given the difficulties experienced with the use of first and second generations of markers (carbon oxides and 2-furfuraldehyde), several organizations are now considering the use of methanol for this purpose. Hydro-Québec, which discovered this approach, uses this molecule on a regular basis to evaluate the state of the cellulose insulation of in-service power transformers and applies it to Électricité de France´s nuclear power plant transformers. In this paper, some examples of the application of methanol in the field are presented against the information received from the early marker generations.