A novel application of Gene Expression Programming in transformer diagnostics

Furans are the major degradation of insulating paper in transformer oil. Hence the concentration of furans in oil can be used as a good indicator of paper deterioration. Furan concentration in transformer oil is currently measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Both methods provide accurate and reliable results in detecting furan concentration. However, the two methods need very expensive equipments and take long time to get the result for one sample. Moreover it requires a trained expert to perform and interpret the results. This paper introduces a novel approach for detecting furan concentration in transformer oil through measuring its spectral response. The ultraviolet-to-visible (UV-Vis) spectral response of transformer oil can be measured instantly with relatively cheap equipment and does not need an expert person to conduct the test. Results show that there is a good correlation between oil spectral response and its furan contents. Also, the paper introduces a novel application for gene expression programming (GEP) to estimate the relationship between furan concentration and spectral response of transformer oil.