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Laboratory services
Powerlink provides transformer oil testing, SF6 gas testing and diagnostic services from our on-site laboratory. We partner with you to extend the life of your transformers, reactors and high voltage oil-filled plant. We provide expert advice and technical support on a wide range of oil testing, insulation testing, condition monitoring and engineering support.
Our team of highly qualified chemists, scientists and professional engineers deliver clear and accurate information and recommendations to enable you to make informed decisions on how best to maintain and operate your transformers and other valuable electrical assets.
Servicing customers across the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, our extensive test history database also provides valuable reference data for your analysis, diagnosis and benchmarking.
Powerlink’s laboratory is NATA and ISO 9001 accredited.
Schedule of services
Click to expand the sections below to learn more about our oil testing and laboratory services.
| Dissolved Gas Analysis | DGA is used to monitor potential fault conditions in the oil from heating, arcing and partial discharge. |
| Moisture in oil | Measure of the amount of moisture in the oil to estimate the amount of water in the cellulose insulation and the risk of saturation of the oil. |
| Furans | Furans are used to monitor the ageing and decomposition of cellulose insulation. |
| Dissolved Methanol | Methanol is used to monitor the ageing and decomposition of cellulose insulation. |
| Degree of Polymerisation (DPv) | Measure of the average chain length of cellulose polymer using a viscosity technique. Calculate the residual paper tensile strength. |
| Moisture content of paper and board | Direct measurement of moisture content of paper and board. Calculation of the Gassing Tendency moisture limit of the insulation on the windings. |
| HV plant condition assessment insulation condition assessment | Comprehensive assessment of insulation age, condition, risk and remnant life of instrument and power transformers. |
| Tap changer, Circuit Breaker and Bushing condition assessment | Analysis of samples from tap changers, breakers and bushings, and assessment of condition using DGA, oil quality and particulate profiling. |
| Dissolved Gas Analysis | DGA is used to monitor potential fault conditions in the oil from heating, arcing and partial discharge. |
| Colour and appearance | A visual evaluation of the oxidation and contamination of oil. |
| Acidity | Measure of the amount of acidic oxidised material in the oil. |
| DFF and resistivity (25C and 90C) | Measure of the amount of polar material in the oil. Responds to material not necessarily measured by acidity test. |
| Dielectric break down | Measure of the material which lowers the dielectric strength. Principally reacts to particles, fibres and water. |
| Interfacial tension | Measure of the amount of particles and polar material in the oil. Quite sensitive to trace amounts so useful to detect contamination and degradation. |
| Inhibitor content (DBPC) | Inhibitor is used to reduce oxidation. Important to monitor the loss of antioxidant to take steps to preserve oil quality. |
| Passivator content | Passivator is used to prevent unwanted reactions e.g. copper corrosion. Important to monitor the loss of passivator to preserve oil quality. |
| Particle and fibre - optical microscopy and SEM | Measure of the particle load in the oil. Can be used to identify particle types. For enhanced identification, characterisation by Scanning Electron Microscopy is available. |
| Particle count - automatic laser | Automated particle sizing system can provide a particle size profile but no identification of particle types. |
| Metals in oil | Measure of the amount of metallic elements dispersed in the oil. |
| Materials | Investigation of failures, corrosion, polymer ageing, etc. |
| Research and development | Powerlink provides a range of research and development services to clients. |
| Staff training | Training presentations are available to enable your staff to achieve a better understanding of why the tests are performed and the meaning of test results. |
| Corrosive Sulphur (ASTM and CIGRE IEC) | A qualitative measure of the amount of reactive sulphur in the oil. |
| Oxidation test (IEC Method C) | Provides a relative measure of the resistance to oxidation of an insulating oil. |
| Density, Viscosity and Flash Point | Measure of the desired properties of the insulating liquid. |
| Carbon type (Brandes method) | Measure of the aromatic, aliphatic and naphthenic content. |
| FTIR Spectrometry | Identification of contaminants and additives. |
| Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) content of oil* | Measure of the amount of PCB in insulating oil. |
| PCB content of paper, board, cloth, soil and other porous solids | Measure of the amount of PCB present in porous materials. Useful for disposal purposes. |
| PCB wipe test (metal surfaces) | Measure of the amount of PCB present on non-porous materials such as laminations and tank steel. Useful for disposal purposes.. |
| Oil in water and suspended solids | Measure of the amount of oil and suspended material in water runoff from bunds and separation tanks to determine efficiency and meet environmental regulations. |
| Cable investigation or assessment | Assessment of failure mode and discharges for paper (eg OIP) and polymer (eg XLPE treeing) cables. |
| Surface contamination of disc insulators | ESDD (salt) and NSDD (insoluble soil and dirt) determination for insulator surfaces. |
| Surface degradation | Degradation of EPDM, Silicones and plastics (PVC, etc). |
| Line insulators and hardware assessments | Condition Assessment of HV line insulators (ceramic, glass, NCI) and line hardware (conductors and fittings) using materials science and HV testing (eg resistance, capacitance and voltage profiles, breakdown, withstand etc). |
| SF6 - quality and assessment | Measurement of air contamination and levels of fault and breakdown products of SF6 gas in GIS installations. |
| SF6 in oil | Detection of quantities of SF6 dissolved in insulating oil. |
| SF6 recycling | Recovery of used SF6 to as-new condition. Consolidation of small quantities of SF6 into usable amounts. Analysis certificate with each cylinder. On-site treatment available. |
