en.Wedoany.com Reported - Over 70% of power transformers in Russia are operating beyond their standard service life, posing a serious aging problem. At the roundtable "Modern Methods of Electrical Equipment Operation: Improving Reliability, Digitalization, and Cost Optimization," organized by the newspaper *Russian Energy and Industry* within the framework of the international exhibition "Electro-2026," Vitaly Burtsev, General Director of TolyattiTransMontazh (TTM) LLC, noted that among transformers with a voltage class of 110 kV and above, over 70% have completely exceeded their design service life.
In his speech, Burtsev highlighted a paradoxical phenomenon: early-generation equipment produced before 1990 often retains a safety margin and continues to operate, while newer transformers with reduced insulation thickness exhibit worse reliability over long-term operation. At the same time, due to growing electricity demand from the national economy, manufacturers are physically unable to promptly replace the capacity lost to aging.
Regarding methods to extend equipment service life, Burtsev cited research data from TechnoServiceElectro. The study shows that after the standard 25-year service life ends, the transformer failure rate decreases and stabilizes. "If this curve is extended further, the indicators will remain at a minimum level," he explained. The key aging factor lies in the condition of paper insulation, which is influenced by temperature, humidity, and oxygen content in the oil. According to estimates, after 1.5 to 2 standard service lives, the remaining insulation life is about 60-70% of that of new equipment.
TTM has proposed comprehensive measures to extend service life, divided into three stages: expanded diagnostics (including furan derivative analysis, partial discharge, vibroacoustic, and thermal imaging control), major overhauls involving cover removal, drying, and cleaning of the active part, and modernization—installing expansion tank membrane protection to isolate oil from air and updating the cooling system. Vitaly Burtsev cited the example of a project at an aviation plant, where the first two stages have been completed for a TSZ-63000/110 transformer, with an expected extension of its actual service life by 15-20 years.
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