ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with selected elements of life management during the transformer operation. Effective transformer life management, consisting of a high variety of aspects, can vary greatly depending on local conditions and practices. In fact, the life-cycle management for power transformer begins with the specification for a new transformer and finishes with the “end of useful life”. A key element of the transformer life management is quantitative assessment of the safety margin. Power transformers are key and costly components in networks, and loss of a transformer can have an essential impact on the safety, reliability, and cost of supply of electrical energy. Multiple stresses that transformers are subjected to during operation are an origin of deterioration factors. The degradation processes of oil and the degradation of the solid insulation have many interactions. The electric field, particularly in areas of its concentration, is deterioration agent for the insulation system.
