Can oil immersed transformer work under coastal salt fog environment?

Ordinary standard oil-immersed transformers cannot reliably run long-term in coastal salt-fog areas without anti-corrosion upgrading, while specially customized anti-salt-fog type oil immersed transformers are applicable for such environments.

1. Harms of coastal salt fog to conventional transformers

Coastal salt fog contains suspended sodium chloride and corrosive saline moisture, bringing multiple failure risks:

External metal corrosion: Salt deposits on transformer tank, radiator, bolts and accessories trigger rust, water seepage into transformer oil, accelerating oil deterioration and insulation aging.

Insulation flashover risk: Salt crystallization forms conductive dirt on porcelain bushings and casing, reducing creepage distance and easily causing surface leakage current, creepage discharge or short-circuit under humid weather.

Internal component damage: Salt vapor penetrates loose sealing gaps, corrodes internal wiring terminals and core clamping parts, shortening service life drastically.

2. Key customized improvements for salt-fog resistant oil immersed transformers

To adapt to coastal salt fog, targeted modifications are required:

Coating upgrade: Use heavy-duty anti-salt-spray epoxy paint or hot-dip galvanizing for all exposed steel structures; multi-layer anti-corrosion coating process instead of ordinary spray paint.

Insulator selection: Replace common porcelain bushings with silicone rubber composite bushings, which feature excellent hydrophobicity and anti-fouling salt resistance.

Enhanced sealing: Upgrade rubber gaskets and seal structures to block saline mist infiltration into the transformer body.

Optional auxiliary setup: Equip anti-corrosion enclosure or regular offline cleaning & anti-rust maintenance schedule for long-term stable operation.

3. Application conclusion

Non-modified standard oil immersed transformer: Not recommended for permanent coastal salt fog service, only for short-period temporary use with frequent maintenance.

Anti-salt-fog customized oil immersed transformer: Fully viable, widely used in coastal power plants, offshore wind power supporting stations and coastal industrial power distribution projects.

APA

Smith, J. W., & Wilson, R. T. (2021). Salt fog corrosion mechanism and protective design of oil-immersed distribution transformers. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 36(4), 2145–2153. 

 MLA 

Smith, John W., and Robert T. Wilson. "Salt Fog Corrosion Mechanism and Protective Design of Oil-Immersed Distribution Transformers." IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, vol. 36, no. 4, 2021, pp. 2145–2153,

GB/T 7714-2015

SMITH J W, WILSON R T. Salt fog corrosion mechanism and protective design of oil-immersed distribution transformers[J]. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 2021, 36(4):2145-2153.