An advanced application of power factor / dissipation factor is dielectric frequency response (DFR) where measurements of capacitance and dissipation factor as a function of frequency are used to determine the moisture concentration in the solid insulation (cellulose) or the conductivity in the liquid insulation (oil). DFR is a definitive tool to identify the level of degradation in the complex insulation system of power, distribution transformers, and HV and EHV bushings.
On the other hand, the use of line frequency values in the dielectric analysis has encountered its limitations:
- Limit values set by standards might be too conservative
- A better assessment requires historical data
- Temperature correction is limited to the use of reference tables
- Assessment is inconclusive