Biodegradable vegetable oil as an alternative insulation for transformers
- P 255-261
In high-voltage transformers, liquid insulation serves as both an insulator and a cooling agent. For many decades, transformer oil has been the traditional choice for this purpose. Despite its high quality insulating properties, mineral oil poses several environmental drawbacks. Researchers are exploring alternative insulating fluids for high-voltage applications, considering both environmental impact and insulating properties. With the increasing demands for better electro, physical and chemical properties of vegetable insulating oils used in high-voltage power transformers, enhancing these oils with nanoparticles has become a prominent area of research. The present study investigates groundnut oil (GO) and mustard oil (MO) as base fluids for insulation oil by incorporating zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. It analyses the effect of varying concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles on the electro-physical and chemical properties of the oils. The analysis reveals several significant enhancements in the properties of the oils when incorporated with ZnO nanoparticles. The result shows that the enhancement of the dielectric strength of the oil can withstand electrical stress without breaking down. Further, the impulse breakdown voltage, which evaluates the oil’s ability to withstand high-voltage pulses, has significantly improved. The study observed a decrease in dissipation factors, representing reduced energy losses as heat within the oil, and a decrease in viscosities at high temperatures, implying improved fluidity and efficiency in high-temperature conditions. The interfacial tension improves, indicating better interfacial tension between the oil and water molecules. The findings suggest that vegetable oil-based nanofluids, with finer characteristics, have a high potential to replace traditional mineral oils.
Breakdown voltage chemical properties nanofluid physical properties transformers vegetable oil