Hadhramout University

College of Engineering and Petroleum

Chemical Engineering Dep.

Chemical Engineering Lab

" Refinery Engineering"

Experiment No. 4 : Specific Electric Conductivity

Name of Student : …........................................................................

Group : .............................................................................................

Date : ................................................................................................

Name of Instructor : Alaa Ba-abbad

INTRODUCTION :

Petroleum products are considered poor electrical conductivity, so each is used as

insulation. Saturated hydrocarbons which has high purity has a very very simple
electrical conductivity, so it was considered non-electrical conductive. more
hydrocarbons conductive electrical current is unsaturated compounds.

Analyzes indicate the oils which free from solid paraffin compounds, aromatic
compounds, asphalt and resins have a high stability against electrical conductivity, so
it was used as insulators in electrical transformers.

Breakthrough voltage:

Breakthrough voltage is defined as is the least effort by electrical current sent to an

electric spark at standard conditions.

when the value of Breakthrough voltage on petroleum sample is high, when the
sample is called as the most insulator.

Breakthrough voltage depends on many factors, including:

1. Moisture.
2. Temperature .
3. Pressure.
4. Frequency of current.

Determination Method of Electro-conductivity:

Pour the oil sample to the limit in its container which made from non-conductive
material to an electrical current. on both sides of container is electric connectors, these
connectors expire disk copper has high conductivity. The diameter of each disk is
2.5cm. The distance between the two disks can be 2mm or more. It must be immersed
disks in study oil. put container into place and then running the device and wait until
the result is recorded on paper. The result is the average of number of automatically
tests.

It should be the oil prepared for transformers and capacitors efforts to Breakthrough
voltage at least 25KV, especially when the distance between the two disks is 2mm
and temperature 15-200C.