Experimental Study on Vegetable Oils Properties For

Power Transformer
A.A.H. Zaidi
School of Electrical System Eng,
Universiti Malaysia Perlis,
Arau 02600, Perlis, Malaysia.
aimiathirahhazwani@gmail.com
N. Hussin
School of Electrical System Eng,
Universiti Malaysia Perlis,
Arau 02600, Perlis, Malaysia.
nuriziani@unimap.edu.my
M.K. Mohd Jamil
School of Electrical Electronic Eng,
Universiti Sains Malaysia,
Nibong Tebal 14300, Penang.
eekamarol@usm.my

Abstract— One of the most important equipment in electrical
power system is transformer. Most of transformers are using oil
as the cooling medium and commonly use petroleum based oil.
The reason of choosing petroleum based oil as transformer oil
because it has a good dielectric strength and cooling
performance. However, the usage of mineral oil has affected the
environment as its non-biodegradability property and non-
renewable resource. Therefore, renewable resource like vegetable
oil is chosen as an alternative to replace mineral oil for
transformer insulation liquid. In this paper, palm oil, coconut oil
and virgin coconut oil are tested in a single-phase step down
transformer that use 220 V supply and 50 Hz frequency with a
load 110 V induction motor. Then, those vegetable oils are taken
to undergo oil measurement experiments such breakdown
voltage test, moisture content test and viscosity test. Before and
after application of oils into power transformer are compared
and it shows that virgin coconut oil has the highest breakdown
voltage, lowest moisture content and also lowest viscosity, which
are very good. It can be said that virgin coconut oil is better than
palm oil and coconut oil.
Keywords— high voltage; insulation oil; power transformer
transformer oil; vegetable oil; virgin coconut oil
I. INTRODUCTION
Transformers make large power system possible. To
transmit hundreds of megawatts of power efficiently along
distances, a very high line voltage is necessary. However, a
large generator is designed in certain high voltages and
various electrical loads come in low voltages. A transformer
can step voltages up or down with very little loss in power.
Therefore, connecting a step up transformer in between the
generator and a transmission line allows a certain designed
voltage for the generator to generate, also a step down
transformer that connected between a transmission line and
the load connected to it, permits the transmitted power to be
used at safe voltages. A transformer is a static device, which
transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another circuit
without change of frequency and its efficiency must always be
more than 95% [1].
When a transformer operates, it will generate plenty
of heat. Core losses, cooper loss in windings, stray loss due to
leakage current field are the main reasons for heat generation
in the transformer. The heat generated due to all these losses
must be dissipated without allowing the transformer to reach a
high temperature [2]. Hence, a cooling system in transformer
is needed to remove the heat or eventually transformer will
become hot enough to fail. Transformer oil acts a cooling
mechanism to balance the heating of the transformer. The
insulating oil loads up pore in fibrous insulation and also the
spaces between the winding in the tank. Then, the heated oil
will flow to the radiator and slowly cooling down which
automatically cools the transformer winding as well [3].
Mineral oil that made from petroleum is the type of
oil that has been used for decades as the transformer insulation
oil [4]. The extensively used of petroleum based oil until date
is because its excellent cooling performance, great dielectric
strength, low dielectric losses, low cost, good in long term
performance and its availability as transformer oil [5].
Regardless of how great it is acting as insulating oil, it gives a
bad impact to the environment because it is not biodegradable.
Serious spills often happened and it has caused contamination
to the waterways and soil. Leakage from a transformer also
might cause explosion that will affect the nature. Besides,
mineral oil comes from non-renewable fossil fuel which one
day it will be gone. Hence, with the environmental issues and
shortage concern of its source, a renewable environmental
friendly resource like vegetable oil is the best alternative to
replace it.
Vegetable oil is a biodegradable natural resource and
it has a high fire point, which is good for transformer safety
[6]. Plus palm oil and coconut oil are abundance in Malaysia.
Palm oil contains of high saturated fats and unsaturated fats
such as Lauric acid (48%), Myristic acid (8.4%) and Palmitic
acid (8.4%) [7]. Palm oil is extracted from its mesocarp layer
(flash layer). Then it will undergo bleaching and deodorizing
process and called as Refined Bleaching Deodorized Palm Oil
(RBDPO). This process will make the palm oil fat content
decreases, which is not good because the palm oil quality is
depending on the fat content the oil and the more fat content
consists in, the better dielectric properties of the oil [5].

978-1-4799-8598-2/15/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE 349

Meanwhile, coconut oil is extracted from a mature coconut The test in conducted at School of Electrical and Electronic
kernel. The difference of coconut oil and virgin coconut oil is Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia using BA100 Portable
on how the oil is extracted and normally coconut oil is a Breakdown Analyzer for Oil Testing.
refined coconut oil that has undergone the process of refined,
bleached and deodorized (RBD). While virgin coconut oil is
form from most natural processing which no artificial filtering
or expeller pressing is used [8].

Several researches were attained in previous but

mostly were focusing on the vegetable properties before its
application in power transformer. In this paper, it presents the
properties of vegetable oil before and after the application in
power transformer.
II. EXPERIMENT

A. Test samples Fig. 2. Oil Breakdown Voltage Tester.

There are three samples used, palm oil and coconut
oil were obtained from readily available cooking oils in the
market, while virgin coconut oil was purchased from special
made coconut oil factory. Next, all samples were separately
tested in a single-phase step down transformer. It was
designed and manufactured in 2014 that converts high-
voltage, low-current power into low-voltage, high-current
power as depicts in Figure 1. This single-phase transformer
use 220 V supply and 50 Hz frequency, which also connected
to 110 V induction motor load.
After pouring the vegetable oil inside transformer, it
is left for 24 hours in order of the oil to soak into transformer
windings. Then, after 24 hours, transformer is operated for
120 minutes and each 5 minutes, transformer power and
temperature are observed. When the transformer has stopped
operating, the vegetable oil is taken to check on its breakdown
voltage strength, moisture content and viscosity. Both before
and after application in the transformer have been analyzed to
compare its properties.
C. Moisture content test
The moisture content of the vegetable oil is
determined by using Moisture Analyzer KERN DBS. This test
must be conducted in room temperature, 28°C to prevent any
changes form of the vegetable oil as well as the lower
temperature gets, more moisture will be around. It must be
avoided any surrounding moisture that can effect the moisture
level results. Vegetable oil also very sensitive to some low
temperature because it can turn into solid form. For this
measurement test, the temperature is set to 140°C to dry off
the water content and it is set to be run for 15 minutes.
D. Viscosity test
Viscosity is the important parameter in the cooling
capacity of insulation oil. The lower viscosity of the oil, the
lesser resistance of the transformer oil flow and the better
insulation oil will be. It is because high viscos oil contains
high oxygen molecules, which will fragment the vegetable oil
molecule into smaller elements, and eventually the oil will
turn into solid form.

Fig. 1. Single-phase step down transformer.

B. Breakdown voltage test

The breakdown voltage test is conducted according to
IEC 60156 test method standard, which must use a pair of
spherical electrode that gap for 2.5mm. In order to obtain an
equal particle distribution, the oil was mixed with a stirrer [9]. Fig. 3. Brookfield Digital Viscometer Model DV-E.

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 For this viscosity test, a Brookfield Digital
Viscometer Model DV-E is used together with a waterbath is
used to ensure the oil temperature remains at 40°C according
to ISO 3104 standard.
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
A. Breakdown voltage test
Breakdown voltage test for transformer oil also
known as dielectric strength test which been run to find the
maximum withstand of the oil to sustain before breakdown. In
this test, the dielectric strength value is obtained from the
mean value of breakdown voltage. Figure 4 shows the result of
breakdown voltage test of coconut oil, virgin coconut oil and
palm oil before and after its application in transformer.
Coconut oil shows the lowest value among three and
plus its value is below than 30 kV which does not fulfill the
IEC 60296 standard. The value of 18.2 kV for coconut oil is
almost half from the standard value makes it is not preferable.
It is because if the insulation oil has a low breakdown voltage
it cannot withstand the electrical stress in transformer so it
cannot act as insulator and might harm the transformer. In the
meantime, virgin coconut oil shows the highest value of
breakdown voltage before and after its application in
transformer. However palm oil also shows a great result of
breakdown voltage as the value for normal state palm oil is
16% higher than the standard value and after it has been used
as transformer insulation, the oil breakdown value has
increased about 21% from its normal state breakdown voltage
value. Clearly, a non-added artificial chemical in the oil makes
virgin coconut oil better than the other two processed
vegetables oil.
Fig. 4. Breakdown voltages of vegetable oils before and after
its application as insulation oil in transformer.
B. Moisture content test
Presence of moisture or water in transformer oil is
totally undesirable as it can thicken the oil because oxidation
happens. A high viscosity of the oil with high moisture content
can reduce the transformer performance. Thus, a low moisture
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content result of vegetable oil is wanted. The content of
moisture in transformer oil has a relation to the dielectric
strength of the oil. If it has a high dielectric strength,
subsequently it has low moisture content. It is because low
moisture content means a low level of oxygen presences in it.
Fig. 5. Moisture content of vegetable oils before and after its
application as insulation oil in transformer.
From the figure 5, it shows that after the application
of vegetable oils in the transformer, lower moisture content is
obtained. It is because during the operating time, a heating
process happened and automatically, moisture is removed
from the oil a little bit.
Coconut oil shows the highest moisture content with
4.38% and 3.17% respectively to its value of before and after
it has used as insulation oil in transformer. Meanwhile virgin
coconut oil has the lowest value of moisture content which
1.86% before it is used as insulation and 1.75% after it used as
the insulation oil in transformer. The value of both moisture
content are almost half lower of coconut oil moisture content
which is shown that coconut oil is not good to be used as
insulation oil in transformer compared to virgin coconut oil.
Palm oil results of moisture content are nearly to virgin
coconut oil with a difference of 0.06-0.1% only. Having a high
value of moisture content in insulation oil will give affect to
insulation oil dielectric strength and it can cause arcing and
eventually failure of transformer. Therefore virgin coconut oil
is better from palm oil and coconut oil.
C. Viscosity test
Vegetable oil has a greater value of viscosity
compared to petroleum based mineral oil. In actuality, a low
viscosity of insulation oil is better. Because high viscos oil
makes the flow of oil through the transformer windings, core
and cooling equipment becomes slower [10]. However,
vegetable oils have better thermal conductivity, which is good
and more desirable than mineral oil [11].
The value of viscosity also varies with temperature.
A higher oil temperature makes the lesser value of viscosity.
Based from figure 6, palm oil shows the highest value of
viscosity with 64.8 mPas before it is applied in transformer
and 68.95 mPas. While coconut oil has a 3.0-5.0 mPas value
of differences to palm oil. Virgin coconut oil shows a lower
value with 49.5 mPas before it is applied in transformer and
51.42 mPas after it is applied in transformer. Which is very
good because a low viscosity is required to act as good
insulation liquid for transformer.
Fig. 6. Average viscosity of vegetable oils before and after its
application as insulation oil in transformer.
 ȋͻͲͳͺͲͲʹͷȌǤ ’‡…‹ƒŽ –Šƒ• –‘ ‹‰Š
Fig. 7. Viscosity of vegetable oils before and after its
application as insulation oil in transformer vs. measuring time
taken.
In figure 7 is a graph that presents viscosity value
against the measuring time taken during the experiment. The
viscometer is run for 15 minutes each cycle and repeated three
times. Thus, to get the final viscosity value for each vegetable
oil it took about an hour. Virgin coconut oil shows a good
increase of viscosity value according to time measurement.
However, value of viscosity increasing with measuring time
for coconut oil is unstable. There is a drop value during
minute of 45 for applied coconut oil in transformer. As for
palm oil, in both conditions were started at a high value of
viscosity which over 60 mPas. Palm oil is known with high
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saturated fatty acid components, which automatically makes it
has high viscosity too. Hence, due to this matter it is not
favored characteristic to choose as insulation liquid for
transformer.
IV. CONCLUSION
Overall, based from experiments that were done with
three different vegetable oils; coconut oil, virgin coconut oil
and palm oil, it is shown that virgin coconut oil has most
potential properties compared than the other two vegetable
oils. It has a high breakdown voltage, low moisture content
and low viscosity. A low viscosity of insulation oil is needed
because at operating temperature a thinner type of oil allows
an easier flow. This alternative biodegradable renewable
source of oil can be used as transformer oil, however few
aspects have to be taken care of such as its cost. Since the
selected vegetable oils are also been used in food industry, it
costs a lot to be used in large amount of oil in power system
industry. Moreover, it needs to be improved in terms of its life
duration. Vegetable oil tends to easily absorb moisture and
automatically get oxidized which is bad for transformer
insulation oil. Therefore, it can be considered to have a fully
sealed transformer oil tank.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors ™‘—Ž† Ž‹‡ –‘ –Šƒ the sponsorship of
Ministry‘ˆ†—…ƒ–‹‘ƒ†‹˜‡”•‹–‹ƒŽƒ›•‹ƒ‡”Ž‹•ˆ‘”–Š‡
ˆ—†‹‰ —†‡” 
‘Ž–ƒ‰‡ ƒ„‘”ƒ–‘”›ǡ ‹˜‡”•‹–‹ ƒ‹• ƒŽƒ›•‹ƒ ˆ‘” –Š‡ Š‡Ž’
‹–Š‹•”‡•‡ƒ”…ŠǤ
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