Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Silica Nanofluids
Muhammad Rafiq[1], Chengrong Li[2], Yuzhen Lv[3], Kai Yi[4], and Ikram Arif[5]
[1-2]
Beijing Key Laboratory of High Voltage & EMC, [3-4]School of Energy, Power and Mechanical Engineering [1-4]North China
Electric Power University,102206, Beijing, China
[5]
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 45650, Islamabad, Pakistan
[1]
Jutt96@gmail.com
Abstract—A fluid consisting of nano-sized particles is known as Therefore, it is a challenge for researchers to direct their
nanofluid. It manifests better cooling abilities compared to the energies and efforts to upgrade the insulating and cooling
host fluid. The aim of this study is to analyze the AC and impulse features of liquid insulation.
breakdown strength of mineral oil based SiO2 nanofluids (NFs). A unique novel study with the aim to enhance transformer
The volume fractions used was 20%. The influence of moisture oil’s dielectric traits is the development of nanofluids. A
on AC breakdown strength was investigated. Moreover, the
nanotechnology based fluid in which a small amount of nano-
positive and negative impulse breakdown strength was measured
and compared with pure oil. The positive lighting impulse materials (nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanorods, nanosheets or
breakdown voltages indicated an enhancement as compared to nanofibers) are stably scattered in a conventional heat transfer
pure oil where the measured negative impulse breakdown liquids (water, mineral oil, ethylene glycol) [4]. Nanofluids
voltages of nanofluids were lower than the host oil. The may display improved thermal characteristics (thermal
modification mechanisms of nanoparticles on breakdown conductivity and coefficient of heat transfer) compared to
properties of mineral oil were also discussed. carrier liquid [5].
In current years, a significant research investigating the
Keywords— nanofluid; mineral oil; breakdown performnace; preparation of nanofluids and heat transfer properties of
nanoparticles
nanofluids has been conducted. Nevertheless, investigation on
electrical characteristics of mineral oil based nanofluids is
I. INTRODUCTION finite [6, 7, and 8]. The reason for this limited research on
A transformer is the most significant and expensive electrical characteristics of transformer oil-based nanofluids
component of power network. The results of downfall of this is, they are hard to synthesize as compared to nanofluids based
vital component could be quite ruinous [1]. Most of the on water. The mineral oil is used as a cooling and insulating
transformers in service around the globe are close to or medium in HV apparatus. Nanofluids are being considered as
beyond their designed life, there has been significant attention potential alternate of mineral oil with their improved features
to enhance functional reliability of these units. The recent (insulating and heat transfer) and can be helpful to reduce the
transformer collapse data has shown that average service life size of HV equipment.
of transformers has reduced to half of their designed life due In recent years, nanofluids were developed by using
to insulation problems [2], and 75% of high voltage nanoparticles in mineral oil and they manifested some
transformers are caused by insulation issues [3]. Both the promising results [9-12]. Segal et al. used magnetic
lifetime and functional reliability of transformers mainly nanoparticles to prepare nanofluids and studied their dielectric
depends on the performance of insulation materials. It is characteristics [6]. The outcomes of their experiment were
therefore highly required to enhance the electrical and thermal quite encouraging with an improvement in positive impulse
traits of insulation materials. breakdown of nanofluids than the host oil. Some other
Mineral oil is generally used as cooling and insulating researchers utilized non-conductive nanoparticlesfor their
fluid in oil filled electrical equipment. They are developed experiments.
from petroleum crude stock after refining and distillation. The The breakdown mechanisms to describe the improvement
mineral oil contains a combination of basic hydrocarbon
in dieltric strength of nanofluids were recommended [12-17].
liquids, such as paraffin, naphthene, olefin and aromatic. Due
The suspended nanoparticles in oil are considered to act as
to rising transmission voltage levels, it is very hard to for
normal liquid insulation (mineral oil) to fulfill the need of electron scavengers, transforming high mobility electrons to
ultra high voltage transformers. slow negatively charged particles based on the results of
simulation model, so the intiation and migration of streamer is
disrupted, and the breakdown strength is improved [12-16].
A huge works has been published on nanofluids prepared
978-1-5090-4300-2/16/$31.00 ©2016 IEEE
to improve the dielectric features of mineral oil [18, 19].
However, in this study, nanofluids were prepared by scattering voltage value and then was raised step by step until
SiO2 nanoparticles. The comparative analysis of AC breakdown occurs. The needle electrode is renewed after each
breakdown strength at different moisture level was done and breakdown to make sure the similar experimental conditions.
also lightening impulse breakdown strengths between A total of six breakdown readings were attained for each fluid
nanofluids was measured and compared with transformer oil to establish repeatability. The mean value wais considered
.The apparent enhancement in breakdown performance of taken as lightening impulse breakdown voltage [21].
nanofluid is explained in the light of electron trap theory. Meanwhile, for the validity of the test results, three impulse
waves should be applied at each voltage level and every oil
II. EXPERIMENTAL sample should withstand at least three voltage levels before
the occurrence of breakdown.
A. Material Preparation
The silica nanoparticles were purchased from Sigma III. DISCUSSIONS ON EXPERIMENTAL OUTCOMES
Aldrich, China. The 25#Kelamayi was used as host liquid. The
oil was filtered to meet the needs imposed by CIGRE [20]. A. AC Voltage Measurement of Nanofluids
The nanoparticles were weighed and dispersed evenly in host The AC breakdown measurement is very important
oil through ultrasonic rout. After preparation, nanofluids were measurement for transformer oil. It is the value of electrical
kept at 1kPa for almost 48 h to nullify the bubbles produced potential at which the oil will stop the function of insulating
during preparation. The moisture level measurement was and will eventually collapse, allowing huge current pass
carried out by Karl Fischer titration method. The 20% volume through it. The breakdown strength of all the prepared samples
nanoparticle loading is used The Oleic acid surface to IEC test criterion. The test results of AC breakdown voltages
modification is used. with different moisture levels are shown in Fig. 2. It is noticed
from the results that the ac breakdown voltage for nanofluids
TABLE I PROPERTIES OF NANOPARTICLES
showed an enhancement with the existence of nanoparticles but
materials Mineral oil SiO2 the breakdown voltage drops when the moisture level is
enhanced.
Relative
2.2 4
permittivity