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

Conductivity (S/m) 10-12 1×10-15

Relative
2.2 4
permittivity

Density (g/cm3) 0.89 ―

Relaxation time (s) ― 37.2

Surface modifiers ― Oleic acid

B. Breakdown Voltage Tests

The AC breakdown voltage was measured by Jiantong
6801 Automatic 50 Hz Electric detector in accordance to IEC
60156 standard. The electrode configuration used was two
spherical electrodes made of brass. The gap distance was 2mm.
The rate of voltage increase was 2kV/s. The apparatus provided
six values of breakdown each time and 5 sets of 6 breakdowns
is conducted. For every sample, a total of 30 breakdowns were
achieved for every fluid and mean value was considered as AC
breakdown voltage. The experiment was carried out at room
temperature. Fig. 1. Test Cell and electrode configuration

For lightening Impulse measurement, a ten level impulse

voltage producer is utilized to generate standard lightening
impulse wave. An oil tank and a needle to sphere electrode
setup (as manifested in Fig. 1) was used. A gap distance of
25mm was used for positive and 15mm for negative impulse
breakdown voltages measurement according to IEC 60897
standard. The sample was exposed to an initial selected
B. Positive Impulse Breakdown Strength
Positive Impulse breakdown test was carried out for both
mineral oil and nanofluids. The results are given in Fig. 3.
Nanofluids indicated an improvement of positive impulse
breakdown voltage than mineral oil.
Fig. 2 AC breakdown voltages measurement at different moisture levels
C. Negative impulse Breakdown Strength
Negative Impulse breakdown test was carried out for both
mineral oil and nanofluids. The summary of results is shown in
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 Positive and Negative Impulse breakdown voltages measurement
IV. DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
The research work [12] manifested that the space charge effect
in transformer oil is a vital factor that influences the initiation
and development of streamer discharges. Most of the
researchers believe that the special interface characteristics
between oil and nanopartiles play a dominating role in the
transportation of space charge during the breakdown process in
nanofluids [11-13]. The interface consists of a huge number of
electronic traps that capture and release electrons repeatedly.
This electron trapping and releasing processes in the traps
decreases the mobility and energy transfer of electrons and
impede the further development of streamer.
On the basis of relaxation theory and trap model, provides
an explanation to understand the differences in breakdown
properties of different nanofluids. The mechanism of enhanced
breakdown characteristics is related to the relaxation time
constant and polarization of nanopartilces in nanofluids, which
are depends on the permittivity and conductivity of
nanoparticles. According to Zahn [15], if the relaxation time
constant of free charges accumulated on the surface
nanoparticle is shorter than the time scale of streamer
propagation, the presence of nanoparticles will effectively alter
the electrodynamics in the oil. The relaxation time constant is
given by (1).
where ɛ1 and ɛ2 are the permittivity of transformer oil and
magnetic nanoparticles respectively and σ1 and σ2 are the
conductivities of base oil and nanoparticles respectively. A
small value of τr corresponds to the faster absorption of
electrons by nanoparticles. According to the calculations [15,
16], if the relaxation time constant of s nanoparticle is smaller
than the propagation time of streamer. The surface of
nanoparticles can absorb free electrons quickly, thus changing
the potential distribution around the particle [15]. By
capturing the free electrons, the streamer velocity will be
reduced and hence the nanoparticles improve the dielectric
strength of nanofluids as compared to the base transformer oil.
In contrast, the relaxation time constants of dielectric
nanopartilces SiO2 in this study are greater than the streamer
propagation time. When SiO2 nanofluids are subjected to an
external electric field, the free charges have no time to
accumulate on the surface of nanopartilce. On the contrary,
the charge dissipation in nanofluids could be attributed to
shallow traps produced by dielectric nanoparticles and related
to charge hopping transport process in the produced shallow
traps [22]. It is proposed that fast electrons produced at high
electric field in oil can be trapped in the shallow traps and de-
trapped quickly from the shallow traps in the oil. Due to this
trapping and de-trapping, the highly mobile electrons can be
transformed to low mobility electrons [23]. This electron
trapping and de-trapping process in shallow traps could be one
of the major charge transport process in dielectric liquids. The
number of shallow traps produced by dielectric nanoparticles
are considered to highly contribute into the decreased speed of
streamer propagation and enhanced dielectric strength of
nanofluids.
I. MODIFICATION MECHANISMS
The Gouy Chapman Stern layer between nanoparticles and
oil is the path where the charge would be translocated, which
plays and significant part in enhancing the dielectric
performance of nanofluids. Based on the results [24], it is
proposed that water molecules fraction would bound to the
interface of the oil-nanoparticle and produce an ordered water
layer [25], that will create a lateral conductive course along the
interface, resulting to the development of higher local
conductivity. This modification of interfaces could be main
parameter for generation of high shallow trap density in
nanofluids with a increase in moisture content. It is believed
that shallow traps are related with charge hopping process in
the sample and the high speed electrons generated at high
electric field in nanofluids can be captured by shallow traps
and de-trapped briskly form these shallow traps. This fast
transfer of charge carriers in shallow traps leads to their higher
mobility in nanofluids as compared to pure oil at high electric
field, which effectively decrease the accumulation of space
charge and electric field distortion by water molecules.
II. CONCLUSION
In this study, AC breakdown strength of mineral oil and
prepared silica nanofluids at different moisture levels were
investigated. The results showed an improvement in
breakdown strength of nanofluids with respect to that of base
transformer oil. It is proposed that interface stern layer for
water molecules give rise to change of oil-nanopartile
interface structure and higher shallow traps density that leads
to facile charge migration by trapping and de-trapping
process, providing a uniform local electric field and better
dielectric performance of nanofluids.
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