IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Vol. 27, No.

5; October 2020 1715

Stability Analysis and Characterization

of Natural Ester Nanofluids for Transformers
Joyce Jacob, Preetha P and Sindhu T K
Electrical Engineering Department
National Institute of Technology Calicut, 673601, India

ABSTRACT
The present work aims at the preparation and characterization of a stable soybean
natural ester nanofluid using alumina nanofiller, as an alternative to the conventional
mineral oil. Stability using UV-Vis spectrophotometer and turbidity meter for various
concentrations of nanofluids is reported and analyzed. Natural ester nanofluids with
0.02 wt% nanofiller concentration shows the highest stability. AC breakdown voltage
shows a 21.5 and 27.9% increase for unfilled and 0.02 wt% nanofilled natural ester,
respectively, when compared to the unfilled mineral oil. An improvement of 5.4 and
14.6% in the thermal conductivity can be observed for unfilled and 0.1 wt% nanofilled
natural ester, respectively, when compared to that of unfilled mineral oil.
Index Terms — insulating oil, natural ester, nanofluid, nanoparticle, dielectrics,
stability

1 INTRODUCTION In 1995, the term nanofluids was coined by Choi et al at

THE oil-paper insulation system in a transformer is widely
accepted because of its reliability, performance and low cost.
However, in recent times, research has focussed on developing
alternatives to mineral insulating oil. Strict regulations
regarding the safe disposal of mineral oil and increasing
concern about its biodegradability has made the use of mineral
oil less desirable [1]. In this context, many alternatives have
surfaced like silicone oil, gas to liquid transformer insulation,
esters (synthetic and natural esters) etc., the most desirable
being natural esters.
Natural esters, extracted from plants and seeds like coconut,
soybean, rapeseed etc., are gaining popularity as insulating
oils due to their dielectric properties and green credentials.
These fully biodegradable natural esters belong to the K2 class
of liquids with high fire resistance and hence are suitable for
transformers located in high risk and thickly populated areas
[2]. Also, being hygroscopic, they absorb more moisture
without compromising on their dielectric properties. This also
reduces the moisture ingression into the cellulose insulation
thus enhancing the transformer life [3]. High viscosity and
oxidation prone nature are the major disadvantages of natural
esters. Hermetically sealed tanks to avoid contact with the
atmosphere are a requirement for natural ester filled
transformers. As a further development, research is now
focussed on improving the properties of these esters, one such
approach being the development of natural ester nanofluids.
Manuscript received on 30 July 2019, in final form 5 January 2020,
accepted January 6, 2020. Corresponding author: J. Jacob.
Argonne National Laboratory of the USA, to define a fluid
mixture in which nano-sized particles were suspended
uniformly [4]. The choice of the nanofiller, base oil and
preparation methodology are the factors influencing the
properties of the nanofluid and widening its application. The
interphase, a layer between the particle and the base matrix,
becomes prominent with the decrease in particle size and has a
significant contribution towards the property enhancement of
the nanofluid. Researchers have shifted their focus towards the
development of nanofluids with improved dielectric and
thermal properties. However, many constraints including the
stability of the developed fluid, its mass production and
transportation, the cost involved are areas that have not yet
been fully touched upon.
Nanofluid preparation can be either a single step or two step
method. The single step process involves the synthesis of
nanoparticle within the base fluid by vapor condensation
method, submerged arc nanoparticle synthesis system etc. [5].
This method provides better stability of nanofluids, avoids the
need for drying, storage and transportation of nanoparticles.
The requirement of expensive and sophisticated instruments
leading to higher production cost, the presence of residual
reactants are the disadvantages of this method. In the two step
method, nanoparticles are synthesized separately and then
dispersed in the base fluid by sonication or mechanical
stirring. This method is simple and can be employed for bulk
nanofluid preparation but the stability of the prepared
nanofluid is much less compared to that of the single step
method [6]. For improving the stability of the nanofluid,
methods of surface functionalization by the addition of

DOI: 10.1109/TDEI.2020.008445

Authorized licensed use limited to: Auckland University of Technology. Downloaded on October 29,2020 at 07:51:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
1716 J. Jacob et al.: Stability Analysis and Characterization of Natural Ester Nanofluids for Transformers

surfactants, use of dispersants, changes in the sonication Table 1. Properties of nanoparticle and base oils used
for nanofluid preparation.
method and sonication time are commonly done. In the
Sl.
present work, a two step nanofluid preparation methodology No.
Material Properties Value
has been developed by varying the above mentioned factors in 1. Alumina Particle size 60nm
the already exiting preparation methodology. nanoparticle Density 4g/cm3
(Sigma
The primary focus of the present work is the preparation Aldrich)
and characterization of a stable nanofluid. The improvement in 2. Mineral Oil Density 0.8209 g/cm3
the dielectric and thermal properties of nanofluids alone does (MO) Color Transparent
Viscosity 9.75 mPa.s
not substantiate its use as a transformer insulating oil. The Thermal conductivity 0.1651 W/mK
stability of nanofluid is an area that is being widely studied Thermal diffusion 0.1586 mm2/s
because unless a stable nanofluid is developed, any property Specific Heat 1.04 MJ/m3K
Flash Point 162ºC
improvement is futile. The ability of the nanoparticles to Fire Point 170ºC
remain suspended in the base fluid without forming 3. Soybean Density 0.9167 g/cm3
agglomerates depends on many factors. Agglomeration of Natural Ester Color Pale Yellow
(NE) Viscosity 39.9 mPa.s
particles can lead to sedimentation and deterioration of the Thermal conductivity 0.1746 W/mK
nanofluid properties. Thermal diffusion 0.1049 mm2/s
Specific Heat 1.66 MJ/m3K
Stability analysis of a higher and lower concentration of Flash point 310 ºC
nanofluid prepared by the existing and developed two step Fire point 315 ºC
preparation methods is done by visual observation, UV-Vis
(Ultraviolet - Visual) spectrophotometer and turbidity meter
[7, 8]. The preparation method which gave the most stable is followed in the present work. The second and the most
nanofluid is followed for the preparation of different commonly used method is by the use of surfactant in the base
concentrations of mineral oil and natural ester nanofluids. UV- oil followed by addition of nanoparticles and sonication of the
Vis spectrophotometer and turbidity meter methods are again mixture [9]. The nanofluids prepared using the above two
used to analyze the stability of the different nanofluid methods were found to be less stable and hence modifications
concentrations. The characterization of the developed stable were made in the second method to develop a stable nanofluid
nanofluid has been done to compare the properties of natural preparation methodology. In the third method, ethanol was
ester and mineral oil nanofluids for establishing the suitability used as a dispersant and a combination of ultrasonication and
of natural ester nanofluids as a substitute for mineral oil. mechanical stirring was adopted to ensure proper mixing of
the surfactant and nanoparticles [10]. The modified
2 NANOFLUID PREPARATION AND preparation procedure is as shown in Figure 1 and this method
is adopted here for nanofluid preparation.
STABILITY ANALYSIS
2.1 MATERIAL SELECTION
This work aims at the development of a stable insulating
nanofluid for transformer insulation. Insulating alumina
nanoparticles of 60 nm diameter are used for nanofluid
preparation. The comparison of the properties of natural ester
and mineral oil is done to assess the suitability of natural ester
as a base oil for the preparation of nanofluids. Nanofluid
stability enhancement by the addition of a surfactant is also
studied, for which oleic acid is used as the surfactant. The
properties of the nanoparticles and the base oils are listed in
Table 1.
2.2 SAMPLE PREPARATION: IMPROVED
METHODOLOGY BY STABILITY ANALYSIS
The basic requirement in nanofluid preparation is the
uniform dispersion of the nanoparticle in the base oil. This can
be achieved by reducing agglomeration and by efficient
stirring using ultrasonicators, mechanical or magnetic stirrers.
The dependence of the nanofluid stability on the preparation
method and time has been studied here by preparing the
nanofluid with and without surfactant, changing the stirring
mechanism and stirring time. Nanofluids can be prepared
in many ways of which direct addition of nanoparticles
followed by sonication is the simplest and the first method that Figure 1. Nanofluid preparation method.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Auckland University of Technology. Downloaded on October 29,2020 at 07:51:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation
The preparation method that gave the most stable solution
was identified in three ways with respect to the stability of the
prepared nanofluid. In the visual observation method, the
prepared fluids were poured in glass bottles and their
sedimentation was observed after 24 hours. A Perkin Elmer
UV- Vis Spectrophotometer Lambda 650 was used to study
the decrease of the maximum absorbance of the nanofluids
prepared by the three methods. For each nanofluid
concentration, the maximum absorbency and the wavelength
at which it occurs was recorded. The decrease of this
absorbency value was then noted for every hour for a period of
8 hours [11]. In stability analysis by turbidity method, the
turbidity/cloudiness caused by particles suspended in a base
fluid was measured in terms of Nephelometric Turbidity Unit
(NTU) [12].
To decide upon a suitable preparation method, mineral oil
nanofluids of 0.02 wt% (lower concentration) and 0.1 wt%
(higher concentration) were prepared using the three methods.
Figure 2 shows the sedimentation of 0.02 and 0.1 wt%
nanofluid after 24 hours. It is observed that sedimentation is
higher for the first method while least for the third method.
The sedimentation is more clearly visible for the higher
concentration than for the lower one.
Figure 2. Sedimentation of alumina nanoparticles after 24 hours in (a) 0.02
wt% and (b) 0.1 wt% mineral oil nanofluid prepared by Method 1, Method 2
and Method 3.
Using UV- Vis spectrophotometer, the peak absorbance of
the 0.02 and 0.1 wt% were recorded. The decrease of this
absorbance value over a period of 8 hours was noted and is
summarized in Table 2. For 0.02 and 0.1 wt%, the decrease of
the absorbance peak is the highest for method 1 indicating
higher agglomeration whereas it is the least for method 3.
From the turbidity meter result shown in Table 2, it is found
that the rate of decrease of NTU value for both 0.02 and 0.1
wt% is the lowest for the nanofluid prepared using the third
method. The results of the turbidity measurement show that
for 0.02 wt% concentration, there is a 90.26% decrease in the
Authorized licensed use limited to: Auckland University of Technology. Downloaded on October 29,2020 at 07:51:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
Vol. 27, No. 5; October 2020 1717
NTU value for the first method and a decrease of 11.1% only
for the third preparation method. Similar decrease in
absorbance and NTU values are obtained for 0.1 wt%
nanofluid concentration.
Table 2. Stability analysis of 0.02 and 0.1 wt% mineral oil
nanofluid prepared using three methods.
Sl. Stability wt% Method Method Method
No analysis 1 2 3
method
1. % Decrease in 0.02 73.66 17.07 3.09
absorbance 0.1 78.93 23.5 17.18
2. % Decrease in 0.02 90.26 17.5 11.1
NTU value. 0.1 98.35 46.2 23.17
The results of stability analysis show that in the first
preparation method, majority of the nanoparticles have
undergone agglomeration and sedimentation. The stability of
nanofluid prepared by second method has increased by the
addition of surfactant, which forms a coating over the
nanoparticles and reduces the interactive forces. For the
nanofluid prepared by the modified method, the sedimentation
has decreased considerably. Oleic acid is a viscous fluid which
when added to the nanoparticle makes sonication difficult.
This problem is resolved by the addition of ethanol which acts
as a dispersant. Also, the combination of sonication and
mechanical stirring in the modified preparation procedure
improves the dispersion of nanoparticles in the fluid. The
initial sonication of nanoparticles with surfactant and ethanol
provides a better coating of surfactant over nanoparticles
compared to the second preparation method. As the oils under
consideration are viscous, sonication is less effective
compared to mechanical stirring. The use of mechanical stirrer
improves the dispersion of the surfactant coated nanoparticle
in the base oil. Hence, the third method was found to be the
most effective one from the stability point of view and was
followed for the preparation of different concentration of
nanofluids.
3 STABILITY ANALYSIS
While developing a nanofluid, the main challenge is its
stability. An acceptable nanofluid is the one which is stable
and has good dielectric and thermal properties compared to its
base oil. Visual observation is not effective for lower
concentration of nanofluid as is evident from Figure 2a, hence
stability analysis using UV-Vis spectrophotometer and
turbidity meter were done. Mineral oil and natural ester
nanofluids of 0.002, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.1 wt% were
prepared and stability was tested.
3.1 STABILITY ANALYSIS OF NANOFLUIDS USING
UV-VIS SPECTROPHOTOMETER
The maximum absorbance of different mineral oil nanofluid
concentrations and natural ester nanofluid concentrations are
shown in Figure 3. Also, the reduction in maximum
absorbance over a period of 8 hours is shown in Figure 4.
Figure 3 shows that as the particle concentration increases, the
absorbance value increases. From Figure 4, the rate of
1718 J. Jacob et al.: Stability Analysis and Characterization of Natural Ester Nanofluids for Transformers
decrease of absorbance is the highest for 0.1 wt% and least for
0.02 wt%. This implies that nanofluids with lower
concentration of nanoparticles are much more stable than
nanofluids with higher particle concentration. Mineral oil and
natural ester of 0.02 wt% concentration nanofluids show a
decrease of 3.09% and 2.06% in the absorbance value
respectively.
Figure 3. Intensity of maximum absorbance for different concentrations of (a)
mineral oil nanofluid, and (b) ester nanofluids.
Figure 4. Percentage decrease of maximum absorbance for mineral oil and
natural ester nanofluids.
3.2 STABILITY ANALYSIS OF NANOFLUIDS
USING TURBIDITY METER
Figure 5 shows the variation of NTU value for various
concentration of mineral oil and natural ester nanofluids. The
decrease in their NTU value over 24 hours was used to find
Authorized licensed use limited to: Auckland University of Technology. Downloaded on October 29,2020 at 07:51:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
the most stable concentration of nanofluid. Natural ester based
nanofluids were found to have better stability than mineral oil
nanofluids. For both mineral oil and natural ester, the
nanofluid with 0.02 wt% nanoparticle showed the least
reduction in NTU value indicating a higher stability. A
decrease of 11.1% and 8.2% in NTU value is obtained for 0.02
wt% mineral oil and natural ester nanofluid respectively.
Figure 5. Percentage decrease in NTU values of unfilled and nanofilled.
mineral oil and natural ester.
The increased stability of the 0.02 wt% concentration of
both mineral oil and natural ester nanofluids could be
explained in accordance with the DLVO theory named after
Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey and Overbeek, the scientists who
postulated it [13]. The most stable concentration is one where
the nanoparticles suspended in the oil has the best balance
between the electrostatic repulsive force and the Van der
Waals attractive force. Nanofluids with higher particle
concentration (0.04 and 0.1 wt%) may exhibit property
improvement but they will be unstable and nanofluids with a
lower particle concentration (0.002 and 0.01 wt%) will not
result in any significant property improvement. Hence a
nanofluid which is stable as well as has comparable electrical
and thermal properties can serve as an efficient insulating oil.
3.3 EFFECT OF PARTICLE CONCENTRATION
ON STABILITY OF NANOFLUID
DLVO theory along with the multi-core model of
nanoparticles explain the aggregation of particles in a colloid.
Figure 6a shows the multicore model of nanoparticle, where
the negatively charged particle has an immediate stern layer of
oppositely charged particles [14]. Beyond the stern layer is a
diffuse layer of loosely attached particles. The nanoparticle,
the stern layer and diffuse layer can be considered as a unit
while the particle moves through base medium. The stability
of a particle depends on the interactive forces (both attractive
and repulsive) between the charges in these nanoparticle units.
DLVO theory is explained based on two interactive forces, the
Van der Waals attractive force 𝐹 and the electrostatic
repulsive force 𝐹 as shown in Figure 6b [13, 15]. The net
force 𝐹 on a nanoparticle can be written as:
𝐹 𝐹 𝐹 (1)
IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation
If 𝐹 is negative, it implies 𝐹 𝐹 as in points a and c of
Figure 6b. This means the attraction between the particles and
hence probability of agglomeration is high. The primary
minimum represented by a is a deep potential well where
particles if present will coagulate and form permanent
agglomerates. The second minimum represented by c is a
point of shallow potential where the particles will agglomerate
but they can be dispersed again by stirring.
If 𝐹 is positive, it implies 𝐹 𝐹 as in points b and d of
Figure 6b. The maximum point represented by b, where the
repulsive force dominates, is where the particles will remain
dispersed in the fluid without forming agglomerates. This
means the nanofluid with maximum stability is not the one
with a very high or low particle concentration but an
intermediate concentration. This may be the reason behind the
improved stability obtained for nanofluid with 0.02 wt% as
compared to the higher and lower nanofluid concentration. At
lower particle concentration represented by d, there exists only
weak repulsive force so that particles do not agglomerate but
settle down in the fluid.
Figure 6. Stability of nanofluids based on (a) multicore model of nanoparticle
(b) DLVO theory.
4 EXPERIMENTAL WORK
The work aims at the development of a stable natural ester
nanofluid for transformer insulation. Hence a comparison of
Authorized licensed use limited to: Auckland University of Technology. Downloaded on October 29,2020 at 07:51:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
Vol. 27, No. 5; October 2020 1719
the physiochemical properties of nanofluids prepared with the
commonly used mineral oil and the proposed soybean natural
ester is necessary. Also, the FTIR of the nanofluids are
analyzed for the presence of any additional bond formation.
The effect of nanoparticle on the thermal conductivity of the
base oil has been studied and the AC breakdown voltage of the
unfilled and nanofilled oils have been compared.
4.1 PHYSIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISATION
The density, viscosity, flash point and fire point are the
different properties that have been tested. Table 3 lists the
apparatus and standards used for testing the physiochemical
properties of unfilled and nanofilled oils.
Table 3. Apparatus and standards followed for testing
physiochemical properties of nanofluids.
Sl. No. Test conducted Apparatus Standard
1. Density Density / ASTM D1298
specific gravity
meter
2. Viscosity Redwood ASTM D445
Viscometer
3. Acid number By titration ASTM D974
against 0.1N
NaOH solution
5. Flash point Pensky ASTM D92
Fire point Martens
Apparatus
4.2 FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED
SPECTROSCOPY
FTIR is a tool to identify the formation of any new
chemical bonds while dispersing nanoparticles in the base oil.
The frequency and intensity of the fundamental and
characteristic bands in the infrared spectrum contains
information regarding the functional groups present in the
fluid. The FTIR spectrum of unfilled and nanofilled mineral
oil and natural ester were observed from 500 to 4000 cm-1
using an Agilent Technologies FTIR spectroscope. The
functional groups were analyzed for the change in properties
of nanofluids when compared to the base oil.
4.3 THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
The dielectric fluid used in transformer also functions as a
heat dissipation medium for which it should have high thermal
conductivity. Higher the thermal conductivity of the insulating
fluid, faster will be the heat dissipation from within the
transformer, which reduces the temperature build up within
the transformer. Hence, thermal conductivity is an indicator of
the nanofluid thermal property. The thermal conductivity of
unfilled and nanofilled mineral oil and natural ester is
measured using a hot disk apparatus.
4.4 AC BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE
The oil sample is filled in a test cell having VDE electrodes
and a gap of 2.5 mm between the electrodes. Voltage is
applied between the electrodes at a rate of 2 kV/s until
breakdown occurs [16]. For each set of test oil, the voltage is
apllied five times with a time interval of 3 minutes. The high
voltage test circuit with VDE electrode is shown in Figure 7.
1720 J. Jacob et al.: Stability Analysis and Characterization of Natural Ester Nanofluids for Transformers

represent the asymmetric stretching vibration of C–H of

aliphatic –CH3 groups, C–H asymmetric stretching vibration
of the aliphatic CH2 group and C–H symmetric stretching
vibration of the aliphatic CH2 group respectively. The band in
the 1760-1735 cm-1 region represent the C=O stretching
vibrations of the carbonyl functional group. The bands near
1370 and 1430 cm-1 represent the CH3 symmetric deformation
and asymmetric deformation respectively. The strong bands
from 1300-1100 cm-1 are due to the C–O stretching vibrations
and their interaction with the C–C vibration [18].
Figure 7. Circuit for AC Breakdown voltage measurement.

5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

5.1 PHYSIOCHEMICAL CHARCTERISATION
Table 4 lists the results of the physiochemical properties
obtained. The flash point and fire point of natural ester
nanofluid is above 300°C which is about twice that of mineral
oil and mineral oil nanofluids. This makes them suitable
insulating oil in high risk areas. One of the disadvantages of
natural ester nanofluids is the higher viscosity compared to
mineral oil nanofluids. As particle concentration increase the
acid number of the oil also increases.
5.2 FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED
SPECTROSCOPY
The FTIR of unfilled and nanofilled mineral oil and natural
ester is shown in Figure 8a and 8b respectively. The FTIR
shows that no new chemical bonds were formed due to the
addition of nanoparticles in mineral oil and natural ester [17].
An increase in the intensity of the peaks is observed as the
concentration of nanoparticles increases.
Refined mineral oil is a mixture of naphthenic, paraffinic
and aromatic hydrocarbons. The paraffinic hydrocarbon has a
linear branched structure, the naphthenic hydrocarbon has a
cyclic structure and aromatic hydrocarbon has a cyclic
structure with alternate carbon-carbon single and double
bonds. The FTIR of mineral oil nanofluids shown in Figure 8a
has its peaks at 2952, 2921, 2853, 1456 and 1376 cm-1. These Figure 8. FTIR of (a) unfilled mineral oil and nanofluids (b) unfilled natural
represent the naphthenic or paraffinic group of oils. The ester and nanofluids.
naphthenic and paraffinic group represent cycloalkanes and
normal alkanes respectively [17]. 5.3 THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
The FTIR of natural ester nanofluid shown in Figure 8b The thermal conductivity values of mineral oil and natural
have peaks in the region of 2953, 2923 and 2858 cm-1. This ester nanofluids are shown in Figure 9. The thermal conductivity

Table 4. Physiochemical Properties of different concentration of mineral oil and natural ester nanofluid.
Sl. Properties Mineral Oil Nanofluid (MONF) (wt%) Natural ester Nanofluid (NENF) (wt%)
No. 0 0.002 0.01 0.02 0.04 0.1 0 0.002 0.01 0.02 0.04 0.1
1. Density
0.8209 0.8209 0.8211 0.8211 0.8214 0.8218 0.9167 0.9167 0.9168 0.9169 0.9171 0.9177
(g/cm3)
2. Dynamic
Viscosity 9.75 9.81 9.92 10 11.5 12.6 39.9 40.01 40.5 40.7 42.3 45.6
(mPa.s)
3. Acid No. 0.16 0.18 0.31 0.36 0.52 0.7 0.13 0.23 0.26 0.33 0.49 0.65
4. Flash point
(°C) 162 162 161 160 164 166 310 310 311 311 314 315
5. Fire point
(°C) 170 170 170 170 171 172 315 315 315 315 317 319

Authorized licensed use limited to: Auckland University of Technology. Downloaded on October 29,2020 at 07:51:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Vol. 27, No. 5; October 2020 1721

of unfilled natural ester is 5.4% higher than mineral oil. As the
particle concentration increases the thermal conductivity also
increases. For the highest concentration of 0.1 wt% nanofluid
considered in this work, the natural ester nanofluid has an
8.5% increase when compared to the 0.1 wt% mineral oil
nanofluid.
natural ester nanofluid with 0.02 wt% show the highest
breakdown voltage when compared to the unfilled oils and all
other concentrations of nanofilled oils. The scale parameter for
0.02 wt% mineral oil and natural ester nanofluids has
improved by 4.3% and 8.1% respectively when compared to
that of their unfilled counterparts. In [20], an increase of 6% in
the AC breakdown voltage for an optimum concentration of
natural ester with Alumina nanoparticles of 50 nm size can be
observed and in [21], mineral oil nanofluids with alumina
nanoparticle of 50 nm size show an increase of 69%. The
results reported in [22] show that synthetic ester oil nanofluids
of an intermediate concentration of 0.05 g/L shows maximum
breakdown voltage of 17% when compared to the unfilled oil.
Also, in [23], it is obtained that natural ester nanofluids have a
breakdown voltage increase of 11.75% and 18.1% when
compared to unfilled mineral oil and natural ester respectively.
However, it is to be noted that the percentage increase of AC
breakdown voltage varies with the type of base oil used, type
and size of nanoparticle used as is evident from [20, 21].

Figure 9. Thermal conductivity values of unfilled and nanofilled mineral oil

and natural ester.

With increase in particle concentration, the effective surface

area for heat transfer and hence the thermal conductivity value
increases [19]. The percentage increase in thermal
conductivity of nanofluids when compared to their respective
base oils is less for natural ester nanofluids than mineral oil
nanofluids. This can be due to higher viscosity of natural ester
compared to that of mineral oil but the thermal conductivity of
0.1 wt% natural ester nanofluid is 14.6% higher than that of
unfilled mineral oil which makes it a better heat dissspating
fluid.
5.4 AC BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE
Three sets of oil for unfilled and 0.002, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04 and
0.1 wt% nanofilled mineral oil and natural ester samples were
tested with voltage being applied 5 times for each set. A two
parameter Weibull analysis of AC Breakdown voltage test
results is done.
The cumulative probability distribution function F t for
Weibull distribution is given by:

𝐹 𝑡 1 𝑒 (2)
where 𝜏 is the scale factor and 𝛽 is the shape factor.
𝜏 represents the breakdown voltage at the cumulative failure
probability of 63.2% and 𝛽 represents the inverse of data
scatter. The Weibull distribution plot for breakdown voltage of
Figure 10. Weibull distribution plot of breakdown voltage of (a) unfilled and
mineral oil and natural ester nanofluids are shown in Figure nanofilled mineral oil (MONF) (b) unfilled and nanofilled natural ester
10a and 10b respectively. The shape and scale parameters (NENF).
obtained from the Weibull plot are shown in Table 5. The
scale parameter which corresponds to the breakdown voltage The improvement in breakdown voltage of the base oil on
shows that unfilled natural ester has 21.5% higher breakdown adding nanoparticles can be attributed to the particle property
strength than that of unfilled mineral oil. It is evident that the or formation of additional chemical bonds. FTIR results in

Authorized licensed use limited to: Auckland University of Technology. Downloaded on October 29,2020 at 07:51:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
1722 J. Jacob et al.: Stability Analysis and Characterization of Natural Ester Nanofluids for Transformers
Table 5. Shape and scale parameters of unfilled and nanofilled mineral oil and natural ester.
Mineral Oil Nanofluid (MONF) Natural ester Nanofluid (NENF)
Sl. Properties
(wt%) (wt%)
No.
0 0.002 0.01 0.02 0.04 0.1 0 0.002 0.01 0.02 0.04 0.1
1. 𝛽 15.04 17.85 10.67 10.68 11.98 21.25 17.01 9.58 19.33 9.76 8.608 9.97
2. 𝜏 (kV) 41.45 40.06 40.055 43.30 39.71 41.37 52.81 42.66 51.32 57.47 46.91 41.40

Section 5.2 do not show the presence of any additional
chemical bond formation, but the improvement in properties
can be attributed to the surface properties of the nanoparticles.
The higher particle concentration may lead to formation of
agglomerates which reduces the breakdown strength of the oil
whereas for a lower concentration, the particles present may
act as defects rather than aid the improvement in dielectric
strength.
From among the tested oil samples, nanofluid with 0.02
wt% shows highest breakdown voltage for both mineral oil
and natural ester nanofluids. The enhanced breakdown voltage
of 0.02 wt% nanofluids can be attributed to the trapping and
de-trapping of the fast moving electrons in the potential wells
of the nanoparticles. The Al2O3 nanoparticles produce shallow
traps of 0.5 eV which are caused by conformational defects
and deep traps of 0.04 to 1.523 eV that are caused by
impurities and chemical defects in the nanofluid. The electrons
get trapped and de-trapped in these potential wells hindering
their fast movement to the negative electrode. As the trap
number and depth increases, the electrons undergo a hopping
process converting the fast electrons to slower electrons. This
avoids charge accumulation in the oil and results in
improvement in breakdown voltage [24, 25].
It is observed in the present work that natural ester
nanofluid of 0.02 wt% nanoparticle concentration is more
stable and has improved breakdown strength than the other
concentration of nanofluids. Its physiochemical properties are
comparable to the unfilled mineral oil and natural ester. This
stable nanofluid with improved breakdown voltage and
thermal conductivity ensures that natural ester nanofluids are a
probable substitute for mineral oil in transformers.
6 CONCLUSIONS
Preparation method for a stable nanofluid is identified and
stability analysis using UV-Vis spectrophotometer and
turbidity meter are conducted on mineral oil and natural
ester nanofluids of 0.002, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.1 wt%.
The rate of decrease of absorbance value using UV-Vis
spectrophotometer and that of NTU using turbidity meter
respectively is the least for natural ester nanofluid with 0.02
wt% nanofilller concentration. Thermal conductivity study
shows that the thermal properties of the nanofluid improves
with increase in filler concentration. It is obtained from AC
breakdown studies that natural ester nanofluids with 0.02 wt%
nanofiller concentration has the highest breakdown strength
compared to the other fluids. Improvement in AC breakdown
voltage can be due to the electron trapping de-trapping
phenomenon occurring in nanofluids. A stable natural ester
nanofluid of 0.02 wt% alumina with improved thermal
conductivity and AC breakdown voltage are obtained and can
be considered as a potential substitute for the conventional
mineral oil. Further investigation on the dielectric and thermal
characteristics of the nanofluids to assure its safe use as
environmental friendly transformer insulating oils are the
future scope of this work.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The financial support for this work has been provided by
Kerala State Council for Science Technology and
Environment (KSCSTE).
REFERENCES
[1] R. Asano and S. A. Page, “Reducing Environmental Impact and
Improving Safety and Performance of Power Transformers with Natural
Ester Dielectric Insulating Fluids,” IEEE Trans. Industry Appl., vol. 50,
no. 1, pp. 134–141, 2014.
[2] I. Fernandez et al, “Comparative evaluation of alternative fluids for
power transformers,” Electr. Power Syst. Res., vol. 98, pp. 58–69, 2013.
[3] D. M. Mehta et al, “A review of critical evaluation of natural ester vis-a-
vis mineral oil insulating liquid for use in transformers: Part II,” IEEE
Trans. Dielectr. Electr. Insul, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 1705–1712, 2016.
[4] S. U. S. Choi and J. A. Eastman, “Enhancing thermal conductivity of
fluids with nanoparticles,” Int. Mechanical Engineering Congress and
Exhibition, 1995, pp. 99–105.
[5] Y. Wei and X. Huaqing, “A review on nanofluids: preparation, stability
mechanisms, and applications,” J. Nanomater., vol. 2012, pp. 1–17,
2012.
[6] J. Li et al, “Preparation of a vegetable oil-based nanofluid and
investigation of its breakdown and dielectric properties,” IEEE Electr.
Insul. Mag., vol. 28, no. 5, pp. 43–50, 2012.
[7] R. Sadeghi, S. G Etemad, E. Keshavarzi and M. Haghshenasfard,
“Investigation of alumina nanofluid stability by UV–vis spectrum,”
Microfluid. Nanofluid., vol. 18, pp. 1023–1030, 2015.
[8] S. C. Wee, N. A. M. Akhir and A. L. Rozman, “Investigation of
Nanoparticles Dispersion in Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) Solvent,”
Int. Unimas Stem Engineering Conference (ENCON), 2016, vol. 87, no.
03006, pp. 1–5.
[9] F. S. Shariatmadar and S. G. Pakdehi, “Effect of various surfactants on
the stability time of kerosene–boron nanofluids,” Micro. Nano.
Lett., vol.11, pp. 498–502, 2016.
[10] Y. Lv et al, “Recent progress in nanofluids based on transformer oil:
preparation and electrical insulation properties,” IEEE Electr. Insul.
Mag., vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 23–32, 2014.
[11] A. Ghadimi, H. S. C Metselaar and B. Lotfizadehdehkordi, “Nanofluid
Stability optimization based on UV-VIS spectrophotometer
measurement,” J. Eng. Sci. Tech., vol. 10, pp. 32–40, 2015.
[12] Standard test method for the continuous measurement of turbidity above
1 turbidity unit (TU), ASTM D7725, 2012.
[13] J. Huang et al, “Influence of pH on the stability characteristics of
nanofluids,” IEEE Int. Symp. on Photonics and Optoelectronics, 2009,
pp. 1–4.
[14] T. Lewis, “Nanometric dielectrics,” IEEE Trans. Dielectr. Electr. Insul,
vol. 1, no. 5, pp. 812–825, 1994.
[15] J. G. Samuel, “Colloids science-a toolbox for processing
nanodielectrics,” IEEE Electr. Insul. Mag., vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 16–20,
2013.
[16] Standard test method for dielectric breakdown voltage of insulating
liquids using VDE electrodes, ASTM D1816, 2012.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Auckland University of Technology. Downloaded on October 29,2020 at 07:51:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Vol. 27, No. 5; October 2020 1723
[17] I. H. Zakaria et al, “Characteristics of mineral oil-based nanofluids for
power transformer application,” Int. J. Electr. Comp. Eng., vol. 7, pp.
1530–1537, 2017.
[18] S. A. Ghani, N. A. Muhamad, I. S. Chairul and N. Jamri, “A study of
moisture effects on the breakdown voltage and spectral characteristics of
mineral and palm oil-based insulation oils,” ARPN J. Eng. Appl. Sci.,
vol. 11, pp. 5012–5020, 2016.
[19] G. Dombek, Z. Nadolny and A. Marcinkowska,, “Effects of nanoparticle
materials on heat transfer in electro-insulating liquids,” Appl. Sci., vol.
8, pp. 2538–2560, 2018.
[20] U. Khaled and A. Beroual,“Statistical Investigation of AC Dielectric
Strength of Natural Ester Oil-Based Fe3O4, Al2O3 and SiO2 Nano-
Fluids,” IEEE Access, vol.7, pp. 60594–60601, 2019.
[21] U. Khaled and A. Beroual,“AC dielectric strength of mineral oil-based
Fe3O4 and Al2O3 nanofluids,” Energies, vol.11, p. 3505, 2018.
[22] G. D. P. Mahidhar, R. Sarathi, N. Taylor and H. Edin, "Study on
performance of silica nanoparticle dispersed synthetic ester oil under AC
and DC voltages," IEEE Trans. Dielectr. Electr. Insul, vol. 25, no. 5, pp.
1958–1966, 2018.
[23] G. D. Peppas et al, “Statistical investigation of AC breakdown voltage
of nanofluids compared with mineral and natural ester oil,” IET Sci.
Mea. & Technol., vol. 10, pp. 644–652, 2016.
[24] J. G. Hwang et al, “Effects of nanoparticle charging on streamer
development in transformer oil-based nanofluids,” J. Appl. Phys., vol.
107, no. 014310, pp. 1–17, 2010.
[25] S. Zhang, Z. Peng, C. Zhou and G. Chen, “Numerical analysis on space
charge and AC-DC combined breakdown strength in polyethylene,”
IEEE Trans. Dielectr. Electr. Insul, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 826–834, 2019.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Auckland University of Technology. Downloaded on October 29,2020 at 07:51:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.