Experimental Study on Breakdown Voltage Performance of Natural Ester and Mineral Oils

Abstract

Solid, liquid, gas, and composite insulating materials are utilized for both insulation and cooling of equipment in power systems. Especially, liquid insulators are utilized in various devices like transformers, capacitors, and load tap changers etc. As a result, the dielectric performance of insulating oils have a significant impact on the continuity and dependability of the power grid. This study investigated the breakdown voltage (BDV) of 2 types of mineral oils and 9 types of natural ester oils, following the IEC 60156 standard. Then, the same used oils were dried at 90 degrees C for 18 hours and the breakdown voltage were measured again. According to the results, cotton oil achieved the highest performance while mineral oil 1 showed the worst performance.