Correlation of tangible quality parameters of vegetable-based transformer fluids

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Petroleum-based transformer fluids pose environmental risks.
• Vegetable oils are renewable and biodegradable alternatives.
• Key challenges for vegetable oils include lower oxidative stability and higher viscosity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of vegetable oils as dielectric fluids.
• To correlate spectroscopic data with key quality parameters of transformer oils.
• To assess the aging and degradation of vegetable oil transformer fluids.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of spectroscopic data (absorption frequencies).
• Measurement of induction time, kinematic viscosity, acid value, and peroxide value.
• Heating oil samples under simulated transformer service conditions.

Main Results:

• Spectroscopic data showed clear correlations with induction time, kinematic viscosity, acid value, and peroxide value.
• Changes in functional group absorption frequencies indicated oxidative degradation and aging.
• Spectroscopic analysis effectively monitored trends in induction time and viscosity.

Conclusions:

• Spectroscopic methods are valuable for assessing the quality and aging of vegetable oil transformer fluids.
• The study supports the use of vegetable oils as sustainable dielectric fluids with proper monitoring.
• Integrating spectroscopic data aids in understanding the performance and degradation of transformer oils.