Electrical engineering

Physics

Electrode

Transformer oil

Mechanics

Breakdown voltage

Engineering

Dielectric

Voltage

Physical chemistry

Composite material

Chemistry

Metallurgy

Materials science

Mineral oil

Quantum mechanics

Optoelectronics

Transformer

Impulse (physics)

Liquid dielectric

IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation

This paper presents experimental results of a comparative study of the characteristics of streamers propagating in olive oil and breakdown voltage with mineral oil, rapeseed oil (natural ester) and tetra-ester and methyl oleate (synthetic ester liquids). The comparison focuses more particularly on the pattern, stopping length, associated current and electrical charge of streamers propagating in a point-plane electrodes geometry under (1.2/50 μs) lightning impulse (LI) voltage as well as breakdown voltages under AC and LI voltages. A statistical analysis of breakdown voltages is also achieved. It is shown that the streamer characteristics (streamers shape, stopping length, associated current and electrical charge) of olive oil in small gaps are comparable to those of mineral oil. Breakdown voltages under AC and LI voltages are found to be higher in olive oil than in mineral oil. Consequently, olive oil can constitute a potential substitute for mineral oil in in high voltage power transformers.

Comparison of dielectric properties of olive oil, mineral oil, and other natural and synthetic ester liquids under AC and lightning impulse stresses