See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/321402682

Suspended particles in oils under electrical discharge

Conference Paper · June 2017

DOI: 10.1109/ICDL.2017.8124696

CITATIONS READS
0 720

3 authors, including:

Luc Loiselle Issouf Fofana

University of Québec in Chicoutimi University of Québec in Chicoutimi
15 PUBLICATIONS   71 CITATIONS    310 PUBLICATIONS   3,514 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Biodegradable dielectric Liquids for transformers in cold regions View project

Transformer oil reclamation by combining several strategies enhanced by the use of four adsorbents View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Issouf Fofana on 21 August 2018.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Suspended Particles in Oils under Electrical
Discharge
L. Loiselle, G. Tapsoba and I. Fofana
Research Chair on the Aging of Power Network Infrastructure (ViAHT)
University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, Qc, Canada
Department of Applied Sciences
555 Boulevard de l'Université G7H 2B1 Chicoutimi (Qc)

Abstract—Since gas evolvement deteriorates the dielectric Silicone fluids belong to the family of fluids known
properties of insulating fluid, its ability to resist decomposition chemically as polydimethylsiloxanes. They are used for
under electrical discharge is of paramount importance for the electrical applications and have been already used extensively
safety of power transformers. In this contribution, the ability of substitute to askarels [3].
various fluids to resist decomposition under electrical discharge Esters are a broad category of organic compounds
is investigated. Mineral based transformer oil was included in the manufactured by condensing organic acids and alcohols. The
test matrix to provide a base line to which high fire point (HFP) two main groups are synthetic and natural esters [2, 4-6].
liquids could be compared. The impact of the fluid’s purity on its
Synthetic esters were introduced in 1984 to replace askarels
gassing is quantitatively determined by particles counting. The
obtained results revealed that the higher the gassing tendency, used in compact heavy-duty locomotive applications [7].
the higher the particles generation tendency is. It was also found Synthetic esters, most commonly polyol (pentaerythritol) are
that natural esters generate fewer gases and particles than the generally limited in applications due to their high costs
other fluids. The mixture of 20% of natural ester with mineral oil compared to less-flammable fluids [4]. Because of many
depicts an intermediate behaviour. chemical similarities between the synthetic polyol esters and
some natural esters (vegetable seed oils), engineers turned
Keywords— Electrical discharge, suspended particles, synthetic their research to push on a more economical ester dielectric
fluids, natural and synthetic ester, gassing tendency. coolant in using food grade vegetable oils. Interesting supply
of natural esters are edible seed-based oils. The susceptibility
I. INTRODUCTION of seed oils to oxidation has been a major obstacle as a
It is now well established that the aging of insulation liquid dielectric fluid. Appropriate additive and minor modification
represents a potential threat to the operational safety of power in the transformer design compensate for their restrictive
transformers. In these critical assets, significant quantities of specifications. To make natural ester interesting for liquid
fluids are employed. The fluids fulfill two critical functions: to dielectric applications, some chemical additive packages are
dissipate the heat generated by the loss of the windings and the added to reduce their pour point, aid in oxygen stability. Even
core, and to insulate electrically as well [1]. In service in some cases, they have some antimicrobial agent or copper
conditions, the quality of the fluid gradually deteriorates under deactivators [5]. Despite the additives, the use of these
the impact of electrical, thermal and environmental stresses. renewable sourced biodegradable and/or vegetable fluids for
The fluid in transformer is mainly of mineral origin, but may dielectric equipment is interesting. The different
be of synthetic and vegetable origin. The most widely used characteristics poses an interesting challenge for transformer
insulation systems for nearly a century is petroleum-based oils designers, manufacturers and operators [6]. In 2014, Siemens
combined with solid insulation (kraft paper, pressboard, wood was the world’s first manufacturer to commissioned vegetable
i.e. cellulose products). Many efforts are invested to fluid transformer in the 420-kV capacity range. As the use of
maintain/improve the dielectric and thermal properties of the natural ester is on an early stage, it is still unknown over the
fluids. By maintaining the oil in pristine conditions, the long term if any adverse characteristics exist.
lifespan of the transformer can be significantly prolonged. In this contribution, ASTM test methods, capable of
Since the mid-1970s, due to the growing demands for monitoring the decay process of insulating oils after electrical
improved fire safety, environment friendliness, and asset life discharge, were used. The impact of oil’s purity on the gassing
extension, the industry has been developing and using high of liquid insulation are quantitatively determined and
fire point (HFP) and environmentally preferred alternatives discussed.
dielectric coolants. Qualifying fluids meet a minimum
criterion of 300 °C open-cup fire point [2]. A large number of II. THE INVESTIGATED FLUIDS
alternative fluids are actually available on the market mainly Table 1 summarises some of the technical characteristics of
dominated by silicone oils, synthetic ester-based liquids, and the investigated liquids. It should be noted that Oil always
natural ester-based liquids. represents Mineral Oil, NE stands for Natural Ester while SE
stands for Synthetic Ester.
 TABLE I: SELECTED PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INVESTIGATED FLUIDS (DATA PROVIDED BY MANUFACTURERS)
ASTM TEST Oil 1 Oil 3 NE SE
Dissipation factor
@ 60Hz, 100°C, D 924 <0.1 0.07
@ 50 Hz, 60°C, IEC60247 <0.008
Breakdown voltage (kV),
ASTM D 877 55 53
IEC 60156 45 50 <75 <75
Gassing tendency (µL/min), D 2300 negative +17
Water content (ppm), D 1533 <20 20 50
Interfacial tension (dynes/cm @ 25°C), D971 48 49
Total Acid Number, D974 <0.01 <0.01 <0.03
Viscosity (cSt @ 40°C), D 445 7.5 7.62 37 28
Colour @ D1500 <0.5 <0.5 Light yellow
Flash point (°C), D 92 150 150 327 260
Pour point (°C), D 97 -63 -62 -31 -60
an extended period up to 150 hours. To assess the quantity of
A naphtenic-based mineral oil and a natural and synthetic ester
gasses inside the cell, the pressure was recorded.
fluid were considered in these investigations. The properties of
esters cannot be correlated directly to that of a mineral oil as
their chemistries are very different. They are so different, in
fact, that ASTM has produced a new specification just for
non-mineral oils. IEC has also produced related specifications.
A Work Item (ASTM WK46195) by ASTM D27.02
subcommittee is developing a standard entitled: “New
Specification for Synthetic Ester Fluids Used in Electrical
Apparatus” [8]. Related IEEE standards are also available [9].
III. STABILITY UNDER ELECTRIC DISCHARGE
Fundamentally, the gassing of an insulating fluid under
electrical discharge depends on various parameters, i.e. the
electric field stress, the chemical composition of the insulating
fluid, temperature and time [6]. The amount of gas generated
under the impact of electrical discharge was measured based
on the ASTM Test Method D6180 [10]. To comply with Figure 1. Discharge cell according to ASTM Designation D6180 [10].
ASTM Test Method D6180, a Merell-based test cell type was
used (Figure 1). The free electrons are generated by a Figure 2 summarized the recording of the gas generated
during the test. Each data reported was obtained from a
cylindrical copper electrode having 15 mm in diameter and 10
sampling of a minimum of two tests for each fluid. This
mm long sealed in a 500 ml Erlenmeyer glass. The electrode is
allows assessing the repeatability of the testing method.
placed in the center of the discharge cell and suspended above
the oil. While ASTM D6180 specifies 50 ml of oil for a 5
hours test, a 100 ml of oil was used instead. The reason is that
the residual volume of oil reduces as oil generates gases.
Increasing the volume of oil sample to 100 ml provides
sufficient quantity for longer testing [11].
The formation of decay products is possible only when
chemical bonds of the hydrocarbon chains are broken. The
strong electro-magnetic field (at the origin of the free electron
injection process in the liquid) represents one of the sources of
energy that is able break a covalent bond made of a pair of
electrons. The physical process at the origin of the
hydrocarbon molecules decomposition under the electrical
stress in liquid dielectric has been thoroughly investigated by
Foster [12]. Figure 2. Pressure increase in the test cell for and particle counts in the tested
fluids.
Before applying the voltage, the discharge cell was
vacuumed down to 1 Torr (133 Pa) for many hours. This It is documented that particles have a detrimental effect on
period was required to guarantee very low content of gasses or the dielectric strength of insulating liquids [13]. Considerable
moisture inside the cell. A 10 kV high voltage was applied quantity of particle contaminations can lead to a transformer
breakdown. It was testified that moisture in combination with
after the vacuum degassing, on the insulating fluid sample for
particles significantly decreases the breakdown voltage of the A mixture of 20% of natural ester with oil (Figure 6) does not
oil and increases the risk of static electrification, partial change his initial normal contamination level even after 100
discharge activity and tracking [14, 15]. Particle size, type and hours of ageing. The mixture of 20% of synthetic ester with
shape are also influencing factors. oil (Figure 7) goes from normal to a high level of
There is a direct relation between certain molecules in the contamination in 96 hours.
fluid and its gas absorption properties. It is a well-known fact TABLE III. RESULTS OF CONTAMINATION FOR THE VARIOUS FLUIDS
that aromatic molecules affect gassing properties of any fluid. AGE Oil 1 Oil 3 NE 20% NE
For gas absorption, high aromatic content is desirable. The NEW N L L N
aromatics react in the same way as in the hydrogenation 6H N L H N
process [14] in general absorbing hydrogen by saturating 12H N N N
24H N N
aromatic structures. Obviously, the gassing tendency of 36H N N
natural esters is much lower than that of synthetic esters and 48H N N
mineral oils. Natural esters are known to be gas absorbing 60H N M
because of the properties of the double links between the 96H M
carbon molecules, whereas synthetic ester is gas evolving. 100H H N
147H N
This is well-known fact as emphasized in [14]. According to
Legend: L: low, N: normal, M: marginal, H: high
these authors, gassing tendency of vegetable fluids, are
generally better than mineral oils. This can be traced to fact
that the formers are chemically better defined and more
uniform, while mineral oils always contain various
admixtures, and if they are excessively refined they may even
lose traces of unsaturated particles that are actually desirable.
This low gassing tendency of natural esters is most likely due
to the amount of unsaturated, non-aromatic molecules as
compared to mineral oils [5, 6].
The particle counting was performed with the Particle
Counter Pamas SBSS WG according to ASTM D6786 [16].
The instrument degases the sample under vacuum, pressurize
the sample for a number of 3 measurements runs, and relieve
the pressure at the end. A quantity of 30 ml is required to
perform 3 runs. This instrument is in compliance with ISO Figure 3. Particles distribution as a function of exposition duration to stability
11171 [17]. test D6180, for oil 1.
Using a particle counter device is not a regular practice in
the industry as they are only limited references to.
Determining the particles distributions of the fluid samples
before the stability tests (new oil), and comparing them with
those obtained after exposure to electrical discharge (Figures
3-7), allow assessing the outcome of random secondary
chemical reactions between large fluid born free radicals. In
liquids of commercial purity, additional conduction currents
will be caused by the impurities. Impurities include solid
particles of carbon and wax, by-products of aging and
discharges, cellulose fibers, residues of filtration processes,
water, acids, and gases [18].
Table II summarize the contamination classified in 4 Figure 4. Particles distribution as a function of exposition duration to stability
categories according to CIGRE Brochure 157 [13]. test D6180, for oil 3.

TABLE II. SUMMARY OF CONTAMINATION PER 100 ML The particle generation tendency seems to be correlated
Contamination Particles ˃ 5 µm Particles ˃ 15 µm with the gassing tendency of the investigated fluids. Oil 3
Low ≤ 1 000 ≤ 130
Normal ≤ 32 000 ≤ 4 000
depicts a higher tendency compared to Oil 1. Natural ester
Marginal ≤ 130 000 ≤ 16 000 generates less gas and particles, while the mixture depicts an
High ˃ 130 000 ˃ 16 000 intermediate behaviour.
Using the ranges reported in Table II, the investigated
fluids were categorized (Table III).
Oil 1 (Figure 3) seems to be the most stable one after 147
hours of aging. Oil 3 (Figure 4) degrades from low to medium
level of contamination in 96 hours. Natural ester (Figure 5) in
only 6 hours goes from a low to a high level of contamination.
 most liquids except natural ester and the mixture of natural
ester (20% proportions) with 80% of oil in proportions. It can
be noted that the mixed fluid depicts an intermediate
behaviour. This is not to say that natural esters are superior to
mineral oils. Each Fluid type has its advantages and
disadvantages and must be fitted to the application. No
significant differences between the synthetic ester and mineral
oil were observed.

V. REFERENCES
[1] I. Fofana and J. Sabau, "Application of petroleum-based oil in power
transformer," in Natural Gas Research Progress, , ed: N. David and T.
Figure 5 : Particles distribution as a function of exposition duration to stability Michel, Eds. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. 2008.
test D6180, for natural ester.
[2] D. P. Stockton, J. R. Bland, T. McClanahan, J. Wilson, D. L. Harris, and
P. McShane, "Seed-oil-based coolants for transformers," IEEE Industry
Applications Magazine, vol. 15, pp. 68-74, 2009.
[3] R. Bartnikas, "Engineering Dielectrics: Volume III Electrical Insulating
Liquids," vol. SEDL / Manuals, Monographs and Data Series / MONO2-
EB, p. 448, 1994.
[4] I. Fofana, H. Borsi, and E. Gockenbach, "Oil Filled Transformer
Retrofilled with ester Liquid – Facts and Arguments," 15th ISH 2007,
Ljubljana, Slovenia, August 27-31, 2007.
[5] L. Lewand, "Laboratory Testing of Natural Ester Dielectric Liquids,"
Neta World, Winter 2004 pp. 1-4.
[6] J. S. N'Cho, I. Fofana, A. Beroual, T. Aka-Ngnui, and J. Sabau, "The
gassing Tendency of various Insulating Fluids under Electrical
discharge," IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation,
Vol. 18, Issue 5, pp. 1616-1625, october 2011.
[7] C. P. McShane, J. Luksich, and K. J. Rapp, "Retrofilling aging
Figure 6. Particles distribution as a function of exposition duration to stability transformers with natural ester based dielectric coolant for safety and life
test D6180, for a mixture of 20% of natural ester and 80% of oil 1. extension," in Cement Industry Technical Conference, 2003. Conference
Record. IEEE-IAS/PCA 2003, 2003, pp. 141-147.
[8] ASTM, "WK46195, New Specification for Synthetic Ester Fluids Used
in Electrical Apparatus," ed, draft.
[9] J. N’cho, I. Fofana, Y. Hadjadj, and A. Beroual, "Review of
Physicochemical-Based Diagnostic Techniques for Assessing Insulation
Condition in Aged Transformers," Energies, vol. 9, p. 367, 2016.
[10] "ASTM D 6180 - 05 Standard Test Method for Stability of Insulating
Oils of Petroleum Origin Under Electrical Discharge," in Vol. 10.03, ed,
2005.
[11] L. Loiselle, I. Fofana, J. C. Olivares-Galvan, and E. Campero, "Stability
of environmental friendly fluids under electrical and thermal stresses," in
2012 IEEE International Symposium on Electrical Insulation, 2012, pp.
483-486.
[12] E. O. Forster, "Progress in the field of electric properties of dielectric
liquids," IEEE Transactions on Electrical Insulation, vol. 25, pp. 45-53,
1990.
[13] "CIGRE Technical Brochure 157, Effect of Particles on Transformer
Figure 7. Particles distribution as a function of exposition duration to stability Dielectric Strength; Final Report of CIGRE SC 12; WG 17 (Particles in
test D6180, for a mixture of 20% of natural ester and 80% of oil 1. Oil); ," CIGRE: Paris, France, 2000.
[14] B. Pahlavanpour and M. Elkund, "Gassing properties of insulating
IV. CONCLUSIONS liquids " Electra, No. 214, 2004. Available at: http://www.weidmann-
In this contribution, the stability to electrical discharges of solutions.cn/huiyi/Seminar%202005%20San%20Antonio/2005pahlavan
pourpaper.pdf.
various commercially available insulating fluids and mixtures [15] "Guide for Transformer Maintenance; CIGRE Report ISBN: 978-2-
of them was investigated. Whilst the D6180 stability test 85873-134-3," CIGRE: Paris, France, 2011.
accurately measures the gases evolved, it also reveals the side [16] "ASTM D6786-15, Standard Test Method for Particle Count in Mineral
effects of gassing due to the secondary chemical reactions Insulating Oil Using Automatic Optical Particle Counters " in ASTM
International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2015, www.astm.org, ed, 2015.
between broken molecules. The obtained results revealed that [17] "ISO 11171:2016, Hydraulic fluid power - Calibration of automatic
the higher the gassing tendency, the higher the particles particle counters for liquids,"
generation tendency is. [18] M. Abdel-Salam, High-Voltage Engineering: Theory and Practice,
The results show that the gassing and particles generation Second Edition, Revised and Expanded, Taylor & Francis, 2000.
tendency of natural esters is inferior to that of the other fluids.
The gassing mechanism follows an exponential behaviour of

View publication stats