Showing papers on "Pressboard published in 2019"

Effect of oil–paper–pressboard mass ratio on furfural content in transformer oil

Abstract: Furfural content in oil is widely accepted as an effective parameter to mirror aging of insulation paper. However, pressboards are also abundant in transformers, which are always neglected in furfural analysis. Different masses of insulation paper and pressboard produce different amounts of furfural during the aging process. Thus, the furfural content in oil may differ in systems with different oil-paper-pressboard mass ratios. To address this problem, accelerated thermal aging experiments and furfural equilibrium experiments with different oil-paper-pressboard mass ratio systems were conducted under laboratory conditions. Furfural contents in oil, paper, and pressboard were measured. In a simplified oil-paper system, the furfural content in oil differs in systems with different oil-paper mass ratios. Further analysis shows the furfural amount produced by 1 g insulation paper is the same with good repeatability in groups with different mass ratios. Different oil-paper mass ratios change the distribution coefficient of furfural between oil and paper, and an increase in the mass of insulation paper leads to more furfural remaining in the insulation paper. The pressboards in field transformers produce little furfural during the aging process, but absorb part of the furfural from oil, which decreases the furfural content in oil. Therefore, more pressboard in an oil-paper-pressboard system indicates lower furfural content in oil. An increase in insulation paper in the oil-paper-pressboard system causes a decrease in the effect of pressboard on furfural content in oil.

Radiation in the Optical and UHF Range Emitted by Partial Discharges

Abstract: This paper presents the results of analysis of a solid dielectric’s influence on the phenomena associated with the signals emitted by surface partial discharges. Three types of electrode systems were tested, in which solid dielectrics made of pressboard, Teflon, and glass were used. The emission of such signals as radio waves in the Ultra high frequency (UHF) range and optical radiation was analyzed. The measurements were carried out in the insulation systems most commonly used in electrical power equipment, i.e., mineral oil and air. UHF and optical spectrophotometry methods were used to register the emitted signals. The obtained results indicate that the type of material from which the dielectric solid is made may have a potential impact on some ranges of emitted electromagnetic waves during the surface electrical discharges. The research topic undertaken is important in issues associated with high-voltage insulation systems and in particular with surface discharges, which are often the cause of their damage.

Application of elements of quantum mechanics in analysing AC conductivity and determining the dimensions of water nanodrops in the composite of cellulose and mineral oil

Abstract: The paper presents a model of hopping conductivity at direct and alternating current, developed on the basis of the quantum phenomenon of electron tunnelling between neighbouring potential wells. The tunnelling takes place between neutral potential wells, resulting in an electrical dipole and additional thermally activated polarisation. An important parameter of the model is the time of existence of the dipole (relaxation time). After this time, the electron with the probability p can hop to the third well, which causes a direct current flow, or return with the probability (1 − p) to the first well, thus causing the flow of high frequency current. The model shows that for direct or low frequency current, the current density and conductivity do not depend on the frequency. In the high frequency region, the current density does not depend on the frequency either. Low-frequency conductivity is 2p times smaller than high-frequency conductivity. In the transitional region there is a frequency dependence of the current density. A formula was derived for the dependence of the relaxation time on the distance between neighbouring potential wells and temperature. The dependence of the hopping probability on activation energy, potential dipole energy and temperature was determined. A model of hopping conductivity at direct and alternating current was used to analyse the experimental frequency dependence of conductivity and permittivity of the composite of electrotechnical pressboard, mineral oil and water nanoparticles. It was found that there is a high compatibility of the experimental course with the model. It was also found that in the composite of electrotechnical pressboard, mineral oil and water nanodrops there are at least two mechanisms of changes in low frequency and high frequency conductivity. For the low-frequency stage, the value of the probability of p1 ≈ 0.2 and the relaxation time τ1 ≈ 0.02 s. The probability of hops for the high-frequency growth stage is p2 ≈ 0.0005 and the value of relaxation time τ2 ≈ 2 × 10−7 s. The occurrence of two episodes of increase in conductivity is related to the presence in the composite of electrotechnical pressboard, mineral oil and water nanoparticles of differences in distances between neighbouring nanoparticles. For a large number of nanoparticles randomly distributed in the percolation channel, the distribution of the probability of the occurrence of the distance is in a good approximation normal. This means that in the percolation channel there are pairs of neighbouring wells, the distances between which are both much smaller than the average and much larger. A pair of wells, the distance between which is smaller than medium, participates in the conductivity on the high-frequency stage with a short relaxation time. On the other hand, a pair of neighbouring wells for which the distance is greater than average causes a high resistance to DC or low-frequency current flow as well as a higher relaxation time. On the basis of the dependences designated in laboratory tests of low-frequency conductivity (10−4 Hz) from the moisture content, using the elements of quantum mechanics, the dimensions of water nanoparticles in electrotechnical pressboard impregnated with mineral insulating oil were determined. It was found that nanoparticles contain on average about 200 molecules of water, and their diameters are about 2.24 nm. This approach allowed to calculate the dielectric permittivity of cellulose and to determine that water nanoparticles are located inside the cellulose fibres.

Studies on the effects of moisture and ageing on charge de-trapping properties of oil-impregnated pressboard based on IRC measurement

Abstract: The dielectric properties of oil-paper insulation degrade due to moisture ingression and ageing. This degradation significantly impacts the space charge accumulation and charge trapping behaviour in the insulation, which are vital parameters for insulation health under the high-voltage direct current environment. In this work, an improved model based on the isothermal relaxation current (IRC) has been developed to study the charge trapping behaviour of an oil pressboard under the influence of moisture and ageing. The conventional IRC model considers the total relaxation current because of charge de-trapping only. However, in the case of a composite dielectric like oil pressboard, dipolar relaxation also affects the relaxation current. In this work, a methodology has been proposed to investigate charge de-trapping behaviour of oil-pressboard insulation considering the dipole relaxation process from IRC measurements. For this purpose, frequency domain spectroscopy measurements and IRC measurements have been performed on oil-impregnated pressboard specimens carefully prepared in the laboratory having different ageing conditions and moisture contents. Results presented in this work depict that charge trapping parameters, i.e. the trap depth and trapped charge distribution are highly affected both by ageing and moisture. It was observed that ageing leads to the generation of deeper traps, while moisture mainly enhances the density of shallow traps.

Effect of temperature on space charge characteristics of oil-paper insulation and its numerical simulation

Abstract: In this study, the space charge in oil-impregnated thick pressboard and Kraft paper were measured by the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) method from -20 to +60 °C. A bipolar charge transport model was used to simulate the transport processes of homocharge and heterocharge, and the acoustic attenuation process in the samples. The test results show that space charge accumulates in the thick pressboard and Kraft paper increases first and then decreases with temperature, and its maximum appears at 40°C, while little space charge accumulates at -20°C. The space charge near the lower electrode shrinks in the oil-impregnated thick pressboard at high temperature and the shrinkage is larger at 60°C. In the oil-impregnated Kraft paper, the accumulation and charge density of positive charge is different from negative charge. The ion transport process model simulates the charge shrinkage near the electrode, and disappears at the upper electrode after the acoustic attenuation simulation. The model established in this paper can well simulate the space charge distribution of oil-impregnated thick pressboard and Kraft paper under different temperatures.

Multilayers oil and oil-impregnated pressboard electric field simulation based on space charge

Abstract: Space charge build-up has been considered as the major issue in the development of HVDC apparatus such as the converter transformer. The existence of space charge can distort the local electric field, which could lead to the degradation and even breakdown of insulation materials. Therefore, it is vital to investigate factors that can affect space charge formation and dissipation characteristics such as the temperature, moisture, ageing, thickness, multi-layered structure and electric fields. This paper mainly focuses on the effect of multilayers and thickness on space charge behaviour of oil and pressboard insulation system. Space charge was measured using the pulsed electroacoustic technique (PEA) method. The space charge results are quantitatively analysed to establish the relationship between interfacial charge density and different pressboard and oil thickness ratios. A new space charge interpolation methodology is utilized to input space charge into the multilayers oil and pressboard model using COMSOL software. The local electric field of multilayers oil-impregnated pressboard and oil could be simulated, with the emphasis on the electric field after the polarity reversal operation. From space charge results, they indicate that the increased thickness of pressboard could prohibit the interfacial charge increase while the increased oil thickness could facilitate interfacial charge increase. Moreover, from the electric field simulation results, they indicate that there is the electric field gradient caused by the space charge for multilayers oil and oil-impregnated pressboard structure. After the polarity reversal, the maximum electric field of the oil caused by the space charge is higher than electric field calculated based on the Maxwell-Wagner theory.

A Novel Universal Approach for Temperature Correction on Frequency Domain Spectroscopy Curve of Transformer Polymer Insulation

Abstract: It is a fact that the frequency domain spectroscopy (FDS) curve at different temperatures can be corrected by the shift factor (αT) extracted from the master curve. However, the αT and master curve reported by previous works are distinctive due to the difference in the construction algorithm. Therefore, it is of great significance to report a universal approach for extracting αT. In this work, the unaged oil-immersed pressboards with different moisture content (mc%) are firstly prepared and selected as the research specimen. Then, the αT of FDS curves on the above pressboard is extracted based upon the master curve technique. The influence mechanism under the various test temperature (T) and mc% is therefore analyzed so as to establish a universal model for predicting the αT. The present findings reveal that the αT value extracted from FDS curves is both temperature-dependent and moisture-dependent. In addition, the predicted αT is not only suitable for temperature correction on FDS curve of same type pressboard with different insulation conditions (moisture contents and aging degrees), but also maintains considerable accuracy when applied to different types of pressboard. Therefore, the obtained conclusions will provide a universal method for temperature correction on FDS curve of transformer polymer insulation.

Application of Synthetic Ester for Drying Distribution Transformer Insulation—The Influence of Cellulose Thickness on Drying Efficiency

Abstract: A high level of insulation moisture in a transformer increases the breakdown probability and forces a reduction of its load. Therefore, there is a need to dry the transformer insulation. For technical reasons, there are some restrictions on the use of common drying methods for cellulose insulation available on the market. The aim of the research was to check the possibility of using synthetic ester for effective drying of cellulose materials of various thickness and an evaluation of the drying dynamics. The replacement of mineral oil with a synthetic ester caused a reduction of moisture in paper and thin pressboard by one percentage point. It was possible in the case of drying these materials for seven days at a temperature of 70 °C. The effects of drying were much smaller in the case of thicker cellulose samples. This paper also shows the complex problem of simultaneously drying materials of different thicknesses. Drying thin paper and thick pressboard at the same time significantly slows down the drying process of the pressboard. Presented results will be used to develop a procedure for drying the transformer insulation system using a synthetic ester.

HVDC electrical insulation performance based on charge activity in oil-pressboard composite insulation structures

Abstract: For more reliable HVDC power transmission systems, it is necessary to enhance HVDC electrical insulation performance in power equipment such as an oil-immersed AC/DC converter transformer. In this paper, the electric field distributions under AC, DC steady-state (DC-SS) and DC polarity reversal (DC-PR) conditions are discussed in oil-pressboard (PB) composite insulation structures. Firstly, based on discussion about the charge accumulation and charge dynamics at oil/PB interfaces, the contribution ratio of deposited charges under DC-SS to the following emerging electric stresses at DC-PR conditions are quantitatively clarified. Secondly, we found that the DC electric field distributions could significantly be controlled by PB arrangement in oil. In particular, both PB configurations and the conductivity ratios of oil and PB would play critical roles to determine electric field distribution, under DC-SS conditions. Furthermore, using an actual AC/DC converter transformer structure, electrical insulation performances under various testing conditions such as AC, DC-SS and DC-PR conditions were comparatively investigated. It was concluded that the most critical testing condition against breakdown strength could be the DC-PR conditions under the higher conductivity ratio of oil and PB.

Partial discharge behaviour due to irregular-shaped copper particles in transformer oil with a different moisture content of pressboard barrier under uniform field

Abstract: This study presents the investigations on Partial Discharge (PD) behaviour of irregular-shaped copper particle in oil with pressboard barrier placed in two positions under uniform field with different moisture contents. Frequency Domain Spectroscopy (FDS) was used to estimate percentage moisture in pressboard. Recovery Voltage Measurement was used to confirm obtained FDS results. PD characteristics like magnitude, number, discharge power, rise time and duration time of PD pulse were analysed. Electric field due to particle in oil with moisture content pressboard barrier was studied by simulations. Phase Resolved PD (PRPD) pattern for different moisture pressboard observed to have similar patterns with variation in PD inception voltage (PDIV), magnitude and number of discharges. It was observed that PD characteristics as a function of voltage, increases nearly quadratic rate with respect to percentage moisture in pressboard. Simulation results complimented experimentally measured PDIV values for particle in oil with moisture in pressboard. Filtering and conditioning of oil is mandatory practice in a new transformer before going to any high voltage (HV) applications. PRPD pattern and PD characteristics data obtained in this study has great practical significance to assess the condition of transformer insulation systems before proceeding for HV application to avoid any potential failure.

Effects of impurities on surface discharges at synthetic ester/cellulose board

Abstract: An electrical discharge that occurs at an oil/pressboard interface or pressboard surface is called surface partial discharge. The surface discharge activity can cause irreversible damage to the insulation due to its thermal and chemical actions. It is visualized as white marks or tree-like structures on the surface of pressboard. In this paper, surface discharge characteristics of synthetic ester/cellulose-board have been investigated to study the influence of moisture, copper particles, and gas bubbles. The partial discharge (PD) experiments were carried out using a needle-plane electrode. The measurements of partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV), apparent charge and phase-resolved partial discharge patterns were acquired. In order to compare the effect of moisture over two independent insulations, separate PD measurements of the moisture-in-oil and the moisture-in-pressboard were conducted. The experimental results show that the moisture-in-oil samples have low PDIV values and more discharge pulses over the moisture-in-pressboard samples. Further, in the case of metallic particles, the PDIV and the number of repetitive pulses were increased when copper particles on the pressboard surface. The measurements of PD patterns of bubble samples are in good agreement with available literature on field measurement of 132/11 kV rated transformer. The findings of this study will assist in understanding the behavior of surface PDs under various conditions and would be of interest to asset managers considering the effects of such conditions on the transformer insulation diagnostics.

Power frequency breakdown characteristics of new 3-element mixed insulation oil and oil-impregnated pressboard

Abstract: Mixed insulation oil has attracted widespread attention in recent years due to its excellent performance. In our previous works, we proposed a novel 3-element mixed insulation oil with superior physical and electrical properties. To promote the application of the mixed insulation oil to transformers, we studied the AC breakdown characteristics of the 3-element mixed insulation oil and the mixed insulation oil-impregnated pressboards and then performed a comparison to Karamay 25# mineral oil. Oil or oil-impregnated pressboard samples with different moisture contents were obtained by moisture absorption or by controlling the drying time. The breakdown tests were carried out at different temperatures in an oil bath. The results showed that the AC breakdown characteristics of the 3-element mixed insulation oil are better than those of mineral oil and that the mixed insulation oil can maintain breakdown strength over a range of moisture contents. The breakdown mechanism of insulation oil is discussed according to the experiment results. Moreover, the breakdown characteristics of the pressboard impregnated with the 3-element mixed insulation oil are also better than those of the pressboard impregnated with mineral oil. These advantages of mixed oil promote application of the 3-element mixed insulation oil to power transformers.

Measurements on pressboard to understand the effect of solid insulation condition on monitoring of power transformer winding clamping pressure

Abstract: Pressboard is the main building material of a power transformer winding structure. Through-thickness compression behaviour of pressboard has a direct influence on the transformer winding clamping pressure. Being a cellulose based polymeric material with a porous structure, the through-thickness compression behaviour of pressboard is highly non-linear. Also, the mechanical properties of pressboard are moisture, temperature, and ageing status dependent. However, information on the exact behaviour of the through-thickness compressibility of pressboard under typical operating conditions of a power transformer has not been well documented in the literature. This has posed difficulties in developing reliable techniques to detect loose clamping conditions in power transformer windings. This study presents the results of laboratory measurements on the effect of moisture, temperature and ageing on the through-thickness compression behaviour of oil-impregnated pressboard. From the measured results, it was found that the compressibility of pressboard could increase with increasing temperature, ageing and moisture ingress. It was also found that moisture and ageing tend to exaggerate the thermal softening of pressboard. Subsequent finite element analysis confirmed that transformer clamping pressure has significantly altered with the pressboard condition.

AC Surface Flashover and Gas Generation Difference of the Cellulose Insulation Pressboard Immersed in Novel 3-Element Mixed Oil and Mineral Oil

Abstract: Surface flashover fault is one of the most challenge issues in oil-cellulose insulation pressboard system used in power transformer. In this study, a comparative study of the AC surface flashover properties of the novel 3-element mixed oil-cellulose insulation pressboard (3EMO-IP) and mineral oil-cellulose insulation pressboard (MO-IP) was performed under needle-plate and finger-finger electrode, respectively, measurement including dielectric property, surface flashover voltage, damage of cellulose pressboard surface and the gas generation behaviors after multiple surface flashover. Results show that the cellulose insulation pressboard immersed in the novel 3-element mixed insulation oil (3EMO) has higher relative permittivity and dielectric loss factor at 50 Hz, and also has slightly lower surface resistivity. The AC surface flashover voltage of the 3EMO-IP is higher than that of MO-IP under needle-plate and finger-finger electrode (electrode distance 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm and 20 mm). Compared to MO-IP, the lower electric field intensity at the oil-pressboard interface, as well as more difficult for surface charge accumulation of 3EMO-IP and the higher breakdown voltage of 3EMO lead to the higher AC surface flashover voltage of 3EMO-IP. Moreover, the carbonization of fibers in 3EMO-IP is slightly less. After multiple surface flashover, C2H2 and total hydrocarbon gases are the main differences between 3EMO-IP and MO-IP, which is more marked with the increase of flashover times. This study offers a reference for improving the surface flashover property of oil-pressboard insulation system by using 3EMO.

Kerr Electro-Optic Sensor for Electric Field in Large-Scale Oil–Pressboard Insulation Structure

Abstract: The design of the oil–pressboard/paper insulation structure is the key to maintain the safe and reliable operation of power transformers, which mainly relies on simulation and verification test undertaken with simple or equivalent models, falling short of the physical entity verification undertaken in the large-scale structure. Based on the Kerr electro-optic effect and the optical fiber technology, a novel electric field measuring sensor was developed in this paper for the application test in the large-scale oil–pressboard structure. The sensor is contained of collimator, total reflection prism, coupler, and customized optical elements, whose appearance is a miniature capsule-shaped configuration. The key technical performance parameters of sensor were obtained, for instance, and the effect of imported sensor on the electric field under measurement is an average 1.17% reduction in intensity; the sensitivity of designed system is 162.84 V/mm under ac voltage and 40.43 V/mm under dc voltage. Under dc voltage, the measuring accuracy of the designed system is greater than 97.42%, while in the context of ac voltage, it could reach 97.14%. The application test was conducted to capture the dynamic process of the electric field in oil in the large-scale outlet device model, which has three uniformly spaced oil spacings divided by pressboards, under ac voltage, dc voltage, and polarity reversal voltage. The experimental results verify that the developed electric field sensor could be effectively and reliably applied in the large-scale oil–pressboard insulation, and it could be confidently inferred that the larger the scale of insulation structure, the better is the performance of sensor.

Comparison of creeping discharges propagating over pressboard immersed in olive oil, mineral oil and other natural and synthetic ester liquids under DC voltage

Abstract: This paper presents an experimental study on the characteristics of creeping discharges propagating over pressboard immersed in olive oil, rapeseed oil, tetra-ester, methyl oleate, and mineral oil, under both negative and positive DC voltages. The investigated characteristics are mainly the shape of discharges and their stopping lengths. Two experimental test cells are used: in the first one, the pressboard is inserted between pointe and plane electrodes so that the tip is perpendicular and at the center of the pressboard sample; and in the second one, the pressboard is placed between a point and bar electrodes in a way that allow a propagation in one direction (tangentially to pressboard). It is observed that the creeping discharges under DC voltage are not radial. Their shapes are different from those observed in previous work under AC and lightning impulse voltages. On the other hand, for given voltage and pressboard thickness, the stopping length Lf is shorter when the point is negative than when it is positive indicating that the flashover voltage will be greater with a negative point This also evidences a difference in the processes involved in each polarity especially the space charge resulting of the injected charges and the charge accumulated at the interface (including the charges resulting of double layer) as well as the evolution of the electric field in the vicinity of the point electrode and along the pressboard surface. For a given pressboard thickness, Lf increases with the voltage; it decreases when the thickness of pressboard is reduced.

Experimental Discharge Initiation Study for Paper and Pressboard Insulated Electrodes in Mineral Oil and Synthetic Ester Fluid

Abstract: Ester insulating fluids have different properties compared to commonly used mineral oils and for application in power transformers adequate design rules are needed. For dielectric design, parameters describing discharge initiation, propagation and breakdowns are relevant and need to be quantified. Some of them are defined and measured within this study. The discharge initiation lightning impulse voltages are measured for two test object types reflecting typical geometries of power transformers construction (oil gap and oil wedge configuration) and for two fluid types (mineral oil and synthetic ester). Furthermore, the discharge delay time is evaluated as well as the nature of discharge propagation.

Research on Creeping Flashover Characteristics of Nanofluid-Impregnated Pressboard Modified Based on Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles under Lightning Impulse Voltages.

Abstract: Creeping flashover of mineral-oil-impregnated pressboard under impulse stress is a common insulating failure in oil-immersed transformers, arousing increasing attention. Recent studies have shown that the breakdown strength of transformer oil under positive lightning impulse voltage can be significantly improved through nanoparticles-based modification, and Fe₃O₄ has shown the best improvement in breakdown strength compared to other nanoparticles that have been used. This paper presents the creeping flashover characteristics of pure oil-impregnated pressboard (OIP) and nanofluid-impregnated pressboard (NIP) based on Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles under positive and negative lightning impulse voltages, respectively. It was found that NIP possessed higher resistance to creeping flashover than OIP. The relative permittivities of oil and oil-impregnated pressboard before and after nanoparticles-based modification were measured, and the results revealed that the addition of nanoparticles led to a better match in relative permittivity between oil and oil-impregnated pressboard, and a more uniform electric field distribution. Furthermore, the shallow trap density in NIP was obviously increased compared to that of OIP through the thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC), which promoted the dissipation of surface charges and weakened the distortion of the electric field. Therefore, the creeping flashover characteristics of oil-impregnated pressboard were greatly improved with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles.

Study on the Influence of Temperature, Moisture and Electric Field on the Electrical Conductivity of Oil-Impregnated Pressboard

Abstract: The main insulation of converter transformers consists of transformer oil and oil-impregnated pressboard. Under operating conditions, the valve-side winding of the converter transformer is subject to DC voltage components. Therefore, studies on the characteristics of oil-impregnated pressboard conductivity are necessary. In this paper, the temperature, moisture and electric field dependency of pressboard conductivity are investigated based on a specially designed three-electrode experimental chamber, which allows for a variation in temperature ranging from 25 °C to 120 °C and an electric field strength ranging from 0 to 30 kV/mm. The experimental results show that, within the experimental conditions, the conductivity of oil-impregnated pressboard increases exponentially with increasing moisture and temperature. High moisture and temperature will increase both the carrier concentration and carrier mobility, which explains the exponential correspondence. Furthermore, the electric field dependency of the conductivity is more obvious for wet pressboard than for dry pressboard. Protons in the wet pressboard are more easily accelerated by the electric field than the impurity ions in the oil of the dry pressboard, which leads to an obvious electric field dependency of the wet pressboard conductivity.

Improvement of the Space Charge Suppression and Hydrophobicity Property of Cellulose Insulation Pressboard by Surface Sputtering a ZnO/PTFE Functional Film.

Abstract: Oil-impregnated cellulose insulation polymer (oil-paper/pressboard insulation) has been widely used in power transformers. Establishing effective ways of improving the physical and chemical properties of the cellulose insulation polymer is currently a popular research topic. In order to improve the charge injection inhibition and hydrophobic properties of the cellulose insulation polymer used in power transformers, nano-structure zinc oxide (ZnO) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films were fabricated on a cellulose insulation pressboard surface via reactive radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Before the fabrication of their composite film, Accelrys Materials Studio (MS) software was applied to simulate the interaction between the nanoparticles and cellulose molecules to determine the depositing sequence. Simulation results show that the ZnO nanoparticle has a better adhesion strength with cellulose molecules than the PTFE nanoparticle, so ZnO film should be sputtered at first to fabricate the ZnO/PTFE composite film for better film quality. The sputtered, thin films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The space charge injection behavior and the hydrophobicity performance of the untreated pressboard; and the cellulose insulation pressboard with sputtered nano-structure ZnO, PTFE, and the ZnO/PTFE functional films were compared with each other. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that ZnO, PTFE, and ZnO/PTFE functional films were all successfully fabricated on the cellulose insulation pressboard surface. Scanning electron microscopy and XRD results present the nano-structure of the sputtered ZnO, PTFE, and ZnO/PTFE functional films and their amorphous states, respectively. The ZnO/PTFE composite functional film shows an apparent space charge suppression effect and hydrophobicity. The amount of the accumulated space charge in the pressboard sputtered ZnO/PTFE composite functional film decreased by about 40% compared with that in untreated cellulose insulation pressboard, and the water contact angle (WCA) increased from 0° to 116°.

Effect of the oil-paper insulation aging on partial discharge characteristics in a hemispherical surface model

Abstract: To investigate the effect of aging on surface discharge of the pressboard on the shielding electrode at the end of bushing, a thermal aging preparation methods of different aging degrees of pressboard samples, surface defect model, and the associated hemisphere are designed and the step-up method is used for subsequent experimental work. Finally, the partial discharges (PDs) under different degrees of aging are compared and combined with Fourier Transform Infrared spectra and electric field simulation. Results show that the pre-discharge occurs mainly in the oil gap between the hemispherical electrode edge and the pressboard. The aging of the pressboard exerts no obvious effect on the discharge characteristics in the initial stage of PD; with the development of the discharge, the development of aging of pressboard leads to a higher electric field intensity acting over a greater area, the more intense the discharge, the faster the relative discharge increases and the larger its amplitude. This discharge will cause decomposition of the oil in the pores of the aging pressboard thus generating gas bubbles which will move as discharge develops. When the bubbles reach the surface of the pressboard, the local electric field intensity will increase and the discharge will become more intense.

Investigation on Insulation Performance of Thermally Aged Natural Ester Oil Impregnated Pressboard

Abstract: An attempt is made to understand the effect of thermal ageing on natural ester oil impregnated pressboard material. Surface discharge inception voltage of natural ester oil impregnated pressboard material is reduced drastically under AC, harmonic AC voltages and with DC voltages with high ripple content. Phase-resolved partial discharge studies show an increase in the number of discharges for natural ester oil impregnated pressboard (OIP) aged at higher temperature, under AC and harmonic AC voltages with different total harmonic distortions. Surface potential measurement study complies with results obtained by surface discharge inception voltage. It indicates the presence of high-density charge traps evolved as a function of ageing time and temperature. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis is carried out to understand the characteristic variation with thermally aged OIP material. A decrease in plasma temperature is observed for sample aged at higher temperature. Differential scanning calorimetric studies indicate reduction in peak temperature with thermally aged specimens. Ageing observed to affect mechanical strength of the cellulosic material, as indicated by tensile test. Dielectric response spectroscopy study indicates that with an increase in thermal ageing, the permittivity, tan(δ), DC conductivity and relaxation time have increased. A reduction in activation energy of the aged material is observed, which indicates the status of the OIP material.

Effect of TiO 2 nanoparticles on DC breakdown performance of transformer oil-impregnated pressboard

Abstract: Transformer oil-based nanofluid-impregnated pressboard (NIP) with TiO 2 nanoparticles has been previously shown to exhibit substantially higher AC breakdown strength than that of pure oil-impregnated pressboard (OIP). In this study, OIP and NIP with TiO 2 nanoparticles were prepared and experiments on DC breakdown strength of were performed. It was found that NIP possesses higher resistance to DC breakdown strength than that of OIP. To reveal the working mechanism, a pulsed electro acoustic (PEA) device was used to measure the space charge accumulation and dissipation characteristics in OIP and NIP. The results show that the density of deep level traps in NIP is visibly reduced owing to the addition of TiO 2 nanoparticles and homopolar space charge accumulation on both sides of NIP is suppressed. Moreover, the charges injected from electrodes into NIP under DC voltage is also restrained owing to the increase of the Schottky potential barrier. Thus, the DC breakdown performance of NIP is considerably improved.

Investigation of AC breakdown properties of paper insulators and enamel insulation impregnated with rice oil, corn oil and peanut oil for transformers

Abstract: The AC breakdown properties of Kraft paper, pressboard and the enamel insulation layer in rice oil, peanut oil and corn oil were investigated under both new and aged conditions. The ageing of paper insulators and the enamel insulation layer in oils with the open cup method was carried out at 130 oC for 500 h in an air circulation oven. The puncture breakdown strength was determined by varying the number of layers and thickness of Kraft paper, while various electrode gap distances were used to measure the surface breakdown strength. Experimental results show that the breakdown strength and the tensile strength of paper insulators impregnated with these vegetable oils are comparable to that in mineral oil, and the surface breakdown strength of paper insulators is slightly affected by types of impregnating oils. The ageing significantly reduces both the breakdown strength and the tensile strength of paper insulators in investigated oils. In addition, it was also found that the enamel layer in vegetable oils withstood higher puncture breakdown strength than in mineral oil, and the ageing process significantly reduced the puncture breakdown strength of the enamel layer. This enamel layer was observed to markedly enhance the surface breakdown strength of pressboard.

Fabrication of ZnO-Al2O3-PTFE Multilayer Nano-Structured Functional Film on Cellulose Insulation Polymer Surface and Its Effect on Moisture Inhibition and Dielectric Properties

Abstract: After a century of practice, cellulose insulating polymer (insulating paper/pressboard) has been shown to be one of the best and most widely used insulating materials in power transformers. However, with the increased voltage level of the transformer, research has focused on improving the insulation performance of the transformer's cellulose insulation polymer. Considering the complex environment of the transformer, it is not enough to improve the single performance of the insulating polymer. In this study, a nano-structured ZnO-Al2O3-PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) multifunctional film was deposited on the surface of insulating pressboard by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The effect of the multilayered ZnO-Al2O3-PTFE functional film on the dielectric and water contact angle of the cellulose insulating polymer was investigated. The scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS) showed that the nano-structured ZnO-Al2O3-PTFE functional film was successfully deposited on the cellulose insulation pressboard surface. The functional film presented an obvious stratification phenomenon. By analyzing the result of the contact angle, it was found that the functional film shields the hydroxyl group of the inner cellulose and improves hydrophobicity. The AC breakdown field strength of the treated samples was obviously increased (by 12 to ~17%), which means that the modified samples had a better dielectric insulation performance. This study provides a surface modification method to comprehensively improve electrical properties and the ability to inhibit the moisture of the cellulose insulating polymer, used in a power transformer.

Effect of Aging on Material Properties and Partial Discharge Characteristics of Insulating Pressboard

Abstract: Pressboard samples with different aging degrees were prepared to study the material and discharge characteristics of pressboards with a shielding electrode. The step-up method was used for the subsequent experiment. The partial discharges of the pressboards with different aging degrees were compared and combined using Fourier transform infrared spectra, as well as electric field simulations and analysis. The microstructure of the aged pressboards was observed with scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that pre-discharge occurred mainly in the oil gap between the hemispherical electrode edge and pressboard. Aging the pressboard had no obvious effect on the discharge characteristics at the initial partial discharge stage. As the partial discharge developed, aging the pressboard resulted in a higher electric field intensity acting over a greater area, which led to a more intense discharge. Microscopic observation showed that aging and discharge destroyed the fibre, reduced the fibre width, and caused holes and fractures, which promoted further development of the discharge. The spectroscopic analysis showed that aging destroyed O-H functional groups and reduced the intermolecular forces and mechanical properties of the pressboard.

Temperature gradient effect on the space charge behaviour in multilayers of oil and pressboard

Abstract: The presence of space charge within oil and pressboard (PB) can lead to distortion of electric field within converter transformers. Electric field distortion can cause materials to be overstressed which accelerates degradation, and can result in breakdown. Therefore, it is important to analyse the factors that affect space charge formation and dissipation such as temperature, moisture, ageing, multilayers and electric fields. This paper focuses on the temperature gradient and multilayers of oil and PB on space charge. Considering the inhomogeneous acoustic wave velocity caused by a temperature gradient and different dielectric properties of multilayers of materials, an improved space charge recovery algorithm has been developed, in which the distortion of the acoustic wave caused by the attenuation, dispersion, different dielectric properties and temperature effects have been considered. It has been found that for two layers consisting of PB and oil with the bottom electrode fixed at 20 °C, the electric field in the oil increases under the temperature gradient while decreases at ambient temperature. For a three layered sample consisting of PB, oil, and PB with the bottom electrode at ambient temperature, the electric field gradient exists under the temperature gradient and the maximum electric field occurs near the cathode while occurs near the anode at ambient temperature.