Nanofluids in transformer insulation: preparation, performance, and future prospects
Subject Areas : Applications of Nanostructures
Majid Mirzaee
1
,
Majid Rezaei Abdadchi
2
,
Alimorad Rashidi
3
1 - Non-metallic Group, Niroo Research Institute (NRI), Tehran, Iran
2 - Non-metallic Group, Niroo Research Institute (NRI), Tehran, Iran
3 - Non-metallic Group, Niroo Research Institute (NRI), Tehran, Iran
Keywords: Transformer, Oil, Nanofluid, Nanomaterials.,
Abstract :
With the increase in voltage levels in power transmission, the need to ensure the insulating performance of transformers has significantly increased. Mineral oil and paper are the main insulating components in oil-filled transformers. Given the growing demand for superior insulations, several researchers have conducted experimental studies to demonstrate the effectiveness and capabilities of transformer oils. To enhance the insulating level of ultra-high voltage transformers and reduce their weight and dimensions, it is essential to increase the dielectric strength of transformer oil and the cellulose impregnated. Recently, an innovative project has been implemented in the application of nanotechnology in the liquid insulations of transformers, with results indicating a significant improvement in the insulating properties of transformer oils. The field of oil-based transformer nanofluids has recently attracted considerable attention from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Nanofluids can be used as a potential replacement for mineral oils in the near future. This article reviews a collection of research conducted in this area, divided into three main sections. The first section focuses on the preparation of nanofluids, including various types of nanomaterials and synthetic methods for producing stable and suspended nanofluids. The second section thoroughly examines and compares the performance of nanofluids, concentrating on the thermal, electrical, and physicochemical properties of transformer oil. The third section addresses the advantages and limitations of nanofluids. The significance of this article lies in its compilation of previous studies, categorization of research nature, motivations, and predictions of future trends. Additionally, several recommendations for future research and applications of nanofluids are provided.
[1] M. Rafiq, Y. Lv, Y. Zhou, K. Ma, W. Wang, C. Li, Q. Wang, Use of vegetable oils as transformer oils–a review, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 52 (2015) 308-324.
[2] E. Portfolio, Transmission reliability and performance: 37.002, transformer life extension, Accessed: Dec, 12 (2007) 2020.
[3] M. Rafiq, M. Shafique, A. Azam, M. Ateeq, The impacts of nanotechnology on the improvement of liquid insulation of transformers: Emerging trends and challenges, Journal of Molecular Liquids, 302 (2020) 112482.
[4] R. Liao, C. Lv, L. Yang, Y. Zhang, W. Wu, C. Tang, The insulation properties of oil‐impregnated insulation paper reinforced with nano‐TiO2, Journal of Nanomaterials, 2013 (2013) 373959.
[5] E.C. Nsofor, Recent patents on nanofluids (nanoparticles in liquids) heat transfer, Recent Patents on Mechanical Engineering, 1 (2008) 190-197.
[6] S.U. Choi, J.A. Eastman, Enhancing thermal conductivity of fluids with nanoparticles, Argonne National Lab.(ANL), Argonne, IL (United States), 1995.
[7] D. Wen, Y. Ding, Natural convective heat transfer of suspensions of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nanofluids), IEEE Transactions on nanotechnology, 5 (2006) 220-227.
[8] P. Kopčanský, L. Tomčo, K. Marton, M. Koneracka, I. Potočová, M. Timko, J. Jadzyn, G. Czechowski, Dielectric breakdown strength in magnetic fluids, physica status solidi (b), 236 (2003) 454-457.
[9] A. Hosseinpour, M.R. Abadchi, M. Mirzaee, F.A. Tabar, B. Ramezanzadeh, Recent advances and future perspectives for carbon nanostructures reinforced organic coating for anti-corrosion application, Surfaces and Interfaces, 23 (2021) 100994.
[10] Z. Zhou, A. Seif, S. Pourhashem, J. Duan, A. Rashidi, P.L. Silvestrelli, X. Ji, M. Mirzaee, B. Hou, Multi-treatments based on polydimethylsiloxane and metal-organic framework wrapped with graphene oxide for achieving long-term corrosion and fouling protection: experimental and density functional theory aspects, Construction and Building Materials, 384 (2023) 131229.
[11] V. Segal, A. Rabinovich, D. Nattrass, K. Raj, A. Nunes, Experimental study of magnetic colloidal fluids behavior in power transformers, Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials, 215 (2000) 513-515.
[12] A. Zolriasatein, Z. RajabiMashhadi, D.H. Ardebili, N.R. Noori, M.R. Abadchi, M. Mirzaee, UV accelerated aging of RTV/SiO2 nanocomposites: Study on surface microstructure, hydrophobicity, and electrical properties, International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, 126 (2023) 103465.
[13] M. Shafique, X. Luo, Nanotechnology in transportation vehicles: An overview of its applications, environmental, health and safety concerns, Materials, 12 (2019) 2493.
[14] M. Mirzaee, T. Mohebbi, M. Rezaei Abadchi, A review of advances in encapsulation processes and self-healing mechanisms for active corrosion protection, Nashrieh Shimi va Mohandesi Shimi Iran, 43 (2024) 63-98.
[15] J.G. Hwang, F. O'Sullivan, M. Zahn, O. Hjortstam, L.A. Pettersson, R. Liu, Modeling of streamer propagation in transformer oil-based nanofluids, 2008 Annual Report Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena, IEEE, 2008, pp. 361-366.
[16] M. Mirzaee, A. Rashidi, A. Zolriasatein, M. Rezaei Abadchi, Corrosion properties of organic polymer coating reinforced two-dimensional nitride nanostructures: a comprehensive review, Journal of Polymer Research, 28 (2021) 62.
[17] M. Mirzaee, A. Yousefpour, T. Mohebbi, A Review of Methods for Controlling and Monitoring Microbial Corrosion in Power Plant Cooling Sections, Farayandno, 19 (2024) 20-36.
[18] Y. Hwang, J.-K. Lee, J.-K. Lee, Y.-M. Jeong, S.-i. Cheong, Y.-C. Ahn, S.H. Kim, Production and dispersion stability of nanoparticles in nanofluids, Powder technology, 186 (2008) 145-153.
[19] Y. Li, S. Tung, E. Schneider, S. Xi, A review on development of nanofluid preparation and characterization, Powder technology, 196 (2009) 89-101.
[20] P. Keblinski, S. Phillpot, S. Choi, J. Eastman, Mechanisms of heat flow in suspensions of nano-sized particles (nanofluids), International journal of heat and mass transfer, 45 (2002) 855-863.
[21] I. Kaur, L.-J. Ellis, I. Romer, R. Tantra, M. Carriere, S. Allard, M. Mayne-L'Hermite, C. Minelli, W. Unger, A. Potthoff, Dispersion of nanomaterials in aqueous media: Towards protocol optimization, Journal of visualized experiments: JoVE, (2017) 56074.
[22] C. Ying, Z. Zhaoying, Z. Ganghua, Effects of different tissue loads on high power ultrasonic surgery scalpel, Ultrasound in medicine & biology, 32 (2006) 415-420.
[23] M. Kole, T. Dey, Effect of prolonged ultrasonication on the thermal conductivity of ZnO–ethylene glycol nanofluids, Thermochimica Acta, 535 (2012) 58-65.
[24] J. Park, K. An, Y. Hwang, J.-G. Park, H.-J. Noh, J.-Y. Kim, J.-H. Park, N.-M. Hwang, T. Hyeon, Ultra-large-scale syntheses of monodisperse nanocrystals, Nature materials, 3 (2004) 891-895.
[25] A. Nasiri, M. Shariaty-Niasar, A. Rashidi, A. Amrollahi, R. Khodafarin, Effect of dispersion method on thermal conductivity and stability of nanofluid, Experimental thermal and fluid science, 35 (2011) 717-723.
[26] J.H. Fendler, Colloid chemical approach to nanotechnology, Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, 18 (2001) 1-13.
[27] L. Maganti, P. Dhar, A. Katiyar, T. Nandi, S. Das, Enhanced breakdown performance of anatase and rutile titania based nano-oils, (2021).
[28] Y. Xuan, Q. Li, P. Tie, The effect of surfactants on heat transfer feature of nanofluids, Experimental thermal and fluid science, 46 (2013) 259-262.
[29] I. Zakaria, M. Ahmad, Z. Abdul-Malek, M. Sidik, Z. Nawawi, M. Jambak, AC breakdown strength performance of plasma treated mineral oil-based nanofluids, 2017 International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (ICECOS), IEEE, 2017, pp. 333-337.
[30] S.S. Dessouky, S.A.M. Abdelwahab, M. Shaban, Effect of titanium oxide nanoparticles on breakdown strength of transformer oil, 2017 Nineteenth International Middle East Power Systems Conference (MEPCON), IEEE, 2017, pp. 538-542.
[31] G. Shukla, H. Aiyer, Thermal conductivity enhancement of transformer oil using functionalized nanodiamonds, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, 22 (2015) 2185-2190.
[32] P. Krajnik, F. Pusavec, A. Rashid, Nanofluids: properties, applications and sustainability aspects in materials processing technologies, Advances in Sustainable Manufacturing: Proceedings of the 8th Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing, Springer, 2011, pp. 107-113.
[33] P. Muangpratoom, N. Pattanadech, A. Kunakorn, W. Vittayakorn, Impulse breakdown characteristic of mineral oil based nanofluid, 2017 IEEE 19th International Conference on Dielectric Liquids (ICDL), IEEE, 2017, pp. 1-4.
[34] E.G. Atiya, D.-E.A. Mansour, R.M. Khattab, A.M. Azmy, Dispersion behavior and breakdown strength of transformer oil filled with TiO 2 nanoparticles, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, 22 (2015) 2463-2472.
[35] H. Jin, Dielectric strength and thermal conductivity of mineral oil based nanofluids, Delft University of Technology, (2015) 1-170.
[36] B. Du, J. Li, B.-M. Wang, Z.-T. Zhang, Preparation and breakdown strength of Fe 3 O 4 nanofluid based on transformer oil, 2012 International Conference on High Voltage Engineering and Application, IEEE, 2012, pp. 311-313.
[37] V. Charalampakos, A. Bakandritsos, G. Peppas, E. Pyrgioti, I. Gonos, A comparative study of natural ester based nanofluids with Fe 2 O 3 and SiO 2 nanoparticles, 2017 IEEE 19th International Conference on Dielectric Liquids (ICDL), IEEE, 2017, pp. 1-4.
[38] E.V. Timofeeva, M.R. Moravek, D. Singh, Improving the heat transfer efficiency of synthetic oil with silica nanoparticles, Journal of colloid and interface science, 364 (2011) 71-79.
[39] H. Ahmadi, A. Rashidi, A. Nouralishahi, S.S. Mohtasebi, Preparation and thermal properties of oil-based nanofluid from multi-walled carbon nanotubes and engine oil as nano-lubricant, International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 46 (2013) 142-147.
[40] S. Suresh, K. Venkitaraj, P. Selvakumar, M. Chandrasekar, Effect of Al2O3–Cu/water hybrid nanofluid in heat transfer, Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 38 (2012) 54-60.
[41] S.M. Abbasi, A. Rashidi, A. Nemati, K. Arzani, The effect of functionalisation method on the stability and the thermal conductivity of nanofluid hybrids of carbon nanotubes/gamma alumina, Ceramics International, 39 (2013) 3885-3891.
[42] D.K. Devendiran, V.A. Amirtham, A review on preparation, characterization, properties and applications of nanofluids, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 60 (2016) 21-40.
[43] A. Nasiri, M. Shariaty-Niasar, A.M. Rashidi, R. Khodafarin, Effect of CNT structures on thermal conductivity and stability of nanofluid, International Journal of heat and Mass transfer, 55 (2012) 1529-1535.
[44] A. Rashidi, H. Ahmadi, S.S. Mohtasebi, M. Pourkhalil, Thermal and rheological properties of oil-based nanofluids from different carbon nanostructures, International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 48 (2013) 178-182.
[45] N. Putra, W. Roetzel, S.K. Das, Natural convection of nano-fluids, Heat and mass transfer, 39 (2003) 775-784.
[46] D.H. Fontes, G. Ribatski, E.P. Bandarra Filho, Experimental evaluation of thermal conductivity, viscosity and breakdown voltage AC of nanofluids of carbon nanotubes and diamond in transformer oil, Diamond and Related Materials, 58 (2015) 115-121.
[47] J. Taha-Tijerina, T.N. Narayanan, G. Gao, M. Rohde, D.A. Tsentalovich, M. Pasquali, P.M. Ajayan, Electrically insulating thermal nano-oils using 2D fillers, ACS nano, 6 (2012) 1214-1220.
[48] S.H. Qing, W. Rashmi, M. Khalid, T. Gupta, M. Nabipoor, M.T. Hajibeigy, Thermal conductivity and electrical properties of hybrid SiO2-graphene naphthenic mineral oil nanofluid as potential transformer oil, Materials Research Express, 4 (2017) 015504.
[49] A. Amiri, M. Shanbedi, G. Ahmadi, S. Rozali, Transformer oils-based graphene quantum dots nanofluid as a new generation of highly conductive and stable coolant, International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 83 (2017) 40-47.
[50] S.U. Ilyas, R. Pendyala, M. Narahari, L. Susin, Stability, rheology and thermal analysis of functionalized alumina-thermal oil-based nanofluids for advanced cooling systems, Energy conversion and management, 142 (2017) 215-229.
[51] B.C. Pak, Y.I. Cho, Hydrodynamic and heat transfer study of dispersed fluids with submicron metallic oxide particles, Experimental Heat Transfer an International Journal, 11 (1998) 151-170.
[52] A. Amiri, M. Shanbedi, M.J. AliAkbarzade, The specific heat capacity, effective thermal conductivity, density, and viscosity of coolants containing carboxylic acid functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes, Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology, 37 (2016) 949-955.
[53] E.V. Timofeeva, J.L. Routbort, D. Singh, Particle shape effects on thermophysical properties of alumina nanofluids, Journal of applied physics, 106 (2009).
[54] A. Ghozatloo, A. Rashidi, M. Shariaty-Niassar, Convective heat transfer enhancement of graphene nanofluids in shell and tube heat exchanger, Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 53 (2014) 136-141.
[55] Y.-X. Zeng, X.-W. Zhong, Z.-Q. Liu, S. Chen, N. Li, Preparation and enhancement of thermal conductivity of heat transfer oil‐based MoS2 nanofluids, Journal of Nanomaterials, 2013 (2013) 270490.
[56] Y.-j. Hwang, J. Lee, C. Lee, Y. Jung, S. Cheong, C. Lee, B. Ku, S. Jang, Stability and thermal conductivity characteristics of nanofluids, Thermochimica Acta, 455 (2007) 70-74.
[57] X. Wang, X. Xu, S.U. Choi, Thermal conductivity of nanoparticle-fluid mixture, Journal of thermophysics and heat transfer, 13 (1999) 474-480.
[58] C. Chen, M. Niu, L. Wang, Y. Ge, M. Huang, Y. Lv, C. Li, Effect of nanoparticle type on prebreakdown and breakdown characteristics of transformer oil, 2018 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Dielectrics (ICD), IEEE, 2018, pp. 1-4.
[59] M. Chiesa, S.K. Das, Experimental investigation of the dielectric and cooling performance of colloidal suspensions in insulating media, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 335 (2009) 88-97.
[60] B. Du, X. Li, J. Li, Thermal conductivity and dielectric characteristics of transformer oil filled with BN and Fe3O4 nanoparticles, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, 22 (2015) 2530-2536.
[61] W. Yao, Z. Huang, J. Li, L. Wu, C. Xiang, Enhanced electrical insulation and heat transfer performance of vegetable oil based nanofluids, Journal of Nanomaterials, 2018 (2018) 4504208.
[62] A.M. Gobin, M.H. Lee, N.J. Halas, W.D. James, R.A. Drezek, J.L. West, Near-infrared resonant nanoshells for combined optical imaging and photothermal cancer therapy, Nano letters, 7 (2007) 1929-1934.
[63] C.P.Y. Alicia, R. W, M. Khalid, A.K. Rasheed, T. Gupta, Synthesis and thermo-physical characterization of graphene based transformer oil, Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 11 (2016) 140-152.
[64] H.E. Patel, T. Sundararajan, S.K. Das, An experimental investigation into the thermal conductivity enhancement in oxide and metallic nanofluids, Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 12 (2010) 1015-1031.
[65] Y. Xuan, Q. Li, W. Hu, Aggregation structure and thermal conductivity of nanofluids, AIChE Journal, 49 (2003) 1038-1043.
[66] M. Mirzaee, A. Rashidi, A. Zolriasatein, M.R. Abadchi, A simple, low cost, and template-free method for synthesis of boron nitride using different precursors, Ceramics International, 47 (2021) 5977-5984.
[67] M.M. Bhunia, S. Das, P. Chattopadhyay, S. Das, K.K. Chattopadhyay, Enhancement of thermal conductivity of transformer oil by exfoliated white graphene nanosheets, 2016 IEEE 16th International Conference on Environment and Electrical Engineering (EEEIC), IEEE, 2016, pp. 1-5.
[68] S. Aberoumand, A. Jafarimoghaddam, Tungsten (III) oxide (WO3)–Silver/transformer oil hybrid nanofluid: Preparation, stability, thermal conductivity and dielectric strength, Alexandria engineering journal, 57 (2018) 169-174.
[69] A. Beheshti, M. Shanbedi, S.Z. Heris, Heat transfer and rheological properties of transformer oil-oxidized MWCNT nanofluid, Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 118 (2014) 1451-1460.
[70] M. Chopkar, S. Sudarshan, P. Das, I. Manna, Effect of particle size on thermal conductivity of nanofluid, Metallurgical and materials transactions A, 39 (2008) 1535-1542.
[71] H.-q. Xie, J.-c. Wang, T.-g. Xi, Y. Liu, Thermal conductivity of suspensions containing nanosized SiC particles, International Journal of Thermophysics, 23 (2002) 571-580.
[72] M.J. Pastoriza-Gallego, C. Casanova, J.a. Legido, M.M. Piñeiro, CuO in water nanofluid: influence of particle size and polydispersity on volumetric behaviour and viscosity, Fluid phase equilibria, 300 (2011) 188-196.
[73] S. Sumathi, R. Rajesh, Improvement on the characteristics of transformer oil using nanofluids, Current Science, 118 (2020) 29-33.
[74] R. Karthik, T.S.R. Raja, R. Madavan, Enhancement of critical characteristics of transformer oil using nanomaterials, Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, 38 (2013) 2725-2733.
[75] M. Maharana, M.M. Bordeori, S.K. Nayak, N. Sahoo, Nanofluid‐based transformer oil: effect of ageing on thermal, electrical and physicochemical properties, IET Science, Measurement & Technology, 12 (2018) 878-885.
[76] N. Baruah, M. Maharana, S.K. Nayak, Performance analysis of vegetable oil‐based nanofluids used in transformers, IET Science, Measurement & Technology, 13 (2019) 995-1002.
[77] L. Dong, D. Johnson, Surface tension of charge-stabilized colloidal suspensions at the water− air interface, Langmuir, 19 (2003) 10205-10209.
[78] P. Sartoratto, A. Neto, E. Lima, A. Rodrigues de Sá, P. Morais, Preparation and electrical properties of oil-based magnetic fluids, Journal of applied physics, 97 (2005).
[79] J. Kudelcik, P. Bury, P. Kopcansky, M. Timko, Dielectric breakdown in mineral oil ITO 100 based magnetic fluid, Physics procedia, 9 (2010) 78-81.
[80] D. Liu, Y. Zhou, Y. Yang, L. Zhang, F. Jin, Characterization of high performance AIN nanoparticle-based transformer oil nanofluids, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, 23 (2016) 2757-2767.
[81] Y. Hwang, H. Park, J. Lee, W. Jung, Thermal conductivity and lubrication characteristics of nanofluids, Current Applied Physics, 6 (2006) e67-e71.
[82] D. Wen, G. Lin, S. Vafaei, K. Zhang, Review of nanofluids for heat transfer applications, Particuology, 7 (2009) 141-150.
[83] B. Baroli, M.G. Ennas, F. Loffredo, M. Isola, R. Pinna, M.A. López-Quintela, Penetration of metallic nanoparticles in human full-thickness skin, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 127 (2007) 1701-1712.
[84] R.H. Hurt, M. Monthioux, A. Kane, Toxicology of carbon nanomaterials: status, trends, and perspectives on the special issue, Carbon, 44 (2006) 1028-1033.
[85] M. Geiser, B. Rothen-Rutishauser, N. Kapp, S. Schürch, W. Kreyling, H. Schulz, M. Semmler, V.I. Hof, J. Heyder, P. Gehr, Ultrafine particles cross cellular membranes by nonphagocytic mechanisms in lungs and in cultured cells, Environmental health perspectives, 113 (2005) 1555-1560.
[86] L.E. Lundgaard, W. Hansen, D. Linhjell, T.J. Painter, Aging of oil-impregnated paper in power transformers, IEEE Transactions on power delivery, 19 (2004) 230-239.
[87] T. Rouse, Mineral insulating oil in transformers, IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine, 14 (1998) 6-16.