Experimental Study of Nano-Oils Containing Iron Oxide, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and Aluminum Oxide in Reducing the Hot Spot Temperature of Transformers

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

In tropical regions, particularly during the summer, the rise in ambient temperature causes a significant increase in the hot spot temperature of transformers, which can result in the early failure of transformers and cause irreparable damage to the power grid. Therefore, efforts to reduce the hot spot temperature of transformers are of great importance. One method of thermal management for oil-immersed transformers is to enhance the heat transfer properties of the oil with additives, allowing for the effective and rapid dissipation of heat from the windings and core to the surrounding environment. In this study, the experimental performance of three nan-oil aluminium oxide, iron oxide, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes was evaluated in a laboratory-scale oil-immersed transformer with a maximum rated power of 150 watts. To this end, the aforementioned nanoparticles were mixed with transformer mineral oil at a concentration of 0.5 g/L and tested in the transformer. The results showed that adding nanoparticles to the oil, within the permissible range for various parameters, improved the physical properties of the nano-oil, which could play a significant role in the thermal management of transformer oil. For example, at 100% of the transformer's full power, the aluminium oxide, iron oxide, and multi-walled carbon nanotube nano-oils reduced the hot spot temperature by 2.1°C, 1.3°C, and 5.4°C, respectively, compared to the baseline test with mineral oil. The primary reason for this improvement is the enhanced thermal conductivity of the nano-oil.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Amirkabir Journal of Mechanical Engineering
Volume 56, Issue 5
2024
Pages 741-762

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