High field conduction in mineral oil based ZnO nanofluids prior to negative streamer inception

Abstract The electric conduction under intense fields (up to ? 10 9 V/m) in nanofluids using surface-modified ZnO–C 18 nanoparticles dispersed mineral oil as host, is investigated with both experiments and numerical simulations. measurements are used estimate unknown parameters necessary represent the generation loss of electrons an electrohydrodynamic model for without a needle-plane configuration. suggests that induce enhanced field emission from negative needles, explaining significantly larger currents measured nanofluid compared those host liquid. It also found scavenging by process which negligible due attachment oil. shown hinder streamer initiation reducing effective at tip needle. This reduction caused combined effect electron injection through strong Thus, on needle reaches same threshold value when incepted oil, although voltage. Solid evidence indicating additional reduced mobility introduced has no inception tested shown.