Investigation of the Usage of Palm Oils with the Aim of Insulation in High Voltage Power System Equipments

Original scientific paper Power system equipment have conventionally used mineral oil for insulation and cooling. The preferable alloy material has to be generated with good chemical and electrical features. However, recent case has indicated the shortcomings of these fluids where they have poor characteristics particularly at fire and flash point and most significantly poor dielectric malfunction voltage. The most critical of these deficiencies is the disability to meet up with the environmental and health laws. Further, they are not organic and hence not biodegradable. In this study, natural palm oil and its derivatives have been studied in attempt to discover an environmental friendly insulating fluid. Patterns such as crude and refined palm oils were chemically and electrically tested and comparisons were made with the mineral oil. Electrical tests such as the malfunction voltage, power factor and resistivity were pursued. Besides that, chemical characteristics such as water content, kinematic viscosity, moisture content of the alloy, flash point, density, pour point, corrosion, neutralization value and dissolution of gases were also being investigated. Results from the test laboratory studies have indicated that the natural palm oil has preferable chemical and electrical features as compared to the existing mineral oil for power system equipment insulation.