Assessment of Thermophysical Performance of Ester-Based Nanofluids for Enhanced Insulation Cooling in Transformers

Abstract

Nanotechnology provides an effective way to upgrade the thermo physical characteris- 12 tics of dielectric oils and creates optimal transformer design. The properties of insulation materials 13 have a significant effect on the optimal transformer design. Ester based nanofluids (NF) are intro- 14 duced as an energy-efficient alternative to conventional mineral oils, and prepared by dispersing 15 nanoparticles in the base oil. This study presents the effect of nanoparticles on the thermo-physical 16 properties of pure natural ester (NE) and synthetic ester (SE) oils with temperature varied from 17 ambient up to 80 oC. A range of concentrations of Graphene oxide (GO) and TiO2 nanoparticles 18 were used in the study to upgrade the thermo physical properties of ester based oils. The experi- 19 ment for thermal conductivity and viscosity were performed using a TC-4 apparatus that follows 20 Debby’s concept, and redwood viscometer apparatus that follows the ASTM- D445 experimental 21 standard respectively. The experimental results show that nanoparticles have a positive effect on 22 thermal conductivity and viscosity of oils, while they reduce with increase in temperature