Effect of Exposure to Electrical Discharge on Transformer Oil Properties

Petroleum based oils, the so-called mineral oils, are used for impregnating solid insulations or filling products of very large number of electric materials： transformers, reactors, cables, bushings, circuit breakers, tap changers, etc. In these equipments, oil is exposed to electrical stress and may experience electrical discharges under certain circumstances. Since the electrical stress is unavoidable in power equipments, the ability of oil to resist decomposition under electrical stress is of great importance for the safety of these devices. Electrical stress together with heat and moisture, in the presence of oxygen, oxidises the oil producing free radicals, acids and sludge that are deleterious to the transformer. In this paper, the effect of electrical discharges on oil properties is reported. The results indicate that quality of oil is considerably affected with increasing voltage stress. Comparing oil properties before and after voltage application allows assessing the outcome of random secondary chemical reactions between large oil born free radicals.