Simulation Investigation On Heat Transfer Characteristics Of Palm-Based Oil As Biodegradable Dielectric For Power Transformer Oil Application Using Quickfield Software

Abstract

Mineral oil was utilized as an insulating medium in transformers, which play a significant part in power transmission systems. Mineral oil has been used in the electrical power system for decades. However, due to the nonbiodegradable and high flammability features of mineral oils, their usage in electrical power systems can cause environmental difficulties when incidents such as oil spills or transformer explosions occur. To address this issue, alternative insulating oils with biodegradable qualities and good electric and chemical properties have been investigated as viable materials that can replace commercial oil. This research work examines the heat transfer properties of palm-based ester oil as an insulating material using QuickField software, which employs the finite difference approach. The transformer's 2D simulation model geometry was performed to show its heat transfer characteristics. Numerous heat transfer properties of palm-based ester were investigated to evaluate the heat transfer performance of palm oil-based ester and compared with mineral oils and other vegetative oils. It was found that palm-based oil shows the lowest temperature and heat flux among the other insulation oils.