HIGH VOLTAGE

ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering

Course Instructor:
Bhushith M K
 Module - 1
Conduction and Breakdown in Liquid
Dielectrics

Contents:
• Liquids as insulators
• Classification of liquid dielectrics
• Characteristics of liquid dielectrics
• Pure and commercial liquid dielectrics
• Conduction and breakdown in pure and commercial liquids
• Testing of insulating oils
Bhushith M K, Assistant Professor, Dept. of EEE,
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 Introduction
• The understanding of liquid dielectrics is not as convincing
as that of gaseous or solid dielectrics due to the fact that the
individual experimental data is at variance and in some
instances, contradictory
• Reviews/ studies by Lewis; Sharbaugh and Watson; Swann;
Zaky and Hanley etc are available on this subject
• The work broadly falls in to two schools of understanding –
1. Attempting to explain the breakdown of liquids on a
model which is an extension of gaseous breakdown based
on avalanche ionization of atoms caused by electron
collision or applied field
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 Introduction (Cont.)
This approach stands valid for homogeneous liquids with
extreme purity and not applicable to commercial liquid
dielectrics
2. Based on Bubble theory laid down by Kao

Silicone oil
Transformer oil

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 Liquids as Insulators
• Liquids are believed to be better dielectrics due to the fact
that they are 10^3 times denser than gases
• As per Paschen’s law, liquids possess much higher
dielectric strength of the order of 10^7 V/cm
• Oil is 10 times more efficient than air or nitrogen when it
comes to heat transfer capabilities
• Although liquid dielectrics are expected to have a
breakdown strength of the order of 10 MV/cm, in practice
they offer only of the order of 100 kV/cm

Bhushith M K, Assistant Professor, Dept. of EEE,

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 Liquids as Insulators (Cont.)
• Liquid dielectrics are primarily employed as impregnates in
high voltage cables and capacitors
• They are also used as coolants in transformers and as arc –
quenchers in large circuit breakers

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 Classification of Liquid Dielectrics
1. Transformer/Mineral oil
2. Synthetic hydrocarbons
3. Silicone oils
4. Esters
5. Chlorinated hydrocarbons
6. High temperature hydrocarbons

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 Classification of Liquid Dielectrics
(Cont.)
1. Transformer/ Mineral oil
• This is the most commonly used liquid dielectric
• It is a mixture of paraffins, isoparaffins, aromatics and
naphthalenes
• In service, these oils operate at a temperature of 95 deg
(approx.) continuously and hence deteriorates with time
• As the time elapses, the oil turns darker due to formation of
acids, resins or sludge
• Some of these acids are corrosive and may damage the inner
components of transformer and deposition of sludge may also
result in decreased circulation and have a negative effect on
heat transfer capabilities
Bhushith M K, Assistant Professor, Dept. of EEE,
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 Classification of Liquid Dielectrics
(Cont.)
2. Synthetic hydrocarbons
• Polyolefins are majorly used as impregnates in power
cables
• Most commonly used olefins are poly-butylene and
alkylaromatic hydrocarbons; over 55% of synthetic
hydrocarbons produced in the world are polyolefins
• The general characteristics of these liquids are pretty
similar to those of mineral oils

Bhushith M K, Assistant Professor, Dept. of EEE,

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 Classification of Liquid Dielectrics
(Cont.)
3. Silicone oils
• These are expensive oils which can stay thermally stable
even at temperatures of 150 deg
• Silicone oils are resistant to most chemicals and less prone
to oxidation even at prolonged high operating
temperatures
• After the worldwide ban of chlorinated hydrocarbons,
Silicone oils have effectively served as an alternative to it
• However, silicone oils are a bit inferior when it comes to
non-flammable properties

Bhushith M K, Assistant Professor, Dept. of EEE,

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 Classification of Liquid Dielectrics
(Cont.)
4. Esters
• Castor oils which are natural esters have
long been used as capacitor impregnates
• Presently, organic esters and phosphate
esters are used
• Organic esters have high boiling point in
relation to their viscosity and hence have
high fire point; these are used extensively
in capacitors
• Phosphate esters have high boiling point
and low flammability; therefore used as
transformer oil in areas which are
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 Classification of Liquid Dielectrics
(Cont.)
Property Transformer oil Cable oil Capacitor oil Silicone oil
Breakdown 15 kV/mm 30 kV/mm 20 kV/mm 30 to 40
strength kV/mm
(Standard
spheres @ 20
deg , 2.5 mm
gap)
Resistivity 10^12 to 10^12 to 10^13 to 3*(10^14)
10^13 10^13 10^14
Viscosity 30 30 30 10 to 1000
Max 50 50 50 < 30
permissible (Negligible)
water content
(in ppm) Bhushith M K, Assistant Professor, Dept. of EEE,
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 Characteristics of Liquid Dielectrics
• A liquid dielectric should possess good dielectric properties,
excellent heat transfer capabilities and should be chemically
stable
1. Electrical properties: Some highly desired electrical
properties in a liquid dielectric are –
• High relative permittivity
• High resistivity for (> 10^16 Ohm-m) HV applications; most
of the pure liquids exhibit this property
• Low loss tangent, tan (delta); this is an indication of power
loss under the application of ac voltage
• High dielectric strength. This depends on the atomic and
molecular properties of the liquid itself
Bhushith M K, Assistant Professor, Dept. of EEE,
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 Characteristics of Liquid Dielectrics
(Cont.)
2. Thermal properties: Heat transfer primarily occurs due to
convection when used in transformers, cables, circuit
breakers etc
Under atmospheric conditions, convection is given by –

N = Convection
K = Thermal conductivity
A = Co-efficient of viscosity
C = Specific heat per unit volume
V = kinematic viscosity
High value of K is preferable for apparatus that operate
continuously at high
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temperatures
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 Characteristics of Liquid Dielectrics
(Cont.)
3. Chemical stability: During operation, liquid dielectrics
are subjected to electrical and thermal stress in the presence
of O2, water, fibres etc.
These elements individually or in combination cause
degradation of the liquid and may result in corrosion,
decreased heat transfer, increased dielectric losses and
finally arcing

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 Pure Liquids & Commercial Liquids

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