Investigation of Dielectric Strength of Transformer Oil Based on Hybrid TiO₂/Al₂O₃/MoS₂ Nanofluid Using Taguchi and Response Surface Methodology

ABSTRACT

Transformers play a vital role in transmission and distribution systems, still 75% of the transformers fail because of inappropriate dielectric insulation. Almost a century alone, mineral oil and vegetable oil were used as insulation and coolant, but they failed because of extra power requirement. After the introduction of nanofluids, massive research work has been carried out to improve the thermal and dielectric characteristics of transformer oil. In this work, a novel approach has been used to investigate dielectric strength by adding hybrid nanoparticles TiO₂/Al₂O₃/MoS₂ with 0.01, 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 volume percentage in transformer oil with 16 different combinations based on Taguchi L16 orthogonal array. The dielectric strength was measured for transformer oil on the basis of the design matrix and a statistical analysis was done to predict the best combination of parameters. ANOVA also showed that the weight percentage of TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ had a significant effect on dielectric strength. Further, the second-order quadratic equation was developed to predict the best suitable combination of nanoparticles using Response Surface Methodology. The predicted results revealed that the TiO₂ had a significant effect on dielectric strength.

KEYWORDS:

• Dielectric strength
• Nanofluids
• Response surface methodology
• Taguchi methods
• Transformer oil

Additional information

Notes on contributors

S. Sumathi

S Sumathi received her BE in electrical and electronics engineering and ME in high voltage engineering from Anna University, Chennai, India, in 2006 and 2008, respectively and is now pursuing her PhD in electrical engineering in Anna University. She is now working as an assistant professor at the Anna University Regional Campus, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Professor Sumathi has more than a decade of experience in the field of teaching and research at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She did extensive research work in dielectric nanofluids for different electrical applications such as power transformer, transmission cables, induction motor, and so on. Professor Sumathi published more than 20 articles in national and international conferences and reputed journals. Her research areas include high-voltage engineering, power system, electrical machines, soft computing, and control system.

R. Rajesh

R Rajesh received his BE in instrumentation and control engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, India, in 2015, and ME in control and instrumentation engineering from Anna University Regional Campus, Coimbatore, India in 2018. His research areas include control system, high-voltage testing, measurements, and soft computing. He published a few papers in national and international conferences and reputed journals. E-mail: [email protected]

P. Subburaj

P Subburaj received his BE in electrical and electronics engineering and ME in power system from Madurai Kamarajar University, Madurai, India, in 1977 and 1990, respectively and PhD in electrical engineering from Anna University, Chennai, India, in 2009. Professor Subburaj has more than three decades of experience in the field of teaching and research from the undergraduate to doctoral level. He held various positions in the academic field, and is presently a dean. He is a member of IEEE, ISTE, and IE. Professor Subburaj published more than 50 papers in national and international conferences and reputed journals. His research areas include high-voltage engineering, power system, electrical machines, soft computing, and control system. E-mail: [email protected]