Breakdown performance of transformer oil in the presence of single‐phase nanocrystalline ZnO and nano‐partial substitution

In this study, newly structured nanoparticles are synthesised and incorporated in the transformer oil for enhancing the dielectric properties. A new nanocrystalline series of zinc oxide (ZnO) and ZnO partially substituted by lanthanum oxide is presented for the first time, where the precursor technique is utilised to create the nano‐powders. Different partial substitutions facilitate to manipulate nanocrystalline sizes, and therefore the effect on nanofluid dielectric characteristics is attained. Another factor during the laboratory nanoparticles preparation is considered that the precursor is annealed at different temperatures. The nanocrystalline phase compositions are experimentally examined and evaluated using X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope. Accordingly, single‐phase and multi‐phase nanocrystalline powders are ascertained. The transformer oil incorporated with nanoparticles is prepared and its dielectric strength is measured using an oil breakdown voltage tester. The measured dielectric strength of transformer oil with and without nanoparticles is statistically evaluated using Weibull distribution. The most appropriate nanofluid and concentration are estimated experimentally. Toward interpreting the nanofluid dielectric enhancement, their electric field distribution is numerically evaluated at different nanoparticle concentrations using COMSOL multiphysics. This study supports the analysis and optimisation of transformer oil dielectric performance.