Novel capacitor fluid from vegetable oil

During the last two decades the demand of power generation has outgrown the supply due to rapid industrialization throughout the World. To meet this demand continuous efforts are being made not only to generate more but also to conserve the energy generated by improving the system design. Introduction of power capacitors at various strategic points of the distribution network makes the system more reliable apart from conserving energy. The World wide depletion of petroleum resources coupled with harmful ecological effects due to toxicity and non-biodegradability of PCBs has led to accelerated search for new liquid which is biodegradable and non toxic. In this search everlasting vegetable oils have emerged as a promising source for the development of liquid dielectric for capacitor applications. Central Power Research Institute, Bangalore, has successfully developed Methyl ester of rape seed oil (MRSO) which satisfy all the capacitor fluid requirements, from Vegetable source-rape seed oil. After successful laboratory studies, CPRI has upscaled the production of MRSO on pilot plant scale by designing and establishing an all stainless steel pilot plant. In order to establish the service reliability of MRSO, ten numbers LT power capacitors (10 kVAR, 440 V) were manufactured using MRSO and these capacitors have passed all the tests as per IS 2834-1986. Eight numbers of these capacitors have been installed in some industries around Bangalore, India with the help of Karnataka Electricity Board and are working satisfactory since Two years. Along with this few HT power capacitors 100 kVAR, 6.35 kV and 220 kVAR, 7.3 kV were also manufactured using MRSO and tested as per 182834-1986. This paper highlights the studies undertaken, production of MRSO on pilot plant scale, evaluation of MRSO as well as power capacitors impregnated with MRSO.