Exploration of Electrochemical and Thermal Attributes to Evaluate the Performance of Novel Natural Esters

In recent times, there has been a surge in the electric utilities’ interest in utilizing environmentally friendly and fire-safe natural ester-based transformer oils. These natural esters should ideally be compatible with mineral oil commonly used in transformers, yet several obstacles, such as dielectric performance, cost, supply and availability, and regulatory compliance, must be addressed concerning their application. Consequently, researchers have recently explored new natural esters (NNEs) that have not been used in transformers before. For these new esters to be considered direct substitutes for mineral oil, they need to be compared with existing natural esters. This article presents the experimental findings of two such novel natural esters: Jatropha curcas methyl ester and refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) coconut oil. Their electrochemical and thermal performance is compared with that of existing commercial natural esters and mineral oil. The results indicate that these NNEs show promising potential as replacements for mineral oil in oil-filled transformers. However, further investigation is crucial before reaching a final conclusion.