Analysis of the Impact of Modifiers on the Microscopic Properties of Nanoscale ZrO2 Modified Vegetable Transformer Oil

Vegetable transformer oil represents a novel form of eco-friendly insulation material. Nano modification has the capability to enhance its insulation performance. In this research, molecular simulation techniques were utilized to investigate how nano ZrO
2
affects the microscopic attributes of vegetable-based transformer oil. Additionally, the study evaluated the influence of different surface modifiers on the performance of transformer oil modified with nanoparticles. Use Material Studio software to establish models of unmodified vegetable transformer oil, modified vegetable transformer oil, and nano ZrO
2
transformer oil modified with two surface modifiers: oleic acid and aminopropyltriethoxysilane(APTES). Analyse the interface properties between nano ZrO
2
modified with different surfactants and insulating oil molecules from a microscopic perspective. The results indicate that compared to unmodified transformer oil, the vegetable transformer oil model modified with nano ZrO
2
has higher adsorption energy, more hydrogen bonds, more electron traps, and a smaller diffusion coefficient of water molecules. It shows that ZrO
2
nanoparticles can improve the thermal stability, breakdown voltage and anti-aging performance of vegetable transformer oil. Comparison of two surface modifiers reveals that APTES is more advantageous than oleic acid in improving the insulation performance of nano modified vegetable transformer oil.