Effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on streamer propagation in transformer oil under lightning impulse voltage

Recent experiments have shown that some nanoparticles can influence the breakdown strength of transformer oil under lightning impulse voltage. To reveal the working mechanism, this paper presents an experimental study on the effect of TiO
₂
nanoparticles on the impulse breakdown strength and prebreakdown streamer propagation process in transformer oil-based nanofluid under both positive and negative lightning impulse voltage. The test results verify that the modification of nanoparticles on breakdown strength of transformer oil has a distinct polar effect: positive breakdown voltage of nanofluid is increased by up to 30.8%, whereas the negative one is decreased by 6.8%. Streamer shape, propagation length and velocity in both pure oil and nanofluid were investigated using the shadowgraph technique. It is revealed that the propagation characteristics of positive and negative streamers in nanofluid are markedly affected by the addition of TiO
₂
nanoparticles. The positive streamers in nanofluid form a bush-like structure with thicker and denser branches, developing much slower than tree-like streamers in pure oil. While negative streamers in nanofluid have a tree-like shape with much longer branches, propagating faster than the original bush-like streamer in pure oil. These differences in streamer propagation characteristics and breakdown strength in pure oil and nanofluid are closely related to the change of space charge distribution caused by shallow trap in nanofluid. More negative charges are formed through capturing fast electrons into slow electrons in shallow traps induced by the presence of TiO
₂
nanoparticles, which change the local electric field in front of the streamer tip. Thus, streamer propagation process in nanofluid is dramatically modified, leading to the change in breakdown strength.