Lightning impulse performance of natural ester oil based nanofluid with magnesium oxide nanoparticles

Using natural oils as a substitute for mineral oils has drawn the attention of researchers with respect to environmental regulations. In addition, the usage of natural ester based nanofluids helps in enhancing their properties. In this study, natural ester oil based nanofluids are prepared by employing magnesium oxide nanoparticles due to their excellent physical and thermal properties. Nanofluids with different nanoparticles concentration have been subjected to lightning impulse voltage to investigate their electrical performance. A one-stage impulse generator has been used to produce lightning impulse voltage of 1.2/50μs; the impulse dielectric strength of liquid insulation is investigated by using needle to plane configuration. The impulse voltage and the transient current are measured, while the time to breakdown is recorded, in order to investigate the lightning performance of the nanofluid in various concentrations by following step up method. In addition, 20 shots are performed at each level to help in obtaining the probability of the lightning breakdown voltage. The prepared natural ester oil based nanofluids show better performance, by means of increased U
_50%
than the base oil.