Influence of artificial thermal aging on transformer oil properties

This article presents research results on electrical and physic-chemical properties of insulating oil used for high-voltage applications under accelerated artificial thermal aging. Unlike in previously published work, this article gives an extensive set of test data of artificially aged transformer oil under various temperatures. In addition, the aging effect of test temperature on various properties of the oil was quantified. Continuous thermal aging tests were made on transformer oil (Borak 22, Sonelgaz, Nynas, Austria) using a 5000-hr test at four different temperatures of 80, 100, 120, and 140°C. First, the electrical properties of transformer oil, such as the dielectric dissipation factor and the breakdown voltage, are measured after every 500 hr of aging. Next, the physicochemical parameters, including the acidity degree, water content, color factor, kinematic viscosity, density, and flash point, are quantified in order to find the changes in the chemical composition of the insulating oil. The results show that thermal aging significantly affects the properties of transformer oil by the formation of acidic products and the formation of water in oil, which lead to the degradation of the oil's electrical and physicochemical properties.