Abstract
The present work aims to develop a new vegetable insulating fluid for power transformers based on Jatropha curcas oil. Besides its technical benefits, Jatropha curcas oil has a socio-economic role by promoting income to rural families, contributing to the countryside development and avoiding rural exodus. Thus, the entire transformer oil production (extraction, processing, characterization and accelerated aging) was covered and a new process was developed. For oil extraction, the most suitable process was the solvent extraction (5 mL of hexane per gram of crushed non-peeled seeds during 30 minutes) with an oil yield of 32%. In raw oil processing stage, the degumming, with 0.4 g of phosphoric acid per 100 g of oil, at 70°C, was used to remove phosphatides. Then, free fatty acids were 96% neutralized with a sodium hydroxide solution (0.5% w/w) at room temperature. For the oil clarification, the combination of 5% w/woil of activated carbon and 1% w/woil of MgO resulted in a bright, odorless and clear oil with an acid number of 0.04 mgKOH·g﹣1. The oil drying in a vacuum rotary evaporator, at 70°C, for 2 hours reduced the water content to 177 ppm. The processed oil was characterized following ASTM D6871 methods. This oil presented higher dielectric breakdown voltage (55 kV) than commercial transformer fluids (BIOTEMP®, EnvirotempFR3®, and Bivolt®), which increases transformer safety, capacity and lifetime. In addition, the processed oil has a lower viscosity than BIOTEMP® fluid, which can enhance the heat dissipation efficiency in the transformer. Moreover, the processed oil flash and fire points of 310°C and >340°C, respectively, confirm the great security of vegetable insulating fluids. The analyzed properties of the processed oil fulfill all the ASTM D6871, ABNT NBR 15422 and IEC 62770 specifications. Therefore, Jatropha curcas oil is a potential substitute formineral insulating fluids.
Highlights
Nowadays, the constant search for sustainable economic development demands the rational use of resources and energy, including investment on renewable materials and greener processes [1]
The present work aims to develop a new vegetable insulating fluid for power transformers based on Jatropha curcas oil
The objective of this work was to develop a new bio-based insulating fluid based on Jatropha curcasoil, for power transformers use, since the oil obtained after its processing presents a lower viscosity than commercial vegetable fluids available associated to a low acid number and a high dielectric breakdown value, besides the advantages already cited
Summary
The constant search for sustainable economic development demands the rational use of resources and energy, including investment on renewable materials and greener processes [1]. The concern about safety, reliability and performance of insulation materials used in power transformers has raised considerably [2] [3] [4]. Mineral oils have been used for over a hundred years in power transformers to ensure electrical insulation and cooling. These oils are mainly obtained from petroleum products, a non-renewable resource that involves various political and socio-economic issues. Mineral oils are non-biodegradable, high flammable (due its low flash point) and dangerous for the environment, since spills from leaks and equipment failure can contaminate the water and the soil [4] [6] [7]
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