Abstract
Hierarchical flower-like ZnO nanorods, net-like ZnO nanofibers and ZnO nanobulks have been successfully synthesized via a surfactant assisted hydrothemal method. The synthesized products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy, respectively. A possible growth mechanism of the various hierarchical ZnO nanostructures is discussed in detail. Gas sensors based on the as-prepared ZnO nanostructures were fabricated by screen-printing on a flat ceramic substrate. Furthermore, their gas sensing characteristics towards methane were systematically investigated. Methane is an important characteristic hydrocarbon contaminant found dissolved in power transformer oil as a result of faults. We find that the hierarchical flower-like ZnO nanorods and net-like ZnO nanofibers samples show higher gas response and lower operating temperature with rapid response-recovery time compared to those of sensors based on ZnO nanobulks. These results present a feasible way of exploring high performance sensing materials for on-site detection of characteristic fault gases dissolved in transformer oil.
Highlights
Power transformers are the most important and costly components in power transmission or distribution substations [1,2]
Once faults have happened in a power transformer due to aging, overheating or discharge, some low molecular weight characteristic fault gases are generated and dissolve in the transformer oil [4,5]
Different morphologies of hierarchical ZnO nanostructures, including flower-like ZnO nanorods, netlike ZnO nanofibers and ZnO nanobluks were successfully synthesized via a facile surfactant-assisted hydrothemal method
Summary
Power transformers are the most important and costly components in power transmission or distribution substations [1,2]. Given the remarkable advantages of simple fabrication process, rapid response and recovery time, low maintenance cost and long service life, metal oxide semiconductors such as ZnO [14], SnO2 [15], TiO2 [16,17], Fe2O3 [18], NiO [19], WO3 [20], In2O3 [21] etc., have been widely used for gas sensors Among these sensing materials, ZnO has attracted increasing attention and been proven to be a highly useful sensing material for detecting both oxidizing and reducing gases [22]. The sensors fabricated with ZnO nanorods and nanofibers exhibit better CH4-sensing properties than those of nanobulks These results demonstrate a promising approach to fabricate gas sensors to detect CH4 and other characteristic fault gases in power transformers
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