Significance of Nanoparticles on Electrical Breakdown Strength of Oil-Impregnated Paper Reinforced with Rutile-TiO2

Abstract

One of the essential characteristics of kraft paper insulating material used in a power transformer is its ability to withstand electric field stress without breaking down easily. Kraft paper insulation reinforced with nanoparticles produces a nanodielectric with improved breakdown strength. However, the mechanics that results to increase in breakdown strength are seldom mentioned in the literature. In this work, the electrical breakdown voltage of a fabricated nanocomposite kraft paper is presented. The impact of the nanoparticles on fibre length and breakdown voltage was studied. From the results, the nanoparticle has no influence on the fibre length. The breakdown voltage of the nanocomposite kraft paper improved by 15% as compared to the unfilled kraft paper. The improvement is associated with charge carriers trapped within the interaction zone of the fabricated nanocomposite kraft paper.