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A critical review of plant-based insulating fluids for transformer: 30-year development

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  • Shen, Zijia
  • Wang, Feipeng
  • Wang, Zhiqing
  • Li, Jian

Abstract

As a non-renewable resource, mineral oil has been re-evaluated for its value and suitability as the coolant and insulator in transformers because of its environmental unfriendliness, fire hazards, and operating efficiency dissatisfaction. As a result, alternative dielectric liquids meeting the demands for more reliable, safer, and cleaner energy has been a critical need. Plant-based insulating fluids, non-toxic to the environment and ultimately biodegradable, have been flowing into the mainstream for achieving cost efficiencies, performance advantages, and enhancing safety. With more than 20 years of field experience, plant-based oils are now employed in more than 600,000 transformers worldwide, and have been established an enviable performance track record. Far from being just a mineral oil replacement, but more significantly, plant-based oils have filled a gap in some specific application scenarios where mineral oils fail to satisfy the fire-safety and environmental standards. This article reviews the research status of plant-based insulating fluids for transformer, including both challenges and outlook circa 2020. Plant-based oils have many inherent advantages over mineral oil, but also have numerous and unique challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Shen, Zijia & Wang, Feipeng & Wang, Zhiqing & Li, Jian, 2021. "A critical review of plant-based insulating fluids for transformer: 30-year development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:141:y:2021:i:c:s1364032121000782
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2021.110783
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    2. Abdulilah Mohammad Mayet & Seyed Mehdi Alizadeh & Karina Shamilyevna Nurgalieva & Robert Hanus & Ehsan Nazemi & Igor M. Narozhnyy, 2022. "Extraction of Time-Domain Characteristics and Selection of Effective Features Using Correlation Analysis to Increase the Accuracy of Petroleum Fluid Monitoring Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-19, March.
    3. Belén García & Alfredo Ortiz & Carlos Renedo & Diego Fernando García & Andrés Montero, 2021. "Use Performance and Management of Biodegradable Fluids as Transformer Insulation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-18, October.
    4. Enze Zhang & Jiang Liu & Chaohai Zhang & Peijun Zheng & Yosuke Nakanishi & Thomas Wu, 2023. "State-of-Art Review on Chemical Indicators for Monitoring the Aging Status of Oil-Immersed Transformer Paper Insulation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-31, January.
    5. Chen, Rui & Qiu, Qinpan & Peng, Xiao & Tang, Chao, 2023. "Surface modified h-BN towards enhanced electrical properties and thermal conductivity of natural ester insulating oil," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 185-196.
    6. Bartlomiej Pasternak & Pawel Rozga, 2023. "Influence of Dielectric Liquid Type on Partial-Discharge Inception Voltage in Oil-Wedge-Type Insulating System under AC Stress," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-11, January.
    7. Arputhasamy Joseph Amalanathan & Ramanujam Sarathi & Maciej Zdanowski, 2023. "A Critical Overview of the Impact of Nanoparticles in Ester Fluid for Power Transformers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-24, April.
    8. Grzegorz Dombek & Jarosław Gielniak, 2023. "Dielectric Properties and Fire Safety of Mineral Oil and Low-Viscosity Natural Ester Mixtures in Various Concentrations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-14, May.
    9. Teresa Nogueira & José Carvalho & José Magano, 2022. "Eco-Friendly Ester Fluid for Power Transformers versus Mineral Oil: Design Considerations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-18, July.
    10. Samson Okikiola Oparanti & Ungarala Mohan Rao & Issouf Fofana, 2022. "Natural Esters for Green Transformers: Challenges and Keys for Improved Serviceability," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, December.
    11. Pawel Rozga & Filip Stuchala & Tomasz Piotrowski & Abderrahmane Beroual, 2022. "Influence of Temperature on Lightning Performance of Mineral Oil," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-11, January.
    12. Li, Xiang & Wu, Junsong & Zhu, Xinyu & Liang, Huixing, 2022. "Agricultural waste-to-energy concerning a biofuel-fed molten carbonate fuel cell toward a novel trigeneration scheme; exergoeconomic/sustainability study and multi-objective optimization," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 1189-1209.

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