Harnessing Nanomaterials for Advanced Electrical Components and Efficient Transformers

Guest Editorial

Nano science and nanotechnology innovations have shown incredible results in current era. It increases their applications in various fields such as Engineering, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The development in nanotechnology has replaced conventional concepts. The remarkable performance of nanotechnology caught the eye of electrical engineers to make reliable and efficient electrical components. Electrical engineers using Nano-concept and make Nano-structured valueadded products with high superior qualities. This review climaxes the concept of nanotechnology in various electrical components such as in nanowires, insulators, transformers and dielectric fluids with possible future prospects

Purpose. The purpose of the work is to perform analytical analysis of methods for calculating power losses of a power transformer and to improve the estimation method of calculation to increase the accuracy of calculating power losses on the example of an industrial power transformer.Methodology. Analytical and calculation method was used to determine power losses in the power transformer.Findings. Analysis of the main power losses of power transformers is an important task to determine the optimal conditions for their operation. Analytical analysis of transformer power loss calculation methods is carried out. The relative contribution of different types of power losses is shown. The calculation of energy losses of the power transformer TM 1000/10/0.4 is performed. The losses of active and reactive energy of the transformer are determined. The efficiency of the power transformer is calculated. A generalizing formula for determining the efficiency of the transformer is proposed.Originality. On the basis of the analytical analysis of methods of calculation of power losses of the power transformer the estimation technique is improved and calculation of losses of active and reactive energy of the industrial power transformer TM 1000/10/0.4 is carried out. A new generalizing formula for determining the efficiency of a power transformer, which takes into account the operating time of the transformer at maximum load, is proposed. Practical value. The estimation method for calculating the power losses of an industrial power transformer under load is improved, in which a generalizing formula for determining the efficiency of a transformer is applied. The proposed technique simplifies the calculations, reduces the estimated time to determine the operating parameters of the power transformer with the required accuracy. The proposed technique was tested on the example of the power transformer TM 1000/10/0.4. It is shown that with increasing maximum load time, the efficiency of the transformer increases and asymptotically approaches the maximum value.

Guest Editorial: Situational awareness of integrated energy systems

SEMI‐ACCELERATED CORROSION TESTS OF MEDIUM AND HIGH TENSILE STEEL IN CONTACT WITH PHENOLIC FOAM

Highlights milestone developments in degradable, recyclable, and self-healing insulating materials for the power industry The global transition toward low-carbon and sustainable energy systems has placed electrical insulating materials at the forefront of research and application. As essential components in electrical and electronic engineering, insulating materials determine not only the efficiency and reliability of power equipment but also its environmental footprint. Yet, traditional insulating systems face significant challenges—resource depletion, pollution, and limited recyclability—that are increasingly incompatible with global climate and sustainability goals. Next-Generation Electrical Insulating Materials:Low-Carbon, Eco-Friendly, and Sustainable Solutions systematically addresses solid, liquid, and gas insulating materials in the context of sustainability. Covering fundamental insulating, dielectric, thermal, and mechanical properties, contributions from leading experts explore recent breakthroughs in degradable, recyclable, and self-healing materials. The book provides detailed evaluations of material innovations and their practical implications for the safe operation of electrical systems. Dedicated chapters on plastics, resins, rubbers, paper, oils, and gases are accompanied by critical examinations of current challenges and a discussion of future directions of the field. Blending foundational theory and cutting-edge advances to illustrate how insulating materials can support the energy transition and drive innovation in sustainable power systems, Next-Generation Electrical Insulating Materials: Introduces a systematic framework linking material properties with low-carbon performance requirementsHighlights six categories of insulating materials with breakthrough developments in greener alternatives Provides multi-dimensional evaluation methods for optimizing material performance in real-world conditionsExamines synergistic improvements of green insulating materials in power equipmentOffers detailed prospects for innovation, from recyclable designs to advanced degradable materials Both an introductory resource and an advanced reference across multiple engineering disciplines, Next-Generation Electrical Insulating Materials:Low-Carbon, Eco-Friendly, and Sustainable Solutions is essential reading for graduate students, researchers, and engineers in electrical engineering, materials science, and polymer chemistry. It is well-suited for courses in Electrical Materials and Insulation Technology at master’s and doctoral levels, and is a valuable reference for professionals in the power, electronics, and chemical industries.

This review is focused on the research of dielectric fluids, especially commonly used power transformer oils enhanced by nanoparticles, i.e., nanofluids. There are differences between various combinations of base fluids and nanoparticles prepared in different ways. The main goal of this review was to present recent research in this field sorted by the used nanoparticles. Nanofluids based on mineral oils, natural, or synthetic esters were investigated in terms of the nature of nanoparticles, particularly Al2O3, TiO2, Fe2O3, Fe3O4, graphene, fullerene, and others. The combinations of environmentally friendly oils and nanoparticles were presented. Finally, the article focused on the description of current dielectric fluids usable in power transformers and the possibilities of improving new and existing fluids with nanoparticles, especially their physical, dielectric, and chemical properties, but with regard to environmental aspects.

Coupling Of Synthesis And Layout: Challenges And Solutions

A fully biodegradable dielectric fluid based on high oleic acid vegetable oil has been developed for use in electrical equipment. The development of such a fluid for use in equipment such as electrical transformers has naturally caused it to be compared to more conventional mineral oil based insulating fluids and to high-temperature hydrocarbons and silicones for which specifications already exist. The selection of the base oil and its modifications relied heavily on preexisting standards such as ASTM D 3487 and ASTM D 5222. Because such a vegetable based fluid in practical terms does not completely match any of these fluids exactly in its characteristics, commercial implementation may lead to a desire for a standard specification describing its unique set of properties. In addition, the biodegradable nature of the fluid has required that standard tests not used in the electrical industry, such as CEC L-33-A-94, developed for two-stroke-cycle outboard engine oils, be applied to the material in question. ASTM has subsequently developed a standard guide, ASTM D 6006 for hydraulic fluids, but relatively little work was performed on dielectric fluids at the time of the development of the biodegradable fluid discussed in this paper. Comparisons with other potential tests will be discussed and a discussion of the relative merits of these tests for dielectric fluids will be presented.

Image processing technology in the recent years has gain lots of recognitions in the fields of electrical power system engineering. It has been widely used in detection of anomalies on electrical component parts. It has also been effectively applied during testing, inspection and preventive maintenance works. Current researches in thermal imaging technology have shown the interest in development of unsupervised computer aided scrutiny system. This is because of robustness and speed of defect detection analysis compared to conventional or traditional method of testing and inspection. Numerous methods have been used to detect and analyze abnormalities in electrical components such as infrared thermal image, x-ray image, binary, and gray scale images. Procedures normally used in scrutinizing defective components can be classified into five stages thus image acquisition, preprocessing, segmentation, classification and decision-making. This paper presents the review of electrical equipments defect detection techniques using different forms of image analysis approach in detecting and classifying the severity of defects in electrical components. Some advantages and disadvantages of these approaches are also elaborated.

During normal operating conditions, the thermal fluctuation in a power transformer is controlled by the mineral insulating oil that acts as cooling media and keeps the transformer in thermal equilibrium. Feasibility of ferrofluid in power transformers and compatibility with the transformer components have been quite an area of interest even after it has surfaced as a possible dielectric fluid with enhanced heat dissipation capacity. The experimental contributions in this research are dedicated towards the comparison of ferrofluid and naphthenic oil with kraft paper where major emphasis has been laid on the results obtained from long term laboratory scale ageing of ferrofluid for 61days at 393 K (120 °C) with respect to the dissolved gas analysis (DGA), moisture, and degree of polymerization (DP) of solid insulation along with oxidation stability and Rotating Bomb Oxidation Test (RBOT) with kraft paper.

This research investigates novel polymeric composite materials made from recycled polyolefin and waste plant biomass (poplar seeds and vegetable peels), which have potential applications in the relatively unexplored field of electrical insulation. For composites made from poplar seeds with low density polyethylene matrix, the structure appears more uniform, even with increased biomass content, in contrast to those utilizing high density polyethylene matrix, which displays notable heterogeneous areas where the polymer appears separated from the fibrous network at higher biomass levels. Concerning the composites of vegetable peels with high density polyethylene matrix, the fragments of vegetable peels are clearly recognizable, and their bond to the polymer matrix appears weaker. When incorporating vegetable peels into the polypropylene matrix, it results in a better distribution of the vegetable peel fragments within the polymer matrix, as well as enhanced structural homogeneity. Overall, the incorporation of biomass reduces the Shore hardness measurement for every polymer matrix. Regarding tear resistance, the inclusion of biomass reduces the values only for low density polyethylene with poplar seeds. For both high density polyethylene and polypropylene, regardless of the biomass type, the property seems to enhance marginally with the addition of biomass. The primary advantage of utilizing these composites is that their water absorption rate is at least twice as low as that of transformer board, while still offering a similar capacity for absorbing transformer oil. All composite types exceeded the minimum required threshold of 70 °C for service exposure, and adhered to insulation class A, similar to cellulose-based insulations. The addition of cellulose to polyolefin composites appears to slightly improve their breakdown strength. The conductivity for this type of composite is at least three times lower than that of cellulose insulation materials, rendering them beneficial for applications in electrical engineering as potential substitutes for cellulose-based materials in multiple electrical insulation uses, e.g., for insulating low voltage electrical machines, as well as serving as a substitute for pressboard in transformers. Additionally, their thermoplastic properties offer enhanced processing versatility, opening up new opportunities for electrical engineering technology, especially with regard to electrical insulation recyclability in the context of a circular economy.

Polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs were manufactured for use mainly as insulators, coolants, and dielectric fluids in electrical equipment owing to their inert, stable, and flame-retardant nature. They were banned in 1979 because of their toxicity and persistence in the environment. Between 1929 and 1977, approximately 1.25 billion pounds of PCBs were manufactured in the United States. Because of past disposal practices and accidental releases that continue to the present day, 450 million pounds of PCBs have entered the environment over time ATSDR 2000 . Moreover, their hydrophobic nature has led to their occurrence predominantly in soils and sediments that act as sources for their long-term release to the environment. PCBs bioaccumulate and biomagnify in the ecosystem, starting from submarine sediments and benthic organisms to seaweeds and fish, progressively moving up the food chain to reach humans, posing serious health hazards. The Yusho PCB poisoning incident occurred in 1968 in Japan and involved more than 1,860 individuals, who consumed rice bran oil contaminated with PCBs and its oxidation products. The victims suffered from chloracne, hyperpigmentation, dermal lesions, and ocular discharges—symptoms that slowly lapsed over many years. However, other symptoms relating to the enzymatic or endocrinal effects persisted after more than 30 years Masuda 2001 , with several patients complaining of chronic bronchitis, peripheral numbness, fatigue, and headaches decades after the incident Aoki 2001 . A similar exposure to PCB-contaminated oil led to the Yu-Cheng episode in Taiwan in 1979, resulting in more than 2,000 victims with related symptoms. Additionally, children with prenatal and lactational exposure showed lower birth weights and impaired intellectual and cognitive development Aoki 2001 . More recently, the Belgian PCB incident occurred in 1999, when 2,500 farms were inadvertently supplied with animal feeds contaminated with a mixture of PCBs and dioxins Bernard et al. 2002 . Poultry was hardest hit: egg production and hatching decreased, and a chicken edema epidemic broke out van Larebeke et al. 2001 . As an aftermath of the contamination, poultry and derived products were ordered off the markets, and some 2 million chickens were destroyed van Larebeke et al. 2001 . Even though this episode did not cause or is unlikely to cause adverse

Insulation systems for electrical power and distribution transformers are being re-evaluated based on total owning cost from both economic and risk exposure perspectives. A developed high fire point dielectric fluid, based on natural esters, has superior safety, environmental, and health properties compared to current dielectric fluids. An insulation system developed for this fluid addresses the lower inherent resistance of esters to oxidation. Accelerated transformer life testing compares transformers using standard mineral oil to those with the natural esters dielectric system. Results of these accelerated life tests show the ester fluid to be suitable for transformer use and suggest the possibility of extended insulation life compared to mineral oil systems.

The concentration of furanic compounds in the dielectric fluid of a transformer is a good indicator of the condition of the cellulosic materials such as paper, pressboard, and cotton materials used both as electrical insulation and as mechanical support. The condition of the cellulosic materials is vital, because those materials are the limiting factor on the life of a transformer. Over the last three years, the lab at S.D. Myers has conducted a massive survey of the concentration of furanic compounds in the dielectric fluid of operating transformers. The Myers data base now contains more than 15,000 test results on dielectric fluids, including mineral oil; silicone, PCB-askarel, high fire-point oil, and perchloroethylene. The furan test is especially valuable for the PCB-askarel units, because the dissolved combustible gas test is not very useful for such units. The furanic compounds were measured with a high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) per ASTM Method D 5837. Due to the massive furan survey data available, it is now possible to interpret furan test results actuarially. This approach works best for the mineral oil transformers with more than 12,000 furan test results as of January 1, 1998.