Understanding the surface discharge activity with thermally aged nanofluid impregnated paper insulating material

SDIV of OIP material gets altered with thermal ageing temperature of OIP material, supply voltage frequency and the harmonic content in the supply voltage. The UHF signal radiated due to surface discharges formed under AC voltage, high frequency AC voltages and with harmonic voltages, have dominant frequency at about 0.9 GHz. Surface charge accumulation studies indicate that thermal ageing have high impact on amount of charge accumulation. Also number of layers of insulation have high charge trap density, which is ascertained through tdv/dt plot. The amount of charge accumulated is high with pressboard impregnated in titania nanoparticle dispersed transformer oil. The SD activity occurs at the rising portion of AC voltage and at high dv/dt’s with harmonic AC voltages. More number of discharges occur with OIPs thermally aged at higher temperature. Physico-chemical changes clearly indicate not much of a change occurs with transformer insulation due to thermal ageing.