HV Engineering (BEF45203)

‘Breakdown in Liquid Dielectrics’

Dr. rie
Breakdown Liquid Dielectrics: The Content

• General information about liquid dielectric

• Problem with liquid dielectrics
• Process seen in liquid itself
• Movement of liquid and contamination particulates
• Cavity formation
• Chemical reaction
Breakdown in Solids and Liquids: Introduction

• Practical insulation structures usually consist of combination

of solid and liquids and / or gaseous dielectrics.

• As we learnt from the breakdown of gaseous mechanisms,

formation electron of avalanches is responsible for a rapid
growth of current associated with the electrical failure of
gaseous media.

• But this not fully applied in the case for the liquid and solid
insulations.

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Breakdown in Solids and Liquids: Introduction

• Numerous investigator have studied the breakdown of

liquid and solid dielectrics for decades.

• But the findings and theories postulated by such

investigators cannot be reconciled to produce acceptable
general theories explaining breakdown mechanisms in
liquid or solid media.

• The state of knowledge in this area is still very crude and

inconclusive.

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**Breakdown / Failure in Liquid Dielectrics**

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Liquid Dielectrics: Introduction
• Liquid dielectrics, particularly hydrocarbon oils, are used in
insulating media in high voltage equipment (e.g. oil immersed
transformer, oil circuit breaker, power capacitor / resistor /
inductor etc.)

• In comparing with the gaseous dielectrics, liquid dielectrics

have higher densities (more volume).

• In comparing with the solid dielectrics, liquid dielectric fill the

space to be insulate more easily (maximum space usage).

• Moreover, liquids are better coolants and have self-arc

quenching capabilities should an arc be set up in them
(therefore have higher Vb level than that of air).
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Oil as the Choice of Liquid Dielectric
Material in Power Transformers

Oil immersed transformer Transformer oils

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Oil as the Choice of Liquid Dielectric
Material in Power Transformers

Outdoor type oil filled circuit Indoor type oil filled circuit
breaker breaker
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Oil as the Choice of Liquid Dielectric Material in
Power Cables

Oil filled power cables

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Oil as the Choice of Dielectric Material in Power Cables

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Oil as the Choice of Liquid Dielectric Material in Capacitors

Oil filled capacitors

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Problem with Liquid Dielectrics
• In application, liquid insulators are used less frequently than
either gases and solids, hence their insulating potentials
remain under exploited.

• There is less significant activity in liquid than solids. This is

largely because early studies allowed reasonable models of
behaviour to be established, and there is lot less competition
in material development and engineering.

• One of active interest at present is the replacement of

mineral oils in transformers with vegetables oils, to reduce
environmental impact.

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Problem with Liquid Dielectrics
• Solids range from crystalline materials to semi-crystalline polymer
blends with in-organics fillers, and thus very complicated, but
give a great deal of versatility.

• Liquids on the other hand are on a molecular scale more

dynamic, but typically more homogenous (uniform in
composition)

• Perhaps of this molecular freedom, experiment results from

liquids are more diverse (varies) and often their behaviour is
harder to predict.

• It is also harder to keep liquid clean and free from moisture.

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Conduction Process Lead to Failure in Liquid
Dielectrics
Can be categorised as:

A. Process seen in liquids

B. Movement of oils and particulates

contamination

C. Cavity formation

D. Chemical reaction

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A) Conduction Process Seen in Liquids
• Conduction in liquids is largely by ions. High field conduction
maybe through electrons injected from the cathode, and thus
avalanches mechanism are proposed around this.

• Dissociation of molecular species to form charged ions may also

play a part.

• However, in commercial application it is not generally held that

such mechanisms applies since the field required are well above
observed critical field values (working temperature maintained
lower than 100ᵒC).

• Unlike solid, particulate defects can enter at liquid at any time.

This might be metallic particles, carbonised materials from
discharges or degraded insulation, and maybe, most importantly,
water molecules.
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B) Conduction due to Movement of Oil and
Particulate Contaminant
Can be categorised into five mechanisms
i. Dielectrophoresis

ii. Forced and Natural Convection

iii. Thermal convection

iv. Electroconvection

v. Static electricfication
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i. Dielectrophoresis in Liquids
• Dielectrophoresis (attraction force is exerted on dielectric
particle when it is subjected to a non-uniform field) can lead to
collection of metallic (high permittivity) particles at high stress
regions.

• This resulting in enhanced fields and localised discharges

thereby leading ultimately to insulation failure.

• Such mechanisms can also lead to forced coalescence

(combination/grouping) between droplets of water in oils
(thereby forming large drops from number of smaller ones).

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ii. Forced and Natural Convection
• Movement / flow via force (e.g. by pump) and natural (i.e. by gravitational)
convections have the benefit of keeping a liquid cool.

• However, this has disadvantage (new mechanism) whereby defects can be

moved from the benign region (i.e. bottom of transformer tank) to one of
high field area.

• Such mechanisms can also lead to conduction in liquid dielectric due to the
present of metallic / high permittivity defects.

• This may cause further damage through partial discharge and hence material
degradation.

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iii. Thermal Convection
• Conductivity in a medium (including liquid dielectric) will create Joule
heating.

• This heating could gives rise to an increase conductivity, which then

possibly lead to the present of thermal runaway.

• In addition, dielectric heating may have an adding impact to the

temperature rise. This mechanism needs no change to the physical size /
volume of the sample.

• Prolonged heating /ageing at elevated temperature would lead to chemical

ageing of the liquid dielectric (e.g. transformer oil) and also cause damage
to the insulation as well as material degradation.

• Transformer is considered as in a ‘cooked’ condition.

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iv. Electroconvection in Liquid

• In electroconvection process, space charge generated in the

liquid is subject to mechanical forces from the applied electric
field.

• This produces movement in the oil, and is a mechanism for

space charge movement and particles defect mobility.

• This also may cause further damage through partial discharge

and hence material degradation.

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v. Static Electrification in Liquids
• Static electrification (electrostatic charge) may occurs when liquid dielectric
are moving across a surface of material. Usually occurs for oils or water
cooled systems.

• Water benefit of being able to dissipate charges by ionic conduction,

whereas ions tends to have a longer life in oils.

• When oils is force to a metallic structures (e.g. from windings, cores,

enclosures etc.), molecule picks up positive and negative charge.

• The oils deposits negative charges on solid insulation surfaces, retaining

the positive charge.

• This will creates fields within windings which can lead to failure. Thus the
correct choice of oils and flow conditions is essential in transformer
design.
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C) Conduction due to Cavity Formation
• Because of viscous nature of liquids, mechanical perturbations
(e.g. flow changes) may lead to bubbles (cavities) being
formed.

• The cavities may likely formed/trapped during services

(maintenance work, when manufactured), evolution of gasses
through discharges at the electrodes surface or ionisation
decomposition in the bulk.

• Rapid changes in temperature and pressure might also lead to

cavities. These will lead to growth of the voids (large empty
spaces) and increase the discharge intensity, and failure may
follow.

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D) Conduction due to Chemical Reaction
• Local partial discharges permeated (spread) in liquids may create high permittivity
chemical compounds, in which will increase / lead to the breakdown process.

• For instance, the insulated compound in the oil molecules is chemically changed
into more carbonise molecules (i.e. conduction) due to discharges. Alteration in the
liquid colour is the easiest indication of confirming chemical-changed situation.

• Thus, chemical analysis of transformer and cable oils can be used to indentify if
discharges are taking place.

• If this seen to be the case, the greatest strength of liquids come into play, as the oils
now may need to be replaced with a new one. This is a maintenance standard
procedure in a cable and or transformer.

• Clearly if the oil which impregnates pressboard or paper is not replaced, so damage
in this material will often lead to failure.

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Note References
• Subir Ray, An Introduction to High Voltage Engineering, Prentice Hall
India, 2004

• Haddad & Warne, Advance in High Voltage Engineering, IET Power and
Energy Series, 2004

• S.M.Rowland, Breakdown in Gaseous, Solid and Liquid Dielectrics, MSc.

Lecture Note, The University of Manchester, 2006

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