Experimental determination of electrical and thermo-physical characteristics of dielectric nanofluids based on volume fraction change

Dielectric insulating fluids perform critical tasks such as electrical insulation and cooling functions in power system equipment. Improving the thermal properties of insulating fluids extends the service life of power equipment, while improving their dielectric properties ensures a reliable and safe electricity supply. Therefore, studies on enhancing the thermal and dielectric qualities of dielectric fluids using nanoparticles have become more popular in recent years. In this study, the dielectric and thermo-physical properties of mineral oil-based SiO2 nanoparticle suspensions, namely nanofluids, have been investigated. An approximately 25.6% enhance-ment in AC breakdown voltage level has been obtained at a 0.05% critical volume fraction. It has been noted that the level of the AC breakdown voltage decreases when the critical volume fraction is exceeded. The thermal conductivity of the prepared nanofluid has changed logarithmically in the positive direction according to the rising number of nanoparticles per unit volume. Thermal conductivity has increased by around 8.55% for the critical volume fraction value, whereas thermal diffusivity has increased by approximately 22%. Similarly, when the number of particles in the nanofluid rises, the viscosity increases nonlinearly. The viscosity increase, which is undesirable for heat transfer, has been determined to be around 10.64% for the crucial volume fraction. These findings indicate that dielectric nanofluids hold significant potential for the future. The SEM analysis, on the other hand, explains the difficulties of assuring the long-term stability of nanofluids in the volume fraction with the highest AC dielectric breakdown voltage.