Impulse creeping discharge characteristics in insulating oils with EHD function reinforced by added HFC gas components

The basic properties of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumping and dielectric strength were examined for two insulating oils, rapeseed ester oil and silicone oil, which were denatured by a bonding of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)134a gas components decomposed using a barrier discharge reactor. In this work, the mechanism of a pure conduction pumping contributed to the evaluation of the electrical pumping in sample oils. Dielectric strength of oils was evaluated from the impulse creeping discharge characteristics and the 60 Hz breakdown voltage test. Experimental results revealed that the creation of radicals such as C-F and C-H in denatured oils led to a slight deterioration of the insulation ability compared to standard oils, but the pumping ability was reinforced significantly. Such additional EHD function may be utilized as a new cooling method in oil-filled power apparatuses in view of the dielectric strength.