Dielectric Strength Enhancement of Soybean Oil (FR3) with Nanoparticle Insulation: A Statistical Analysis

This study investigates the influence of various magnetic nanoparticles on the dielectric Breakdown Voltage (BDV) of dielectric oils, specifically soybean-based oil (FR3). This study focuses on how different concentrations of iron oxide (Fe₃O₄), titanium dioxide (TiO₂), and aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) nanoparticles affect the dielectric strength of the insulating fluid. The nanofluids were prepared using a two-step method with nanoparticle concentrations of 0.0003%, 0.008%, 0.016%, and 0.033% by volume in FR3 oil. The BDV tests were conducted using a mushroom-mushroom electrode configuration in accordance with IEC 60156 standard. Each nanofluid sample underwent 12 test iterations with a 10-min recovery period between measurements to ensure consistency and reliability. The experimental results revealed a notable enhancement in the dielectric breakdown strength of the nanofluids, indicating that the addition of nanoparticles can significantly improve the insulating properties of transformer oils. Statistical analysis was employed to validate the data and enhance the precision of the BDV readings. Among the tested samples, the Al₂O₃-based nanofluid demonstrated the highest BDV improvement, achieving a 41.62% increase. TiO₂ followed closely with a 40.16% enhancement, whereas Fe₃O₄ showed a 26.8% improvement. The concentration of TiO₂ nanoparticles has a significant effect on the BDV, supported by a strong and reliable regression model capable of predicting changes in the BDV based on the TiO₂ concentration. This model demonstrated a very strong correlation (R = 0.903), with 81.5% of the variation in the BDV explained by the changes in the TiO₂ concentration.