Investigation of mineral oil-based nanofluids effect on oil temperature reduction and loading capacity increment of distribution transformers

Distribution transformers (DTs) are deemed as one of the major and high-priced equipment of electrical grids and their destruction negatively affects the stability and security of the network. The insulation status of the transformer depends on the hotspot and oil temperatures. Accordingly, controlling and, if possible, reduction of transformer oil temperature will improve the insulation status. In this paper, the effect of using nano-oil on oil temperature and loading capacity increment (LCI) of DTs has been studied via the electro-thermal resistance model (E-TRM). The studied nanofluids are two volumetric concentrations of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and three volumetric concentrations of diamond nanoparticles dispersed in pure mineral oil (MO). First, the numerical results gained from the E-TRM method are compared and verified with the experiential results of a 500 kVA DT. As well as, the effect of using MWCNT, diamond and proposed ONF nanoparticles in the heat transfer capacity of the transformer are investigated and compared. The results demonstrate that the highest temperature reduction in comparison with MO among the studied nanofluids is about 1 °C and for nanofluid ODI2. While the use of hypothetical ONF nanofluid reduces the oil temperature by 2.7 °C. Finally, the LCI of DTs caused by the use of nanofluids is investigated by the proposed novel equation. The use of nanofluids, especially the proposed ONF nanofluid, leads to the LCI up to 5%.