article · Journal of Energy Research and Reviews
Vegetable oils extracted from African Canarium and African plum fruits offer potential bio-based alternatives to conventional mineral oils used for electrical insulation in high-voltage power equipment. After extraction and purification, these natural ester oils were formulated into nanofluids using titanium dioxide nanoparticles at concentrations between 0.01 and 0.04 weight per cent. Samples treated with 0.03 weight per cent of nanoparticles attained the highest breakdown voltage of 59.40 kilovolts at 60 degrees Celsius. This performance gain is driven by mechanisms such as free-electron trapping, Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars polarisation, and the suppression of streamer initiation. Key physicochemical characteristics of this optimal mixture, including viscosity, density, acidity, flash point, pour point, sludge formation, and moisture content, complied fully with IEC and IEEE benchmarks, demonstrating thermal stability and electrical reliability.
High-voltage electrical transformers rely heavily on insulating fluids to prevent hazardous electrical failures and manage thermal stress. Finding viable plant-based alternatives to petroleum-derived mineral oils is vital for environmental safety and sustainability. Demonstrating that African plant oils modified with nanoparticles satisfy international technical standards proves that locally sourced, renewable resources can provide robust electrical insulation for modern power networks.
This work demonstrates an applied, laboratory-tested concept relevant to power utilities, transformer manufacturers, and industrial lubricant producers looking for sustainable insulating oils. The formulations satisfy international technical standards, positioning them as viable candidates to replace conventional mineral oils. The technology remains at an applied research stage, as commercial deployment would require moving beyond small batch preparation to pilot-scale production, long-term operational testing in working transformers, and cost-competitiveness assessments against petroleum-based fluids.
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The breakdown voltage (BDV) and the physicochemical properties of nanofluids based on African Canarium (Canarium schweinfurthii) and African plum (Dacryodes edulis) were evaluated to ascertain their suitability as transformer oils. The fruits were purchased from the local markets and extracted using the Soxhlet apparatus. The oils were then purified to remove any impurities that would make them unsuitable for electrical insulation in the high-voltage power equipment. The oils were then divided into five 100 ml samples each, and four of them were treated with TiO2 nanoparticles at 0.01 wt% to 0.04 wt% TiO2 nanoparticles, respectively. The BDV of the pure ester were determined to serve as the baseline, and the BDV of the samples treated with nanoparticles were measured. The samples treated with 0.03 wt% TiO2NPs recorded the highest BDV of 59.40 kV at 60oC. The significant enhancement in the BDV of the Canarium and Dacryodes-based nanofluids recorded in this study is influenced by multiple mechanisms (such as trapping free electrons by nanoparticles, Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars polarization, and suppression of streamer initiation). The key physicochemical properties, such as density, viscosity, sludge formation, moisture content, acidity, flash point, and pour point of this mixture (i.e., 0.03 wt% TiO2NPs) were also determined. These key physicochemical properties were within the acceptable standard of IEC and IEEE, suggesting that the properties are technically viable to replace conventional mineral oil. The results of the physicochemical properties also demonstrate that the Canarium and Dacryodes-based nanofluids are safe, thermally stable, electrically reliable, and suitable for long-term use in high-power systems.
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DOI: 10.9734/jenrr/2025/v17i8446
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