Partial discharge properties of ester oils having different molecular structures

Partial discharge (PD) properties and dissolved gas analysis (DGA) are investigated on three kinds of fatty acid alkyl esters synthesized from palm oil, fatty acid methyl esters synthesized from soybean oil and from rice bran oil with low viscosity to be adopted in transformers. For comparison, the properties of rapeseed oil of vegetable oil having high viscosity are also investigated. The results revealed that the number of PD and average PD charge depended on the molecular structure of the ester oils. It is indicated that the number of PD of large molecular ester oils and ester oils containing double bonds at hydrocarbon part is relatively few. PD in the ester oils with high viscosity were triggered by bubble. DGA showed that there were no remarkable acetylene gases by PD in the ester oils, though hydrogen gas was generated. CO and CO₂ were also generated in the ester oils, especially remarkably generated by PD in ester oils containing double bonds at hydrocarbon part.