Partial discharge characteristics of natural rubber blends with inorganics nanofiller as electric insulating material

Abstract

In electrical engineering, electrical discharge can occur in gaseous, liquid or solid insulating medium. Localized dielectric breakdown that occur at a small portion of a solid or fluid electrical insulation under high voltage stress is called partial discharge (PD). This phenomenon can cause the material to breakdown if there is no action taken quickly. As such, it is important to study about PD. Usually it begins within voids, cracks, or inclusions within a solid dielectric, at conductor-dielectric interfaces within solid and in bubbles within liquid dielectrics. In order to modify electrical properties of the original structure then nanocomposite need to be introduced. Nanocomposite is the original structure that has been inserted by nano component (nanofiller) such as silicone dioxide and titanium dioxide. Nanocomposites are also found in nature, for example in the structure of the abalone shell and bone. By adding nano component inside the original component, it can change the mechanical and electric properties. In this project, partial discharge characteristics for the nancomposites will be investigated. The sample of nanocomposite was developing by using extrusion method. The sample will be testing by using detection method. High voltage is applied at the upper of the electrode of the test sample. The signal of partial discharge will detect by CIGRE Method II and RC detector and the signal will be transferred to be display at personal computer by using LabViewTM software. The result from the software will be analyst to find out the partial discharge of the nanocomposites as electric insulating material. The results revealed that the highest PD numbers come from compositions with no filler while the lowest PD numbers come from sample that use 4% SiO2 as its nanofiller. Therefore, compositions with 4% SiO as its nanofiller is suitable as insulators material among the samples.