INVESTIGATION ON THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE LIGHTNING BREAKDOWN VOLTAGES OF REFINED BLEACHED AND DEODORIZED PALM OIL OLEIN UNDER THE PRESENCE OF COPPER (II) OXIDE NANOPARTICLE

Abstract

In this paper, a study on the lightning impulse breakdown voltages of Refined, Bleached and Deodorized Palm Oil (RBDPO) Olein and Mineral Oil (MO) with the present of the semi conductive nanoparticle, Copper (II) Oxide (CuO) under non-uniform field is carried out. The lightning breakdown test was carried out based on needle-sphere electrodes configuration at gap distances of 25 mm. Rising voltage testing method was used and both positive and negative voltage polarities were considered. CuO was added into RBDPO and MO percentages volume concentrations of 0.001%, 0.025% and 0.050% without presence of surfactant. It is found that there are slight improvements on the lightning breakdown voltages for both RBDPO and MO under the presence of CuO. The lightning breakdown performances of RBDPO at different percentages volume concentrations of CuO are comparable with MO at positive polarity.