Analysis of DC insulation and properties of epoxy/ceramic composites with nanosized ZnO/TiO2 fillers

A molded transformer is maintenance-free, which makes it unnecessary to replace the insulating material, like in an oil-filled transformer, because the epoxy, which is a molded insulating resin, does not suffer variations in its insulating performance for heat cycles over a long time, as compared to insulating oil. In spite of these advantages, a molded transformer may still be accessed by the user, which is not good in regards to reliability or noise compared to the oil transformers. In particular, a distrust exists regarding reliability due to the long-term insulating performance. These properties have been studied in regards to the improvement of epoxy composites and molded transformer insulation. There have nevertheless been insufficient investigations into the insulation properties of epoxy composites. In this study, it is a researching of the epoxy for insulating material. In order to prepare the specimens, a main resin, a hardener, an accelerator, and a nano/micro filler were used. Varying amounts of TiO2 and ZnO nano fillers were added to the epoxy mixture along with a fixed amount of micro silica. This paper presents the DC insulation breakdown test, thermal expansion coefficient, and thermal conductivity results for the manufactured specimens. From these results, it has been found that the insulating performance of nano/micro epoxy composites is improved as compared to plain molded transformer insulation, and that nano/micro epoxy composites contribute to the reliability and compactness of molded transformers.