Environmentally friendly fluids for high-voltage applications

Abstract

Historically, hydrocarbon-based fluids have been used for several applications in the energy industry since they successfully fulfill high-voltage requirements for electrical apparatus and components. In spite of that, these conventional fluids show great disadvantages from an ecological and sustainability point of view. New "green"-based fluids have emerged as an alternative solution for the poor ecological performance of conventional mineral oil and to comply with the new environmental regulations and demands. Environmentally friendly fluids not only have adequate insulation and chemical and thermal properties for use in electrical components, but they also show remarkable advantages regarding biodegradability behavior and fire resistance performance, which give them attractive characteristics for energy industry. In this chapter, the main properties of alternative eco-fluids are shown and compared with conventional mineral oils. In addition, recent achievements for high-voltage applications are reviewed and reported. Finally, future trends and opportunities for technological breakthroughs are also considered and proposed in this chapter.