Experimental Study on Gas Production Rate of Arc Discharge in Insulation Oil

When an arc fault, the most critical failure associated with oil-immersed transformers, develops in the oil, the elevated temperatures at and near the center of the arc not only promote the thermal expansion of the insulating oil but also instigate its vaporization and subsequent chemical decomposition reactions. This sequence of events results in a continuous increase in the volume of oil and gas, ultimately leading to tank rupture. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the gas production rate of arc discharge in oil. This article establishes an experimental system designed to study arc discharge in insulating oil, examining the effects of various factors-including current, time, and electrode distance-on the electrical characteristics and gas production rate of the arc discharge. The analysis results indicate that the relationship between arc power and gas production rate is predominantly linear, with the slope of the fitted equation approximately equating to the coefficient relating gas production volume of arc discharge in insulating oil to arc energy, valued at 47.3 mL/kJ. The research methods and findings presented in this article contribute to a better understanding of the gas production mechanism of arc discharge in oil.