Electrochemical Characterization of Insulating Mineral Oil Used in HVDC systems

As the need for sustainable energy solutions increases, there is a growing interest in sustainable friendly insulating fluids in high-voltage systems. The project aims to characterize generic features of mineral oil based on electrical and chemical parameters to determine its suitability as an insulation medium under high voltage conditions. Through experimental methods, including electrochemical measurements with gold and platinum electrodes and humidity-controlled test environments, the conductivity and redox behavior of the oil were analyzed. The results showed that the oil had good dielectric strength with low currents, but that moisture sensitivity can negatively affect performance by increasing the number of charge carriers. The study identifies critical parameters that affect the effectiveness of oil insulation and contributes to a deeper understanding of how oils are affected by climatic conditions in HVDC applications. The results can be used as a basis for further development of safe, sustainable and energy efficient transformers in electricity transmission.