ABSTRACT

Power transformer is the main system in the development of electricity in the wide range. The
function of the power transformer to transfer the electrical energy from one place to another.
The high maintenance is needed to keep the power transformer can operate in long term and
efficiently. In the power transformer, there is the tank with the windings of coils. This winding
of coils must be keep in the stable temperature to avoid the explosion occur. When the power
transformer operated, the temperature increase and the dielectric fluid that filled in the tank
through convection process which is cooling process. There are 4 fluid types that been offered
in the markets nowadays such as Mineral Oil, Silicone, Beta fluid, and Envirotemp. But the
mostly used in industrial is mineral oil because of the high properties and best performance in
transformer. Insulating oil are very important to save the equipment in the transformer. But the
main problem is the oil that used can affect the environment, highly in cost and unpredictable
quantity because it is natural source. There is many research that provide nowadays to replace
the mineral oil by using the vegetables oil. Malaysia is the second place that produce palm oil,
the study of palm oil as insulating medium also are required. Palm oil have many benefit and
easy to produce without need too much guard after the planting. So, the aim of this project to
study the characteristic of palm oil that can benefit as transformer oil, compare the differences
of palm oil with respect to the mineral oil used in high power transformer, and testing the
characteristic of palm oil that same with mineral oil. Three main important experiment for this
palm oil is viscosity, breakdown voltage and aging. In conclusion, the properties of oil used in
the transformer must with low viscosity, maximum electric field strength and long aging
process.