Insulating oil is widely used in high-voltage electrical equipment such as transformers, oil circuit breakers, oil filled cables, power capacitors, and bushings. Its functions are as follows:
1. Insulation effect. Immerse and protect solid insulation such as transformers, cables, capacitors, etc., fill the insulation with bubbles to prevent air or moisture from entering and ensure reliable insulation.
2. Cooling effect. It can provide good cooling for electrical equipment such as transformers.
3. Arc extinguishing effect. The insulating oil in oil circuit breakers not only has insulation function, but also has arc extinguishing function, which enables the circuit breaker to quickly and reliably cut off the arc.
During operation, insulation materials such as SF6 gas and insulating oil will gradually change in performance due to the effects of high humidity, high temperature, sunlight, strong electric fields, and impurities of oxygen, resulting in their inability to fully exert their insulation function. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct regular tests on insulation materials to determine whether their performance has deteriorated.