Due to the low biodegradability of mineral oil, intense research is conducted to define alternative liquids with comparable dielectric properties. Natural ester liquids are an alternative in focus; they are used increasingly as insulating liquid in distribution and power transformers. The main advantages of natural ester liquids compared to mineral oil are their good biodegradability and mainly high flash and fire points providing better fire safety. The dielectric strength of natural ester liquids is comparable to conventional mineral oil for homogeneous field arrangements. However, many studies showed a reduced dielectric strength for highly inhomogeneous field arrangements. This study investigates at which degree of inhomogeneity differences in breakdown voltage between the two insulating liquids occur. Investigations use lightning impulses with different electrode arrangements representing different field inhomogeneity factors and different gap distances. To ensure comparisons with existing transformer geometries, investigations are application-oriented using a transformer conductor model, which is compared to other studies. Results show significant differences in breakdown voltage from an inhomogeneity factor of 0.1 (highly inhomogeneous field) depending on the gap distance. Larger electrode gaps provide a larger inhomogeneity at which differences in breakdown voltages occur.

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