Do’s and Don’ts for bioTransol HF Natural Ester Fluid for Transformers

bioTransol HF natural ester is an advanced insulating liquid made by M/S Savita Polymers Ltd, India
for use in transformers as a superior alternative to conventional mineral oils. Made from natural
substances like soyabean, natural esters are environment friendly, almost fire proof and have great
electrical insulation properties.

The bioTransol natural ester due to different properties demands different handling precautions.

Dos

1. It must be stored in the original drums/ totes or dedicated storage tanks to prevent
exposure to air borne moisture and oxygen.
2. The storage tanks designed for natural ester should not be of free breathing type. The
storage tanks should be equipped with vacuum system and adequately designed to
withstand vacuum. Such tanks must be suitably insulated to maintain temperature of the
fluid.
3. A nitrogen cushion/ blanket can also be provided to prevent contact with ambient
atmosphere.
4. It is preferable to store natural esters indoors, away from direct sunlight and rains and at
temperatures above 10oC. The drums should be kept horizontal, with their bungs are below
the fluid level.
5. The totes can be stacked to store however, they should not be transported in stacked
condition while moving with forklifts/ stackers etc.
6. If it is stored under cold conditions, it is necessary to heat the drums/ totes/ storage tanks to
reduce the viscosity. Suitable ovens/ heating systems must be employed for this purpose.
7. Complete oil handling system – storage tanks, Pipe lines, Filter machines, valve stations etc if
being used for mineral oil, should be thoroughly cleaned to prevent adulteration of Natrual
Ester with mineral oil. Reasonable amount of Natural ester oil should be used to flush the
system.
8. If centrifugal pumps are to be used for handling, pump manufacturer must be consulted to
select appropriate size suitable to high viscosity of natural esters. Alternatively, positive
displacement pumps can also be used.
9. The Natural Ester used for flushing can be stored in air tight containers and be re-used for
same purpose for 3 to 4 times.
10. Any spillage of natural ester on surfaces like transformer tanks, floor etc must be wiped off
immediately. If left unattended, it forms a hard film making it difficult to clean off.
11. It is recommended to raise the temperature of natural esters close to that of transformer
coils by pre-heating before filling in to the transformers.
12. The pipe lines and complete handling system should be suitably labelled/ colour coded to
clearly distinguish it from mineral oil handling and storage system.
13. Impurities in form of particles remain suspended in natural esters due to their higher
viscosity. It is recommended to use 0.5 micron particulate filters to remove all such foreign
particles and contaminants.
14. It is recommended to filter natural ester at the time of first filling of the transformers.
15. The filling, for best results should be carried out under vacuum. The fluid should be filled
from bottom filling valve of the transformers to avoid trapping of air in the cavities.
16. The rate of impregnation of solid insulation in natural ester fluids is much slower than
mineral oil. Sufficient settling time must be allowed before testing the transformers.
 17. To clean hard films formed due to polymerization, cleaning agents like S-34 Nuclear Grade
Aqueous cleaners are recommended.

Don’ts:

1. Natural Esters are hygroscopic and have high affinity to oxygen. Undue exposure to air must
be avoided while handling the natural esters.
2. Oil handling pipe lines should be free from metallic flexible couplings/ hoses/ pipes. Instead
oil resistant flexible rubber/ PVC pipes can be used.
3. Although natural ester and mineral oil are 100% miscible, advantages of natural ester get
lost with higher proportion of mineral oil into it. Adulteration of Natural ester fluids with
mineral oil should not be more than 7% in order to retain its superior properties.
4. For heating the fluid immersion heaters or any other direct heating system should not be
used.
5. Gravity filling or filling under atmospheric pressure from top must be avoided.
6. The items like coils, bushings tap switches etc impregnated with ester fluids must not be
exposed to air for longer duration. Thin films of natural ester polymerize very fast.
7. For drying out of natural impregnated transformer assemblies, hot air drying should not be
used. Instead, circulation of hot natural ester fluid or vapour phase drying must be used.