18-07-2011, 11:27 AM
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ABSTRACT
Nanotechnology is one of the fastest growing fields in
research and technology. The main interest of
nanotechnology is not electrical power engineering but
there were a lot of possible applications to improve
electrical, mechanical, thermal or chemical properties of
electric power equipment. Often the economic aspect is
pointed out, but also a higher efficiency or a reduction of
losses predicts this new technology a successful appearance
in power engineering.
In this paper the state of the art in nanotechnology, the
possibilities and applications in electric power engineering
were investigated. On the one hand new materials for
conductors and on the other hand new insulants and
coatings for insulators were taken into account. The aim for
high voltage insulation systems were to extend the lifetime,
to optimize the life cycle costs, to reduce the maintenance
expenses, to decrease the size or weight and to increase the
efficiency.
As an example of a practical application of nanotechnology
the results of a test series with nano-coated porcelain
insulators were presented. The nano-coating was applied
on the ceramic surface and the long term stability was
tested under a thermal and humid cycling procedure in a
climate chamber and under natural conditions. As objective
criterion for the long term stability the contact angle was
observed by optical measurements in defined time intervals.
The evaluations of the first test results look very successful,
the contact angles of the coated insulators were constantly
higher for more than 30 degrees over the whole test period.
NANOTECHNOLOGY IN ELECTRICAL POWER ENGINEERING
In wide areas of research and applied science
nanotechnology is already present and the immediate
connection can clearly be assumed. Just to name two
applications medics and biomedical engineers develop
nanoparticles for tumor markers, physicists and electronic
engineers use nanotechnology for semiconductors to
develop the super computer. From this point of view it
sounds like a contradiction nanotechnology and power
engineering, but what does nanotechnology have to do in
electrical engineering? Power engineering where Megawatt
of Power and thousands of Volts have the formative
influence on the daily business, where does a technology of
miniaturization of elements find its place in between? There
were several prospects for application in power engineering,
let me list some examples:
• Improvement of metallic conductors (reduction of
losses)
• Improvements of insulators (raising of electrical
insulation, mechanical stability, thermal load
behaviour, chemical resistance)
• Miniaturizing of design, reduction of used
material, higher reliability
• Improvement of electromagnetic compatibility
(EMV)
• Long-term improvement of efficiency and
elongation of life time period
Al of these ideas can not be put into reality within days or
months, it will take a middle-term to long-term period from
the idea to research work, over first prototypes and to
industrial production and the application by the consumers.
Some researchers and groups were investigating intensive
on the break through of nanotechnology for power
application. A high state of expectation affords the
reduction of ohmic losses at metallic conductors using
Carbon Nano Tubes (CNT). In [1] a concept for creating a
future ultra-low-resistivity material based on a carbon
nanotube metal composite was presented. In a simple
effective-medium model it was shown that a roomtemperature
resistivity 50% lower than Cu is achievable.
Figure 1 illustrates the calculated resistivity in a composite
of copper and CNT.
