what is the purpose of using transformer oil in a transformer?

Question

what is the need of it? how many types are there?

Answer 1

Its functions are to insulate, suppress corona and arcing, and to serve as a coolant.

Answer 2

To cool the transformer, but is really is not that simple. Air is often used to keep transformers cool at lower voltages, because it is simple and cheap. But as you increase in voltage, air can ionize and allow sparks to form, degrading the transformer. So oil has what is called a large dielectric constant, it has a much higher electric resistance than air does, reducing or eliminating spark formation. As a liquid, it can be also pumped though a heat exchanger so the oil can discard the heat from the transformer.

Answer 3

Transformer oil is usually a highly-refined mineral oil that is stable at high temperatures and has excellent electrical insulating properties. It is used in oil-filled transformers, some types of high voltage capacitors, fluorescent lamp ballasts, and some types of high voltage switches and circuit breakers.

Its functions are to insulate, suppress corona and arcing, and to serve as a coolant.
The oil helps cools the transformer. Because it also provides part of the electrical insulation between internal live parts, it must remain stable at high temperatures over an extended period. To improve cooling of large power transformers, the oil-filled tank may have radiators through which the oil circulates by natural convection. Very large or high-power transformers (with capacities of millions of watts) may have cooling fans, oil pumps and even oil-to-water heat exchangers.

Today, nontoxic, stable silicone-based or fluorinated hydrocarbons may be used, where the added expense of a fire-resistant liquid offsets additional building cost for a transformer vault. Other less-flammable fluids such as canola oil may be used, but all fire-resistant fluids have various drawbacks in performance, cost, or toxicity compared with mineral oil.

Answer 4

The oil in transformers is used to insulate components inside against the electricity.
It also helps cool the unit itself as it does get very hot.

The oils used in them used to be toxic but these days they are using a more synthetic product.

I saw one explode across from my shop once and the lineman explained how it happened and how it actually works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformer_oil

Answer 5

transformer oil is for insulation as well as cooling.