Jatropha Curcas oil for distribution transformer-A comparative review

Presently the insulation used in the majority of electric utility transformers generally consists of cellulose materials impregnated with mineral oil. But, conventional mineral oil has long been recognized as hazardous to the environment and also being derived from crude oil - a non-renewable source, and hence, over the last few decades, insulating oil from a renewable source has been researched due to their high environmental and fire safety features. However, vegetable insulating oils are still 2-3 times more expensive, and therefore, new vegetable oils not used so far in transformers have also been experimented with by some researchers. Jatropha Curcas oil is one such example. The plant of Jatropha Curcas is extensively spread all over the tropical and subtropical countries and adapted to harsh environmental conditions. In this paper, a comparative review of Jatropha Curcas-based insulating oil has been presented based on the experimental results from the previous studies, perspective on the current status and future development needs are discussed.