Electroconvective purification of dielectric liquids

Transformer oil (TO) containing considerable amounts of suspended carbonaceous particles, water, and gases can be effectively purified by means of turbulent electroconvection, which is induced in the dielectric liquid under the action of ponderomotive forces arising in an inhomogeneous alternating electric field. A simple device has been designed and constructed that is capable of purifying considerable volumes of used TO at low energy consumption. A two-stage electroconvective treatment led to an increase in the breakdown voltage of a dielectric liquid from 70 to 215 kV/cm.