Study of the Electrical Conductivity and EHD Flows of Weakly Concentrated Solution of Transformer Oil with an Electron-Acceptor Impurity (Iodine)

The results of experimental and theoretical studies of the electrical conductivity of weakly concentrated solutions of liquid dielectrics (LDs) with a chemically active impurity and associated electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flows are presented. The studies are carried out on the basis of a multi-ion model of electrical conductivity, which makes it possible to adequately describe both the dissociation–recombination interactions of ions and the electrochemical injection of ions from the electrode surface. It is shown that the recombination processes in the volume of the LD lead to a slow disappearance of the space charge with a characteristic time of hours and days, which does not allow for significantly reducing the distribution of the space charge in the LD that reduces the intensity of EHD flows. Numerical calculations based on the obtained theoretical and experimental data on the electrical conductivity were carried out, and they confirmed the results of observations concerning the development and structure of EHD flows and current characteristics.