nanoPOWER

Project description

NanoPOWER is part of a state-funded IOP-EMVT project in cooperation with industrial companies, aiming at the design, assessment and implementation of new solid dielectric materials with improved thermal and electrical properties of existing insulation components. The main goal of this project is to deeply understand the mechanisms, which determine and dictate the behavior of polymer composites. The research includes the development of nano- and micro-composites based on epoxy to investigate their thermal and electrical properties. Also, the effect of particle dispersion and distribution in the polymer matrix will be investigated as it is considered one of the most important parameters in the performance of polymer composites. At the same time, modelling of the thermal conductivity and dielectric response of nanocomposites is expected to provide a useful insight into their behavior. Finally, based on the experimental results, a prototype will be developed to investigate the potential advantages of polymer composites in a real application. 

This application has been chosen to be coatings for gas insulated switchgears (GIS). On one hand, the experimental work is expected to give us the opportunity to compare all produced nanocomposites. The differences between the nanocomposites are chosen in such a way to provide us with valuable information about the crucial role of the interaction between fillers and matrix and particle dispersion and distribution. On the other hand, correlations between the experimental work and models are expected to give us a more clear view about the way and extent to which polymer matrix is being affected by the presence of different types of fillers.