Investigation of High Voltage Polymeric Insulators Performance under Wet Pollution

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Polymeric insulators are vital in high-voltage power systems.
• Contamination and environmental factors (rain, fog) significantly impact insulator performance.
• Accurate electric field analysis is essential for preventing flashovers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for calculating electric field distribution on contaminated polymeric insulators.
• To investigate the influence of different insulator geometries on electric field enhancement.
• To establish a nonlinear, field-dependent conductivity model for pollution layers.

Main Methods:

• Measurements of leakage current (LC) on polluted insulators under laboratory conditions.
• Utilizing the finite element method (FEM) for electric field (EF) and current density computation.
• Characterizing pollution layer conductance to establish field-dependent conductivity.

Main Results:

• Electric field magnitudes increased significantly under high rain (up to 4.5 kV/cm) and fog conditions.
• Insulators with alternating sheds exhibited higher electric fields compared to those with similar sheds.
• The proposed modeling accurately estimated field conditions, crucial for predicting flashover.

Conclusions:

• The developed electrical characteristic-based approach effectively models electric field distribution on contaminated polymeric insulators.
• Understanding electric field enhancement in different geometries is key to designing more robust insulators.
• This research provides critical insights for preventing dry band formation and flashover, enhancing power system safety and reliability.