Study on the Ultimate Load Failure Mechanism and Structural Optimization Design of Insulators

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• High-voltage transmission line insulators are critical for grid stability.
• Understanding failure mechanisms under ultimate loads is essential for operational safety and productivity.
• Existing research often lacks detailed analysis of stress distribution and material failure points.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate insulator failure mechanisms under ultimate load conditions.
• To enhance the operational safety and productivity of high-voltage transmission line insulators.
• To develop and validate a simulation model for predicting insulator behavior under stress.

Main Methods:

• Conducted destructive tests on insulators under ultimate loads.
• Utilized high-speed photography to capture failure processes and strain data.
• Developed a simulation model and validated it with material strength tests (bending and tensile).
• Performed optimization analysis on design parameters P1 and P2.

Main Results:

• Simulation identified maximum principal stress in the porcelain shell, indicating failure due to bending strength.
• Material tests validated simulation accuracy with a 5.6% variation in bending strength.
• Optimized design parameters (P1=8°, P2=90.062 mm) reduced principal stress by 47.6% and Von Mises stress by 31.6%.

Conclusions:

• Insulator failure is linked to the bending strength of the porcelain shell.
• The developed simulation model accurately predicts insulator performance under ultimate loads.
• Design parameter optimization significantly improves insulator load-bearing capacity and safety.