Research on the long-time operation performance of composite insulator shed hydrophobicity under hydrothermal conditions

• Main Authors: Li Cheng, Shanfeng Shao, Sida Zhang, Ruijin Liao, Lijun Yang, Chenjun Guo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2018-03-01
• Series: High Voltage
• Subjects: composite insulators; hydrophobicity; flashover; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; scanning electron microscopy; long-time operation performance; composite insulator; hydrothermal condition; antipollution flashover performance; transmission lines; insulator sheath hydrophobicity; long-term operation condition; running environment; hydrophobic fluctuations; surface energy tests; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy tests; superficial layer materials; two-droplet method; material physical properties; chemical properties; operation time; surface microstructure; laser scanning confocal microscopy; surface energy; surface topography; material hydrophobic variation
• Online Access: https://digital-library.theiet.org/content/journals/10.1049/hve.2017.0117

Due to excellent anti-pollution flashover performance, a composite insulator has become the most frequently and widely used insulator product in transmission lines. Sheath hydrophobicity is the core factor that determines the anti-pollution flashover performance of the composite insulator. To study the change rule of insulator sheath hydrophobicity under the long-term operation condition, more than 390 samples produced by the same manufacturer that had operated for 3–22 years were extracted from the adjacent lines to eliminate the impact of the running environment and manufacturer formula. To study the reasons for hydrophobic fluctuations, surface energy tests and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy tests were conducted on the superficial layer materials based on a two-droplet method. The change rule of the material physical and chemical properties with operation time was obtained. Next, the relationship between the surface microstructure of the material and operation time was determined by laser scanning confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Finally, based on the analysis results of surface energy and surface topography, the physical model of shed material hydrophobic variation in the operation process was obtained.