Hydrophobicity and leakage current statistics of polymeric insulators long-term exposed to coastal contamination

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:524638

Soerqvist, T; Vlastos, A E ^[1]

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1. Chalmers Univ. of Tech., Gothenburg (Sweden). Dept. of High Voltage Engineering

The hydrophobicity of polymeric insulators is crucial for their performance. This paper reports the hydrophobicity and the peak leakage current statistics of one porcelain, two ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) and four silicone rubber (SIR) commercially available insulators. The insulators have been energized with 130 kV rms phase-to-ground AC voltage under identical outdoor conditions for more than seven years. The results presented show that under wet and polluted conditions the hydrophilic EPDM rubber insulators develop high leakage currents and substantial arcing. During a typical salt-storm the arcing amplitude of the EPDM rubber insulators is at least twice as high as that of the porcelain insulator. The SIR insulators, on the other hand, preserve a high degree of hydrophobicity after more than seven years in service and maintain very low leakage currents. However, the results show that during heavy salt contaminated conditions a highly stressed SIR insulator can temporarily lose its hydrophobicity and thereby develop considerable surface arcing.

• OSTI ID: 524638
• Report Number(s): CONF-960614--; ISBN 0-7803-3531-7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRICAL INSULATORS
ETHYLENE PROPYLENE DIENE POLYMERS
LEAKAGE CURRENT
PORCELAIN
SALTS
SILICONES
SURFACE CONTAMINATION
WETTABILITY