Physical mechanism of electrode coatings to suppress wire particle’s firefly motion under DC stress and selecting criterion for in situ applications

Abstract

Abstract The Wire metal particles in gas-insulated equipment such as GIS (Gas-Insulated Substation) and GIL (Gas-Insulated transmission lines) under DC stress present a special firefly motion behaviour, namely a long-term levitation on the surface of conductors. However, the electrode coating, as a key device available to suppress the movement of particles, lacks of a theoretical basis as well as an effective selecting criterion to suppress wire particle’s firefly. In this paper, a test platform is established to obtain the charge dynamics and ionic wind characteristics of the wire particles on the coated electrodes. Experimental results illustrate that, the polarity alternation of wire particle charge due to the space charge accumulation near the wire particles as well as the ionic wind generated by the wire particles, is the key impact factor upon firefly motion. The coated electrodes will reduce the surface conduction current and thereby suppress the particle corona discharge, consequently suppressing the firefly motion by limiting the charge acquisition and ionic wind speed of the wire particles. Based on the above research, a selecting criterion of electrode coating material is further proposed. Electrode coatings is primarily expected to increase the corona onset voltage of the wire particles on the coating surface, so as to lower the ionic wind at the end of the particles less than 1 m s−1. Regarding the high voltage conductor, the coating material with relatively large conductivity is recommended, while for the grounded enclosure, the coating material with smaller conductivity is preferable as to constrain the particles adhere to the enclosure, thereby preventing the firefly motion of wire particle. Both the clarified physical mechanism and the proposed selecting criterion of electrode coating presents theoretical and quantitative guidance for DC GIL design from a specific point of view in suppressing the firefly motion.