Performance of De-Energized Polymeric Insulating Material under Various Environment Stresses

Abstract

Outdoor electrical insulators form an important link in an electric power system. Along with the traditional insulators like glass and porcelain, presently the polymeric insulators are also used world widely. These polymeric insulating materials are very sensitive to various environmental parameters such temperature, raining, pollution, UV-radiations and icing etc. which seriously effect their electrical, chemical and hydrophobic properties. This paper shows a dynamic change of hydrophobicity on the surface of polymeric insulator under different environmental and contamination stresses. The hydrophobicity decrease of polymeric insulating surface due to rain and icing, hydrophobicity transfer status though different pollution layers and hydrophobicity recovery at different temperatures, humidity and wind speed are carried out in this paper. The hydrophobic characteristics are studied by measuring static contact angle on the surface on polymeric insulating material.