Application of unusual techniques for characterizing ageing on polymeric electrical insulation

• Published in: Electric power systems research Vol. 117; pp. 202 - 209
• Main Authors: Saldivar-Guerrero, R., Hernández-Corona, R., Lopez-Gonzalez, F.A., Rejón-García, L., Romero-Baizabal, V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-12-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aging; Applied sciences; Arcs, sparks, lightning; Connection and protection apparatus; Electric discharges; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical insulation; Electrical power engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Microstructure characterization; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Polymeric housing insulation; Power networks and lines; Replica technique; SEM; Substations; Aging; Microstructure characterization; SEM; Electrical insulation; Replica technique; Polymeric housing insulation; Surge diverter; Substation; Meteorological phenomenon; Electric stress; Ageing; Contact angle; Housing; Roughness measurement; Degradation; Lightning discharge; Angular measurement; Non destructive method; Static conditions; Microstructure; Ceramic materials; Damaging
• ISSN: 0378-7796; 1873-2046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.epsr.2014.08.019

•Advantage of some nondestructive techniques to characterize non ceramic electrical insulation in laboratory and in field is taken.•For the polymer microstructure analysis, the replica technique is adapted to non-ceramic insulation, which has shown to be appropriate to follow up structural changes of the housing materials.•Microstructural and surface changes of rubber insulating materials due to aging were studied by static contact angle, roughness measurements and micrograph observation.•Hydrophobicity and structure replication can be used to predict end of life of non-ceramic housing material when results are correlated to accelerated aging tests.
The degradation process caused by electrical stresses and weather conditions on electrical non-ceramic insulation was analyzed with non-destructive techniques. Traditional replica technique was introduced as a novel method to characterize microstructure changes on polymeric insulation. Static contact angle and roughness measurements were also used to characterize non-ceramic insulation. These non-conventional techniques have shown to be appropriate for evaluating aging on electrical insulation surfaces of bushings and surge arresters installed in electrical substations. The replica technique has drawn attention for being an innovative analysis test for characterizing polymeric insulation.