Large-scale numerical electrostatic analysis for performance evaluation of insulators with accreted icicles

Abstract

This paper describes a method for evaluating the performance of electrical insulators exposed to winter environments using a large-scale numerical electrostatic analysis. Generally speaking, it is acknowledged that the presence of saltwater or accreted saline ice will degrade the ability of insulators to prevent electrical conduction. In our study, we began by confirming the insulation efficiency of insulators by conducting 50% impulse flashover voltage tests. Next, in order to study the performance of our evaluation method, the insulators were modeled via a parallel electrostatic analysis based on the hierarchical domain decomposition method. The mechanism for the deterioration of the insulation performance was clarified with the proposed method.