Investigation of Surface Degradation of Aged High Temperature Vulcanized (HTV) Silicone Rubber Insulators

Mohamed Ghouse Shaik and Vijayarekha Karuppaiyan
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Mohamed Ghouse Shaik: Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Shanmuga Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA) Deemed University, Thanjavur 613403, India
Vijayarekha Karuppaiyan: Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Shanmuga Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA) Deemed University, Thanjavur 613403, India

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 19, 1-16

Abstract: Polymeric composite insulators are subjected to varying work conditions like rain and heat, which create an impact on degradation during their long service period. Electrical tracking under the Alternating Current (AC) field plays a predominant role in surface degradation, which can be different for fresh and aged insulations. The tracking studies on the fresh and aged polymeric insulation therefore become significant. Motivated by this, an indigenous low-cost electrical tracking setup was developed, and the tracking studies were carried out as per International Electro technical Commission standard (IEC) 60587 on fresh, thermal-aged and water-aged silicone rubber samples. Contact angles of samples were measured to analyse the effect of ageing on hydrophobicity. Further, to analyse the influence of ageing on insulation integrity, tracking tests were conducted and parameters like leakage current pattern and magnitudes, tracking length and loss of weight in the material due to tracking were examined. The physicochemical impacts of ageing on the surface degradation of the samples were also analysed using X-ray diffraction analysis and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis. The investigations added insight into the degradation mechanism of polymeric insulators in terms of their electrical performance and physicochemical changes in the material. Comparison of these changes showed that ageing could influence surface degradation of samples.

Keywords: tracking; ageing; hydrophobicity; leakage current; dry band arcing; degradation; polymeric insulation; tracking test setup (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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