Abstract
In this paper, the influence of superhydrophobicity on the surface damage of silicone rubber is studied. On a common silicone rubber surface, a droplet can become elongated, and arc discharge induced by the droplet can cause tracking on the silicone rubber surface. However, for a superhydrophobic silicone rubber surface, a droplet can leave the silicone rubber due to the low adhesion of the superhydrophobic surface. Accordingly, arc discharge caused by the droplet does not occur, and the surface of the silicone rubber is not affected. Results demonstrate that using a superhydrophobic surface has a significant effect on limiting the surface damage of silicone rubber.
Highlights
Silicone rubber composite insulators are widely used in power systems.[1,2] Compared with glass and porcelain insulators, silicone rubber can deter leakage current and flashover due to the hydrophobicity of the material.[3]
Because water droplets are present on composite insulators in a humid environment, leakage current can increase, resulting in arc discharge on the insulators.[8,9,10,11,12]
Arc discharge occurred on the surface at 3.899 kV (Fig. 4(b)) and caused the droplet to bridge the
Summary
Silicone rubber composite insulators are widely used in power systems.[1,2] Compared with glass and porcelain insulators, silicone rubber can deter leakage current and flashover due to the hydrophobicity of the material.[3].
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