Flashover Properties Research Articles

Mechanism exploration of ion-implanted epoxy on surface trap distribution: An approach to augment the vacuum flashover voltages

Abstract The augmentation of the epoxy (EP) resin surface to advance flashover performance has become a pivotal point of global interest. This research introduces a novel surface modification method and its mechanism for insulation materials. The research follows an electron cyclotron resonance ion implantation system to subject the surface of EP insulation to ion beams with diverse energies, i.e., 6, 10, 20, 40, 50, and 60 keV for a consistent time of 300 s at an angle of 90°. The experimental phase includes the DC flashover examination under negative polarity. Besides, the simulation phase includes the Monte Carlo model constructed using SRIM software to examine the range and distribution of bombarded ions in the targeted insulation. Results reveal that the flashover properties are affected by the surface potential, surface conductivity, trap distribution, water contact angle, and elemental composition. Likewise, based on the outcomes and theoretical point of view, it is revealed that the bombardment of energetic ions enhances the trap depth, assisting in a reduction in surface conductivity, confining the surface charge movements, and extensively suppressing the secondary electron emission yield. Also, the enhanced trap depth induces homo-charge formation near triple junctions. Synergistically, the factors contribute to high flashover voltages.

Flashover Properties of PEEK-FSR Interface of Underwater HV Electrical Connector in Extremely Hot and Humid Environment

Flashover Properties of PEEK-FSR Interface of Underwater HV Electrical Connector in Extremely Hot and Humid Environment

Guest Editorial: Polymer electrets and ferroelectrets

Guest Editorial: Polymer electrets and ferroelectrets

Improvement of breakdown and flashover properties against thermal aging of oil paper insulation through addition of TiO 2 nanoparticles

TiO2 nanoparticles can improve the electrical performance of oil paper insulation. In this study, 10 nm TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared and dispersed into transformer oil, and then immerse pressboards in it to obtain nanofluid impregnated pressboards (NP). Its thermal aging was accelerated together with the reference sample at 130°C for 36 days. Analyzing the acid value in the oil, polymerization degree, surface topography, AC breakdown strength, surface flashover characteristics and surface potential decay characteristics. It was observed that TiO2 nanoparticles can reduce the acid value and improve AC breakdown strength of oil. However, the degree of polymerization and surface appearance of NP and oil impregnated pressboards (OP) during thermal aging did not differ significantly. During the aging process, the energy level of pressboard surface traps shifted first towards the shallow and then gradually towards the deep. During all the aging stages, the surface flashover voltage of NP was always higher or close to that of OP. The mechanism of TiO2 nanoparticles improving the breakdown and surface flashover characteristics of oil–paper insulation during thermal aging is discussed from the perspective of water molecules and aging by-products adsorption and introduction of shallow traps by nanoparticles.

Effects of Ion Beam Treatment on DC Flashover Characteristics of Epoxy

The effect of ion beam treatment on surface flashover characteristics of epoxy is evaluated and explored. Epoxy samples are prepared and ion beam treatment is carried out for 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-min durations using an end-Hall ion source. Flashover test of both pristine and treated samples is conducted at negative dc voltage in air. The results indicate the effectiveness of ion beam treatment to enhance the flashover properties of epoxy. The flashover voltage of the epoxy resin increased to 21.35% after ion beam treatment for a duration of 20 min. Optical microscopic images, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, and results from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveal the change in physicochemical characteristics of epoxy resin after treatment. The obtained surface potential from the surface potential decay (SPD) test shows a faster decay rate of surface charges for treated samples than the pristine epoxy. Moreover, from the trap distribution characteristics, it is found that ion beam treatment reduces the surface trap depth, which increases the surface conductivity of the epoxy insulator and helps to promote the charge migration and transport along the insulator surface.

Collision Characteristics of Water Droplets in Icing process of Insulators

Icing on the insulators of transmission lines threats the power system security. The flashover properties of ice-covered insulators have been widely studied while there is a lack of research on the icing properties of insulators. In this paper, the collision process of supercooled water droplets on insulators is studied. Based on the boundary element method (BEM), a mathematical model of airflow and water droplet motion outside insulators is established. Taking advantage of vector calculation and array tracking, the 3D distribution of collision droplets on insulators is obtained. The results show that the droplets mainly collide with windward shed edge and steel cap of insulators. With the increase of wind velocity and median volume diameter of droplets, the number of captured droplets increases and the collision area expands from the shed edge and steel cap centre to the inner surface and two sides, leading to the increase of icing rate and icing area. Moreover, the related icing tests of insulator LXY-120 were conducted on Xuefeng Mountain, the recorded icing mass and shape are compared with the simulation results, and it is found that the model in this paper has a relative error of 13.5%.

Surface Flashover Characteristics of Epoxy Resin Composites in SF6/CF4 Gas Mixture with DC Voltage

SF6/CF4 mixture is considered a potential substitution for SF6 in gas-insulated equipment owing to the considerable insulation and low temperature characteristics of CF4. This paper concerns the substitutability of the mixture on the surface flashover property. Epoxy resin composites for solid insulators are applied since flashover at the insulator interface often occurs and results in severe damage to the safe operation of the equipment. Two kinds of electrode systems are designed to study DC flashover properties with different electric field uniformities. The obtained result shows that the flashover voltage in the 20% SF6/80% CF4 mixture achieved more than 70% of the voltage in SF6 at the same pressure. The mixture shows considerable synergy in the surface flashover process and performed different tendencies with varying gas pressures and contents under different electrode systems due to the influence of surface accumulated charge. Moreover, it is considered that surface charge due to ionization may result in a reversal phenomenon for voltage polarity with increasing pressure. The results indicate the possibility of SF6/CF4 functioning as an efficient substitution of SF6 with a considerable insulation property and improved environmental protection characteristics.

Breakdown and Flashover Properties of Cryogenic Liquid Fuel for Superconducting Energy Pipeline

The cooling of cryogenic liquid fuel in a superconducting cable is an important technical means to realize efficient energy and power transmission. However, there are only few types of cryogenic liquid fuels that can maintain the superconducting strip below the critical temperature, and little is known about the insulating properties of fuels other than liquid hydrogen. Besides, cryogenic liquid fuels are flammable and explosive, and a safe operating procedure is essential to conduct the discharge tests. Based on the trinitrotoluene equivalent method, the safety distance of the discharge test is determined, and the safety precautions are summarized in this article. Taking the molar ratio of methane to propane as 3:1, the breakdown and flashover voltages of liquefied small molecular alkanes were studied, and the test of long-time withstand voltage was also carried out. At last, the discharge parameters and waveform, as well as the surface state of the polymer after flashover in the fuel, were analyzed. The breakdown field strength of cryogenic liquid fuel is 22.9 kV/mm, and the flashover field strength is 15.9 kV/mm. The reduction of breakdown strength is not found in the test of long-time withstand voltage. Therefore, it has some advantages for the liquid fuels to directly cool the superconducting strips from the cost and electrical performance. This study aims at the superconducting energy pipeline cooling by liquefied natural gas, and it can also provide technical references for the electrical property and safety research of other fuels.

Radiation electron trajectory modulated DC surface flashover of polyimide in vacuum

Improving surface flashover voltage on vacuum-dielectric interface irradiated by electrons is a long-standing challenge for developing high-voltage and high-power spacecraft technology. The basic issue is understanding the role of radiation electrons in the process of surface flashover. In this paper, a ‘three-segment’ curve concerning the surface flashover properties under electron irradiation is discovered experimentally. As the gap distance of electrodes increase, the surface flashover voltage of polyimide during electron irradiation presents a trend of firstly increasing, then decreasing, and finally stabilizing. According to the simulation of the trajectory distribution for kinetic electrons, this trend is found to correspond with three typical stages respectively. In stage A, the kinetic electrons are completely deflected and the varying electrode parameters mainly affect the electric field distribution. In stage B, the kinetic electrons can irradiate the part of polyimide. The promoting effect of those electrons on flashover process enhance with the enlargement of the irradiated region. In stage C, trajectories are no longer seriously deflected and the role of kinetic electrons do not vary with electrode parameters. Combining with the results above, a model with combined effects of both kinetic and deposited electrons on surface flashover in vacuum is thus proposed, base on which the guidance for the methods of improving surface flashover voltage during electron irradiation is provided.

Plasma fluorination on epoxy resin surface and its effect on flashover properties

Epoxy resin is the main material of spacer in a gas insulated transmission line and other gas-insulated equipment. During long-term operation, the charge accumulates on the surface of the epoxy resin, which will distort the electric field and thus accelerate the failure of the insulation. In this paper, the surface of the epoxy resin was fluorinated by dielectric barrier discharge at different times. The surface physical, chemical, and flashover properties of the samples before and after modification were measured. The results show that the method used in this paper can graft fluorine on the surface of the sample, change the surface roughness, and make the electron trap shallower and the hole trap deeper. The appropriate modification time can reduce the charge accumulation on the surface, hinder the formation of flashover channels, and improve the surface flashover voltage, showing potential for use in the improvement of the insulating performance of insulating materials.

Enhancing flashover performance of alumina/epoxy spacers by adaptive surface charge regulation using graded conductivity coating

Surface flashover properties of alumina/epoxy spacers, involving a surface charge accumulation process, are critical for the safe and reliable operation of a high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) gas-insulated transmission line (GIL). This study reports surface charging behavior and flashover performance of alumina/epoxy spacers with different surface conductivity graded coating (SCGC) schemes in SF6/N2 mixtures under DC stress. Four kinds of SCGC schemes, i.e. localized coating near high voltage (HV-coating), near grounded electrode (GND-coating), at the middle of spacer surface (SPM-coating) and near both high voltage and grounded electrode (HV-GND-coating), are designed by partially spraying SiC/epoxy composites on the spacer surface. Surface charge distribution patterns exhibit varied features with different SCGC schemes. The HV-coating and GND-coating schemes lead to aggravated homo-charge and hetero-charge accumulation respectively, whereas in the SPM-coating scheme surface charge shows a multi-tier distribution pattern with alternating polarity. A transition of the dominant surface charge mechanism from bulk conductivity to surface conductivity with increasing conductivity on the coated area is found. Flashover performance differs a lot with different SCGC schemes: the HV-coating and HV-GND-coating schemes increase the flashover voltage while the SPM-coating and GND-coating schemes degrade it. The optimal surface insulation strength is achieved in the HV-coating scheme with a coating width of about 10 mm. The impact of different SCGC schemes on flashover performance is revealed based on the electric field analysis by considering the effect of surface charges.

A Study of Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Resin Insulating Materials under Low Temperature

Epoxy resin insulating materials have been extensively applied to main power transmission and transformation equipment. As the use environment of power transmission and transformation equipment becomes increasingly harsh, the reliability requirement of power grids for equipment is becoming higher and higher. It’s very necessary to master electrical and mechanical properties of low-temperature epoxy resin insulating materials. Dielectric properties, power-frequency breakdown properties, power-frequency flashover properties and mechanical properties of epoxy resin insulating materials under low temperature were investigated in this paper. The study results indicate that as the temperature declines, dielectric properties of epoxy resin composite materials are slightly degraded. After the temperature drops to below -40°C, dielectric properties start being gradually recovered to the state under normal temperature; AC breakdown, AC flashover and tensile properties of the materials are gradually improved as the temperature decreases.

Effects of metal particle material on surface flashover performance of alumina-filled epoxy resin spacers in SF6/N2 mixtures under DC voltage

When metal particle is attached on spacer surface, it will distort surface electric field and may reduce surface insulation level. Therefore, it is important to research the relationship between metal particle attachment and surface flashover property. In this study, the effect of metal particle materials on surface flashover performance of alumina-filled epoxy resin spacers in SF6/N2 mixtures is investigated. Three kinds of metal particle materials including copper, iron and aluminum are considered. The results reveal that, at low gas pressure or low surface electric field, the material of metal particle has no obvious effect on flashover voltage. At high gas pressure and high surface electric field, the flashover voltage is almost the same when the iron or aluminum particle is attached, which is lower than that with copper particle attached. It is revealed that at high pressure and high electric field, metal powders and vapor of micron size can be generated from the attached metal particle surface by electric field forces and Joule Heating Effect, which may be responsible for the difference in flashover voltage for different metal particle materials.

AC Surface Flashover and Gas Generation Difference of the Cellulose Insulation Pressboard Immersed in Novel 3-Element Mixed Oil and Mineral Oil

Surface flashover fault is one of the most challenge issues in oil-cellulose insulation pressboard system used in power transformer. In this study, a comparative study of the AC surface flashover properties of the novel 3-element mixed oil-cellulose insulation pressboard (3EMO-IP) and mineral oil-cellulose insulation pressboard (MO-IP) was performed under needle-plate and finger-finger electrode, respectively, measurement including dielectric property, surface flashover voltage, damage of cellulose pressboard surface and the gas generation behaviors after multiple surface flashover. Results show that the cellulose insulation pressboard immersed in the novel 3-element mixed insulation oil (3EMO) has higher relative permittivity and dielectric loss factor at 50 Hz, and also has slightly lower surface resistivity. The AC surface flashover voltage of the 3EMO-IP is higher than that of MO-IP under needle-plate and finger-finger electrode (electrode distance 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm and 20 mm). Compared to MO-IP, the lower electric field intensity at the oil-pressboard interface, as well as more difficult for surface charge accumulation of 3EMO-IP and the higher breakdown voltage of 3EMO lead to the higher AC surface flashover voltage of 3EMO-IP. Moreover, the carbonization of fibers in 3EMO-IP is slightly less. After multiple surface flashover, C2H2 and total hydrocarbon gases are the main differences between 3EMO-IP and MO-IP, which is more marked with the increase of flashover times. This study offers a reference for improving the surface flashover property of oil-pressboard insulation system by using 3EMO.

Influence of TiO2 nanoparticle size on creeping flashover property of transformer oil-impregnated pressboards

Nanoparticles have exhibited great potential in improving insulating property of liquid and solid dielectrics. To explore their modification mechanism on transformer oil-impregnated pressboards, TiO2 nanoparticles with different diameters of 5nm, 10nm, and 15nm were synthesized and used to prepare transformer oil-based nanofluids. The creeping flashover characteristics of both pure oil-impregnated paperboards (OPs) and nanofluid-impregnated pressboards (NPs) were examined under lightning impulse and AC voltages. It was found that the creeping flashover property of NPs is significantly improved with the decreasing of nanoparticle size. Especially, it is enhanced by 2.44 times under positive lighting impulse as nanoparticle size reduced from 15 nm to 5 nm. The results of space charge decay and trap characteristics reveal the decrease of nanoparticle size can lower trap depth and greatly enhance the space charge dissipation rate, leading to more uniform electric field distribution at the interface between nanofluid and pressboards and higher creeping flashover property.

Ion-Implantation Modification of Surface Flashover Properties in Vacuum of Polytetrafluoroethylene

Surface modification of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is performed by nitrogen ion implantation for improving the PTFE surface flashover voltage in vacuum. In this paper, nitrogen ions are produced by an electron cyclotron resonance ion source. The properties of the samples are investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electrometer, microhardness tester, surface potential measurement, and surface flashover system. The Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter software is used to simulate the ion implantation. Experimental results show that the surface flashover voltage of treated samples improves remarkably and increases with the injection energy. After ion implantation, the content of fluorine in the treated samples decreases, and the content of oxygen increases. The surface conductivity increases from $1.15\times 10^{{-15}}$ to 1.36 10−13 S/m, the surface potential decreases faster, and the trap density and energy increase with the implantation energy. The process of electron avalanche and the accumulation of surface charges have been suppressed, thus hindering the development of flashover and improving the surface flashover voltage.

The influence of surface charge accumulation on flashover voltage of GIS/GIL basin insulator under various voltage stresses

Under AC, DC and switching impulse voltages, the surface charges accumulated on the basin insulators of Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) or Gas Insulated Metal Enclosed Transmission Line (GIL) could distort local electric field and even reduce the surface flashover voltage. In order to quantitatively measure the influence of surface charge accumulation on flashover voltage of insulator in actual GIS/GIL apparatus, a high-precision 3D surface charge measurement platform and a reasonable model were established for flashover tests in reference to the insulation design and flashover properties of actual 220 kV GIS basin insulator. The surface charge accumulation dynamics and corresponding flashover voltages of the built models under different conditions were captured and analyzed. The results indicate that, as the density of accumulated surface charges increases under either AC, DC or switching impulse voltage application, the surface flashover voltage would decrease from 62.1 kV to 55.7 kV, namely a margin of 10.3% under AC voltage application. In the context of DC voltage, there appears a 22.8% flashover voltage drop, from 61.0 kV to 47.1 kV. While for the case of switching impulse voltage, the charge accumulation reduced the flashover voltage to 52.9 kV with a 13.6% decline from 61.2 kV. Based on the simulation and theoretical calculations, the ‘enhanced electric field zone’ was identified to justify the influencing mechanism of surface charges on flashover voltage. The research results could contribute to optimal insulation design and fault diagnosis of basin insulator in GIS/GIL.

Surface flashover properties of epoxy based nanocomposites containing functionalized nano-TiO2

Surface flashover properties should meet stringent requirements for the use in electrical equipment under high voltage DC environments. With the aim of enhancing surface flashover properties and understanding the mechanisms involved at ambient conditions, epoxy nanocomposites with different weight proportions of nano-TiO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> were prepared. A silane coupling agent was selected to functionalize the TiO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> , the effect of which on nanoparticles dispersion and distribution was perused through scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. DC surface flashover measurements in five normally used ambient conditions (N <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> , air, CO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> , SF <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">6</sub> and vacuum) were conducted and results were analyzed relating to loading content, gas parameters, surface trap parameters as well as electrical conductivity of nanocomposites. Outcomes indicate that with low content of nanoparticles, the density of deep traps was increased, showing a positive effect on inhibiting surface flashover. When the nanoparticle content is higher than 1 wt%, the overlapped transitional region reduced the energy level of traps, resulting in a poor display of surface flashover voltages. It was found that the nanoparticle content had a greater influence on surface flashover in vacuum. Electron negativity, ionization coefficient and mean free path of gases were taken into account to explain why surface flashover in SF <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">6</sub> appeared to be the highest, whereas in N <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> , it was the lowest. At last, effects of gas-solid interactions on surface flashover combining surface-trap characteristics, secondary electron-emission contributions and gas molecule impact-ionization characteristics were analyzed.

The Effect of a Vertical Electric Field on the Surface Flashover Characteristics of a Bushing Model

High-voltage bushings play a crucial role in energy conveyance. Their specialized electric structure makes the bushing more vulnerable to surface discharge. However, the influence of a vertical electric field on the surface flashover of bushing structures remains unclear. To investigate this mechanism, four simplified bushing samples were built and the influence of pollution, leakage length, and the electric field component vertical to the dielectric surface on flashover properties of the bushing samples were tested. It was found that the surface pollution level was the decisive factor that influenced flashover voltage. When the leakage length and form factor were the same, the pollution flashover of the bushing structure was lower than that of the post structure. It was also found that increasing the leakage length was not very effective in improving the flashover voltage of bushings when the equivalent salt deposit density (ESDD) was high. No obvious correlation was found between pollution flashover voltage and electric field stress. Furthermore, the uneven wetting flashover performance of the bushings was tested. Under this condition, the flashover voltage decreased with an increase of the electric field component vertical to the dielectric surface. In addition, the electric field distribution of the samples was calculated and the results were in accordance with the experimental results.

Influence of Field Spacer Geometry on the Performance of a High Voltage Coaxial Type Transmission Line with Solid Dielectric Spacer in Vacuum

With the development of more powerful high power electromagnetic sources, the transmission of high voltage power particularly between pulsed power systems to huge power rated microwave sources in absence of electrical breakdown and pulse distortion has begun to become a vital issue. A high voltage coaxial type transmission line with 500 kV peak voltage in vacuum is proposed. A novel proposal of configuration bearing a positive angle of 45o with socket-type filed shaper is being discussed in this paper in a manner to improve surface flashover properties and also to decrease the distortion seen in the pulse shape. This type of transmission line provides high capability of hold off voltage. The electric field distribution of the coaxial geometry with different field shaper configurations and different spacer parameters are also investigated using COMSOL software.