Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Insulator pollution flashover is a serious fault in power transmission systems, with surface wetting being a key prerequisite for its occurrence. The unique electrostatic properties of HVDC transmission networks promote pollution accumulation and alter wetting behavior. In southwest China’s warm, humid mountainous regions, algae adhesion on DC insulators significantly affects surface wetting, increasing the risk of flashover under extreme weather conditions. This study proposes a surface-conductivity–based method to measure the water absorption of pollution layers on insulators. It quantitatively assesses the impact of algae on wetting characteristics, including saturated water absorption and salt loss rate. Experimental results show that in fog, saturated water absorption decreases as the tilt angle increases, while soluble salt content decreases over wetting time. NSDD has a minimal effect on saturated absorption. Moreover, the presence of algae significantly alters wetting behavior, increasing saturated water absorption by 27–47% and reducing salt loss. These findings provide an insight into the role of biological contamination in pollution flashover processes in high-humidity regions.
Source: Energies
DOI: 10.3390/en18164212
Authors: Xiaolai Li, Xiangdong Wu, Shiqiang Yang, Beichen Gao, Liang Li, Bin Cao
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W4413248295