Correlation among ESDD, NSDD and leakage current in distribution insulators

The maintenance of distribution networks is more effective if the insulation contamination levels are known. The selection of measuring methods of pollution levels is then crucial. The relationship between several evaluation methods of pollution levels and the operating behaviour of several insulator profiles in a polluted zone is described. Laboratory tests were carried out to reproduce pollution levels found in the field. The quantity of non-soluble materials deposited over the insulators´ surface affect the magnitude of the leakage current generated over a contaminated insulator. The relationship that defines leakage current with respect to the equivalent salt deposit density (ESDD) level for a specific non-soluble material level is almost linear, from which it is possible to develop a relationship between them for each insulator.