An International Research Project to Determine New Dimensioning Crules for Creepage Distances

The paper reports on a research project with the goal of ascertaining the effects of environmental pollution on insulating materials, to simulate these effects in the laboratory, to determine the insulating properties of synthetic materials commonly used in electrical engineering and thus to provide creepage distances for the design of products in the 0 to 1000 V range. As the first phase of this project, test boards with a total of over 24000 test positions are being subjected to various environmental conditions in locations throughout Germany and in two locations in the United States. Surface tracking and interelectrode resistance will be monitored periodically throughout the aging period; the dust, which settles on the test units, will be analyzed at the conclusion of the tests. Comparative tests in an artificial industrial atmosphere are intended to simulate the field trials at an accelerated pace.