Stationary resistive field distribution along epoxy resin insulators in air under DC voltage

The stationary resistive field distribution on the gas-solid interface along epoxy resin insulators is theoretically and experimentally investigated. Due to the phenomenon that the charge carriers necessary for the conduction process originate from natural ionization and a constant generation rate is assumed, the resulting electric conductivity of gases under dc voltage stress is nonlinearly depending on the field strength. A simulation model which considers the relevant characteristic is used to calculate the electric field in gas-solid insulation systems. The influence of the ion pair generation rate of the gas, the electric field strength and the surface conductivity of an insulator on the resistive field distribution is investigated. The results are compared to simulations, in which the electric conductivity of the gas is assumed to be constant. The simulations are verified by measurements of the surface potential along an epoxy resin insulator under dc voltage.