DC flashover characteristics of a polymeric insulator in presence of surface charges

Effect of surface charges on dc flashover characteristics of a composite polymeric insulator is studied by means of experiments and theoretical calculations. The considered insulator consisted of a glass fiber reinforced epoxy core covered with a layer of silicone rubber and terminated by metallic electrodes with rounded smooth edges. In the experiments, the insulator surface was charged by external corona while keeping the electrodes grounded and different charging levels were realized by varying its intensity. A series of disruptive discharge tests were carried out on the charged insulator under negative dc voltages. It was revealed that negative deposited surface charges led to an enhancement of the flashover performance whereas positive ones reduced the flashover voltage level. A theoretical model has been developed and utilized for analyzing the experimental results. In the model, surface charge density profiles deduced from measured surface potential distributions were used as boundary conditions for calculations of electric fields. The measured and calculated flashover voltages were found to be in agreement indicating that the observed variations in the flashover characteristics could be attributed to the modifications of the electric field produced by the surface charges.