Innovations in polymer arrester moisture sealing testing

The vast majority of porcelain distribution arrester failures are the result of moisture ingress. Standards lag technology and do not currently address the unique design aspects of polymer arresters. Traditional sealing test methods cannot be run on polymer arresters because of lack of internal air space. A novel design test is proposed which involves sensitive interfacial leakage current measurements as the diagnostic. Samples are thermally cycled in water to produce thermal excursions and aging, while encouraging water ingress, should the sealing system be compromised. The proposed test is modification of a protocol established for polymer insulators, which has been correlated to field service