Distribution of Leakage Current on Polluted Polymer Insulator Surface

This paper describes the results of experiments made to examine the leakage current distribution on the polluted polymeric material surface. In this study, a plate-shaped silicone rubber specimen or a real polymer insulator energized with ac voltage was exposed to a polluted liquid spray after an artificially hydrophobic removing, and its surface state was observed by a high-speed video camera. Simultaneously, waveforms of the leakage current flowing along different surface areas were measured by several separate detecting systems during the experiment. Because of irregular profiles and nonuniform environmental stresses, the polluted polymer insulator appears different surface conditions in different areas. The information extracted from the leakage current waveforms measured through the separate detection system can well reflect the surface insulation states in each area.