Applications of liquid crystals in intelligent insulation

The integrity of electrical plant becomes increasingly suspect over time due to various ageing processes. Numerous devices and spectroscopic techniques are available to analyze plant condition and recently, research has been carried out into the design of materials which can perform some form of self-diagnosis. These mainly include smart materials which can respond visibly, predictably and in a reproducible manner to stimuli such as heat, mechanical stress and electrical fields. A multi-layer device has been devised for detection and reporting of electric fields, a key component of which is a layer of electric field responsive material. This paper describes the investigation carried out to determine the suitability of liquid crystals as an electric field responsive medium for passive electric field detection.