Experimental Design of Booster-Shed Parameters for Post Insulators under Heavy Icing Conditions

The main purpose of this paper is to present an optimized experimental design of booster-shed (BS) parameters under heavy icing conditions. For this purpose, the problem formulation process, quantification of BS effects, and a simplified geometric model are presented. Based on two series of laboratory icing experiments performed on two units of a standard postinsulator equipped with BSs, PVC booster-shed prototypes were selected and the arc propagation path of a 6-BS configuration during the flashover appearance was recorded. Then, an optimized BS configuration was proposed for the main BS tests. The results obtained were in good agreement with the quantification technique and the estimations of the geometric model. The required special attention to the first BS close to the high-voltage electrode confirmed the prediction of previous simulations. The presented novel method is a generic design approach that could be used for other types of insulators.