Effect of RTV coating on the electrical performance of porcelain insulator string under dry condition

Abstract

Pollution flashover is one of the primary reasons cause to power system failure in Malaysia. The presence of accumulation on the porcelain insulator surface reduces the electrical performance and also causes the failure of insulation in transmission and distribution lines. This research presents a study on the effect of Room Temperature Vulcanize (RTV) coating on the performances of a string porcelain insulator and their impact on environmental contamination. An attempt has been made to simulate the electric field distribution of 33 kV insulators using the finite element method (FEM). From the simulation results, the maximum electric field distribution is obtained at the pin insulator of a clean insulator, while the cap insulator indicated the minimum electric field. With the existence of the contamination layer, the electric field distribution of the porcelain surface results in a reduction trend.