Influence of temperature on the characteristics of surface charge accumulation on PTFE model insulators

During the operation of gas insulated switchgear (GIS) and gas insulated line (GIL), the conducting bar generates joule heat, and a non-uniform distribution of temperature forms in the bulk of the insulators. As the load varies, the temperature distribution changes, and it has an influence on the bulk conductivity of the insulators. Moreover, the surface charge accumulation can be affected. In order to clarify this, a surface charge measurement system which could achieve temperature control was constructed, and a model insulator with truncated cone type was employed, as well as two types of high-voltage electrodes, i.e. plate and needle electrodes. It is found that both polarities of charges existed on the insulator surface when a dc high voltage was applied to the plate or needle electrode, and homo-charge density was much higher than that of hetero-one. As for the plate electrode, homo-charges resulted from micro-discharges, while generated by corona in the case with needle electrode. As temperature increased, homo-charge density decreased, kept unchanged and increased for three cases, respectively, i.e. when dc voltage was applied to the plate electrode, and when voltage of 3 and 20 kV was applied to the needle electrode. Moreover, a simulation model involving multi-physics was established, which included heat conduction in solid and transient field changing from the initial capacitive to stationary resistive field distribution. It is proved that the electric conduction of the insulator bulk contributed to the accumulation of hetero-charges, and temperature could enhance this. Besides, when temperature increased, the corona inception voltage reduced, and hence the homo-charge density increased. Due to the effect of neutralization and the differences in the sensitivity of corona with different intensity to temperature, the tendency of homo-charge density changing with temperature for the three cases showed distinct in the experiments.