Surface Voltage Measurement of XLPE Insulated Covered Overhead Conductor

Recently, in medium voltage distribution systems, overhead conductors are replaced by insulation covered conductors owing to their profound advantages. The insulated overhead conductor shares a boundary between the dielectric insulation used and the air insulation. Because of the higher insulation resistance of the air when compared with any polymeric insulation, most of the voltage drop will be on the dielectric-air interface (i.e. on the surface of the dielectric). The main goal of this work is to investigate the surface potential of the XLPE covered conductor accurately at different positions using a lab designed voltage divider under applied alternating voltages. Furthermore, 2D simulations have been done to estimate the surface potential of an insulation covered conductor. Interesting results on the surface voltage with applied voltages and different positions in the insulation are presented.