Study of Leakage Current Characteristics of High Voltage Insulators Ageing After Dry Season in Polluted Environmental Conditions

This paper aims to study the leakage current characteristics of outdoor insulators exposed to pollution after a long dry season. This study observed the insulating phenomenon using the natural tropical climate of the Gowa Makassar region in Indonesia and the effect of NSDD, humidity, temperature, ultraviolet light, and rainfall in real-time. A microcontroller was used to collect data on leakage current and environmental-climate conditions over 23 months. Silicon rubber-type line posts and suspensions were used in the test sample, mounted on a 20 kV distribution network. The illustration of this test can represent actual conditions in the field. This leakage current test refers to the IEC 60060 standard with a real-time monitoring system for leakage current and tropical climatic conditions. For hydrophobic measurements using the spray method according to IEC 62073 and STRI 92/1 standards. The tests show that the leakage current and hydrophobic properties are influenced by changes in the tropical climate with temperature, humidity, ultraviolet radiation, and rainfall parameters. Changes in hydrophobic properties are also controlled by the mechanism for cleaning pollutants during rain and experiencing recovery when climatic conditions return to normal due to the hydrophobic transfer of contaminants. In addition, laboratory-based flashover mechanism testing was also carried out to determine the reliability of the insulator. This test demonstrates that the flashover voltage is affected by the number of pollutants and wetting on the silicone rubber polymer insulator's surface.