Study on the Mechanical Performance of Anti-thunder Composite Insulator for Distribution Line

In this paper, the anti-thunder composite insulator combining surge arrester and insulator are developed. The analysis of mechanical performance of the anti-thunder composite insulator is carried out, which shows that the overall mechanical strength needs to be greater than 2.38 kN. A 3D finite model is built up to simulate the behavior of the anti-thunder composite insulator in the distribution line. The simulation results indicate that the stress on the varistor and the core rod decreases with the increase of the size of the core rod. The core rod of 20 mm or more can meet the operation requirements. The simulation indicates that the stress of the varistor determines the force limit of the anti-thunder composite insulator. Therefore, it should pay attention to the performance stability of the varistor of anti-thunder composite insulator under the force.