A model based on the finite element method for estimating the impacts of saline pollution on high voltage insulators

In the course of this research, a software based on the finite element method for multiphysics simulation was employed to construct a three-dimensional model of a suspension glass insulator, incorporating its electromagnetic attributes. A layer of pollution was then modeled atop the insulator. The conductivity of the layer was changed across distinct levels to reproduce the behavior of polluted insulators tested in laboratory. The equivalent salt deposit density, the leakage current and electrical field served as reference parameters, and a relationship between them was stablished. The culmination of the research facilitated the creation and parameterization of a model within the multiphysics simulation software. This model allows to correlate the conductivity of the simulated pollution layer with the leakage current of the insulator, and may assist in the design and dimensioning of insulation for substations or overhead power lines, facilitating the decision making in operation and maintenance environments.