Parameter Optimization of Grading and Shielding Devices for 500kV Composite Cross-Arm Tower Based on Particle Swarm Optimization

Composite cross-arm towers have been effectively applied in certain scenarios due to their superior performance characteristics. However, current researches on the parameter selection methods for grading and shielding devices lack global optimization capabilities and are limited to optimizing single parameter at a time, without considering the interactions between them. In this study, a 1:1 scale simulation half-model of a composite cross-arm tower was established and subjected to electrostatic field finite element calculations. The changes in the grading and shielding fittings surface electric field resulting from alterations in the parameters of grading and shielding devices were examined. The globally optimal parameter set was sought using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), based on data observed and recorded. Simulation and computational analysis of the recommended parameters, compared with the original data, revealed that the pipe diameter of the grading ring for cross-arm insulators was reduced by 37.5%, and the central diameter by 27.3%; for inclined insulators, the central diameter of the grading ring was reduced by 7.4%, and the shielding ring pipe diameter by 25.0%, while adhering to the rms value limits of the maximum electric field strength in each area. The research findings provide guidance for the optimization design of parameters for grading and shielding devices in composite cross-arm towers.