AC Flashover Performance of FRP Hot Stick for Live Working in High Altitude Areas

Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) hot sticks are the most common tool used in live working on 10-kV overhead power lines. However, the flashover voltage of hot sticks significantly decreases with increase in altitude. Until now, test data for live working in areas where the altitude exceeds 3000 m have not been available. In this paper, an experimental study on the flashover performance of the FRP hot sticks was carried out in different high-altitude areas. Power frequency discharge tests were performed in Yambajan (4300 m), Lhasa (3600 m), Nyingchi (2900 m), and Wuhan (28 m), respectively. The flashover characteristics in different areas were obtained and analyzed, and a voltage correction method was proposed. Based on these test results, the minimum approach distance of hot stick in high-altitude conditions was determined, and the safety margin was verified. The test results show that for altitudes between 2500 and 4500 m, the hot stick flashover voltage decreases by 7.725% with every 1000 m of altitude increase, and the minimum approach distance of hot stick is 0.6 m (without end fitting) and 0.9 m (with end fitting), and the safety margin is 3.