Investigation of The Aging Characteristics of 11 kV Outdoor Polymeric Insulators

Polymeric insulators are the most promising alternative to traditional insulators. As a result, these insulators eventually took over the high voltage insulating marketplace. Even though it has several benefits over ceramic insulators, it is still a challenging task for researchers to predict the long-term performance, service life, and aging behavior of these insulators in the field, under various environmental conditions. In the current work, a service-aged 11 kV pin type Silicone Rubber (SiR) insulator that was taken out of service after three years owing to unusual line outages is considered. Electric field simulation is carried out for insulator samples using Finite Element Method (FEM)-based COMSOL Multiphysics software. The physical analysis is done using visual inspection, and the hydrophobicity measurement method. With the help of X-Ray Diffraction analysis (XRD), the structural changes, and loss of Aluminium Tri-Hydrate (ATH) filler in the service-aged samples are examined. Various analyses conducted on the field-aged SiR insulator showed the deterioration in the insulator material.