Engineering Practices To Improve The Pollution Resistance Of Insulators

Modern maintenance engineering focuses on extending equipment lifespan and reducing external insulation failure rates. During the design phase, using materials with excellent hydrophobic properties and a reasonable overhead power line insulators surface geometry helps to reduce the impact of pollution accumulation. Specific umbrella-shaped skirt designs can alter surface area and surface electric field distribution, thereby adjusting contaminant accumulation patterns.

In on-site operation and maintenance, a common practice is to apply an RTV silicone rubber coating while the surface is still. This type of coating can give the tension insulator surface a high water droplet contact angle and a certain degree of dirt repellency, making it difficult for conductive paths to form under humid conditions.

Another direction is to improve monitoring and detection methods, such as deploying infrared thermography and UV partial discharge diagnostic equipment to observe the contamination status and initial discharge activity of the dead end insulators surface. These detection methods help to assess the operational status of dead end suspension insulators in a timely manner and guide maintenance plans and cleaning arrangements.