Performance Assessment of High Temperature Vulcanized Silicone Rubber Insulators Using Ansys 3D Analysis

Pollution flashovers have a significant impact on power transmission and distribution line safety. When rainwater or condensation mixes with the dirt, grime, and salt that make up the pollution layer on insulators, a conductive path is created-a flashover, or sudden electrical discharge, results from this, equipment damage, power outages, and gearbox line failure can all result from this discharge. Anti-pollution flashover coating is widely acknowledged as one of the best methods for preventing and mitigating pollution flashover events. High Temperature Vulcanized (HTV) silicone rubber is now the anti-pollution flashover coating for power transmission and distribution line insulators that are used the most. Even though HTV insulating materials are hydrophobic, they can still be eroded and tracked when exposed to environmental stressors, including dampness and pollution. Therefore, it is critical to investigate polymer insulating materials' tracking and erosion. An approved Test method (Inclined Plane Testing) for evaluating resistance to tracking and erosion of polymeric insulating materials is provided by Indian Standard IS 9947: 2011. This research uses a comprehensive 3D analysis approach to investigate the effects of voltage distribution and electric field intensity on HTV silicone material under various contamination situations using the Finite Element Method software (Ansys). The work also presents a comparative study utilizing Ansys 3D simulation between an HTV insulating material and a traditional ceramic insulating material so as to save money and time on testing and prototyping-based approaches.