No abstract

In order to study the thermal behavior of the distribution line porcelain insulators when the line’s conductor current is high, a laboratory condition in a simulation program (ANSYS) was created considering the structure and geometry of porcelain insulator based on finite element analysis and working out distribution maps of temperature changes. The numerical results obtained using analytical models are in accordance with data resulting from laboratory tests carried out for this purpose. Remarkable temperature rise was not observed at insulators in spite of the high conductor temperature.

In order to study the thermal behavior of the distribution line porcelain insulators when the line’s conductor current is high, a laboratory condition in a simulation program (ANSYS) was created considering the structure and geometry of porcelain insulator based on finite element analysis and working out distribution maps of temperature changes. The numerical results obtained using analytical models are in accordance with data resulting from laboratory tests carried out for this purpose. Remarkable temperature rise was not observed at insulators in spite of the high conductor temperature.

Inspection with thermography is a non-invasive, non-destructive process used in Power Systems facilities. Most temperature signatures that are not in the visible light range can be measured using thermal cameras, thus enabling the search of thermal behavior of porcelain insulators. Overheating can help to detect problems, concerning the proper operation of insulators. The precision of temperature measurement using an infrared camera is influenced by the value of emissivity parameter that is set on camera. In the present study the influence of distance and angle between the camera and the insulator on emissivity parameter value selection in camera is examined experimentally.

In cases that the temperature of large surfaces needs to be measured, because measuring by conventional temperature equipment is time consuming, thermography is a fast and simple alternative solution. The most important feature that affects the amount of energy radiating from a surface, under stationary thermal conditions (fixed temperature), is its emissivity. In the present study emissivity of certain commercial wall paints was determined experimentally by adjusting its value in an infrared thermal imager, until its readings coincided with a known temperature measured by PT-100 sensors. It was shown that the emissivity is dependent on the color, current temperature and type/texture of the material.