Design technique for leakage current reduction in surge arrester using gravitational search algorithm and imperialist competitive algorithm

Abstract

Purpose Leakage current is one of the factors, which can contribute towards degradation of surge arresters. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to study on leakage current within surge arresters and improvement on their design. Design/methodology/approach In this work, a three-dimensional model geometry of 11 kV zinc oxide surge arrester was designed in finite element analysis and was applied to calculate the leakage current under normal operating condition and being verified with measurement results. The optimisation methods were used to improve the arrester design by minimising the leakage current across the arrester using imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) and gravitational search algorithm (GSA). Findings The arrester design in reducing leakage current was successfully optimised by varying the glass permittivity, silicone rubber permittivity and the width of the ground terminal of the surge arrester. It was found that the surge arrester design obtained using ICA has lower leakage current than GSA and the original design of the surge arrester. Practical implications The comparison between measurement and simulation enables factors that affect the mechanism of leakage current in surge arresters to be identified and provides the ideal design of arrester. Originality/value Surge arrester design was optimised by ICA and GSA, which has never been applied in past works in designing surge arrester with minimum leakage current.

Measurement and Modelling of Leakage Current Behaviour in ZnO Surge Arresters under Various Applied Voltage Amplitudes and Pollution Conditions

“…There is also relatively higher electric field magnitude on the top and bottom surfaces of each housing shed than in the surrounding housing. The electrical characteristics of the material and the geometry of the surge arrester also affect the distribution of the electric field [34].…”