Experimental, analytical and numerical analysis of voltage distribution along the cap-and-pin insulators

Abstract

This paper deals with the experimental, analytical and numerical analysis of voltage distribution along the cap-and-pin insulators. Five different insulators strings are analyzed, consisting of two, three, four, five and six cap-and-pin U40BL glass disc insulators. Experimental measurements are performed in the high voltage laboratory at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering East Sarajevo. Measurement of the voltage distribution along the disc insulators is performed by using measuring sphere gap. Analytical calculations are performed by using mathematical model which considers parasite self-capacitances of disc insulators, as well as their parasite capacitances to the earth and to the phase conductor. Calculations of the parasite capacitances values are performed and optimum values which lead to the minimum difference between measured and calculated results are suggested. Numerical analyses of the non-linear voltage distribution are performed by using electrostatic field model in software Comsol Multyphisics. 2D axisymmetric models of the cap-and-pin insulators are developed. Despite the measuring configuration is not suitable for numerical analysis, relatively good agreement between the measured results and results calculated by using specialized software are achieved.