Study of Discharge Propagation along an Ice Surface using High-Speed Imaging

Power outage caused by flashovers of ice-covered insulators is a challenging problem in cold climate regions. Unlike the breakdown of gas gaps, which is now a rather well understood phenomenon, the mechanisms of discharge nitiation and propagation on an ice surface is not well understood. In order to get a better understanding of this phenomenon, high-speed imaging techniques were used to study the ultra-violet and visible emissions during the propagation of an electrical arc on an ice surface. Using an image intensifier in front of an ultra high-speed video camera, the initiation and propagation of AC arcs in the air gap and along the ice surface were observed, and the discharge propagation velocities at different stages were quantified.

Keywords:

outdoor insulation , atmospheric icing , arc propagation , high-speed photography , flashover