2016 IEEE Power Modulator and High Voltage Conference

Analysis of Insulation Failure of Polymer Composite Blocks Using High Frequency Wave Shapes

6 Jul 2016, 13:30

1h 30m

Twin Peaks (Palace Hotel San Francisco)

Poster Presentation Dielectrics, Insulation, and Breakdown Poster 1-A

Speakers

Prof. Elanseralathan Kasinathan (Pondicherry Engineering College)Mr Logesh Guber (Pondicherry Engineering College) Makendran GunasekaranMr Malaiyappasamy Sivashanmugam (Pondicherry Engineering College)

Description

We analyze insulation failure in polymer composite blocks using different wave shapes. We found the ratio of epoxy resin (CY230_1) and Hardener (HY951) for different samples supplised by Huntsman using a needle plane electrode configuration for different sample sizes and shapes. The polymer composite blocks consisted of a combination of epoxy resin and hardener as a neat polymer with different fractions of nanoparticles (such as Al2O3,ZnO,TiO2) added as filler polymers. We observed that aluminium oxide is transparent when compared to the other fillers. The experimental setup is constructed to emulate the realistic high field electric stress faced by insulation at different gap distances. The flashover and withstand tests were conducted at high voltage (10 kV) and either power frequency (50 Hz) or high frequency (20 kHz) to determine the breakdown voltage, breakdown time and breakdown current. The breakdown voltage, breakdown time and breakdown current were noted and plotted for various samples consisting of both neat polymer and different loadings of filler polymer for different percentage. The breakdown time increases with increasing gap distance and the breakdown time is longer for filler polymer compared to neat polymer. We also observe electrical treeing [1-2] in the sample and conduct a growth analysis, which shows that the sample breakdown in a very short duration for high voltage high frequency when compared to high voltage power frequency. We further compare and and analyze the high voltage power frequency and high voltage high frequency behavior. [1] R.Sarathi, A. Nandini, and T. Tanaka, ”Understanding electrical treeing phenomena in XLPE cable insulation under harmonic AC voltages adopting UHF technique,” IEEE Trans. Dielectr. Electr. Insul., Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 903-909, 2012. [2] S. Alapati and M. J. Thomas,“Electrical treeing in polymer nanocomposites,” in Proc. Fifteenth National Power Systems Conference (NPSC), IIT Bombay, Indian, 2008, pp. 351-355.