The Guardians of Electrical Insulation in Power Lines

The Guardians of Electrical Insulation in Power Lines: The Protectors of Power Line Insulation Integrity

Insulators play an essential role in the power system. They are like loyal guardians, safeguarding the insulation safety of power lines.The main function of insulators is to support and fix conductors and ensure that there is sufficient insulation distance between the conductors and the grounded parts such as towers. There are various materials, including porcelain, glass, and composite insulators. Porcelain insulators have good insulation performance and mechanical strength and have been widely used for a long time. Glass insulators have a self-explosion characteristic that facilitates inspection personnel to detect defects. Composite insulators are lightweight and have strong anti-pollution performance, adapting to a variety of complex environments.

In different operating environments, insulators face various challenges. In coastal areas, the high humidity and salt fog environment can erode the surface of insulators and reduce their insulation performance. Therefore, regular salt density testing is required, timely cleaning of surface contaminants, and applying anti-pollution flashover coatings to enhance hydrophobicity when necessary. In mountainous areas, there is frequent bird activity, and bird droppings may contaminate insulators and increase the risk of flashover. Installing bird-proof devices can effectively reduce such situations. In cold winters, icing is a major threat. The ice layer may lead to a decrease in the insulation performance of insulators and even cause ice flashover accidents. This requires taking preventive measures before winter, such as cleaning the insulator surface and installing creepage extenders. At the same time, low temperatures may also cause the water inside the insulator to freeze and expand, resulting in damage. Therefore, it is necessary to select insulators with good cold resistance and maintain their sealing performance.

To ensure the good operation of insulators, operation and maintenance work is crucial. Regular inspection is the foundation. Tools such as telescopes and drones are used to check whether the insulator has damage, discharge marks, surface contamination, and other conditions. Infrared thermal imagers are used to detect the temperature distribution and determine whether there are internal defects or local overheating. Timely deal with the discovered problems, such as replacing damaged insulators and repairing connection parts, so as to ensure that insulators continue to effectively escort the stable operation of power lines and enable the safe and reliable transmission of electrical energy to thousands of households.