Performance of HV insulators under environmental pollution in arid area

An investigation into the deterioration of solid insulators under high voltage due to natural contamination in arid areas is carried experimentally in the field. In the laboratory, artificial pollution was created, and the electrical conductivity and the leakage currents compared for both the naturally polluted and the artificially polluted insulators in the lab. The results showed the effectiveness of the simulation method. The breakdown phenomena in HV solid insulators under polluted environments were studied and explained. It was possible to choose the proper type of insulators for a certain polluted environment. It was found that pollution of the insulation increases in areas of chemical industries, metal industries, on the sea shore and near coastal regions.