Sensing Method Using Dielectric Loss Factor to Evaluate Surface Conditions on Polluted Porcelain Insulator

Insulator diagnostics is still a topical issue. No one has yet found out how to accurately determine the condition of all insulators and decide when replacement or maintenance is required. Insulators are one of the main components of a transmission and distribution system and must withstand high voltages in all weather conditions. Moisture and dirt are the main factors influencing the insulating properties of insulators. This article deals with the effect of pollution on a porcelain insulator. An Omicron MI 600 measuring system monitors the changes in the dielectric loss factor and leakage current in a wide frequency range (10 Hz to 1 kHz) to evaluate the contamination level. We applied three high voltage levels (5 kV, 7.5 kV, and 10 kV) to the porcelain insulator to monitor changes in the mentioned quantities with various frequencies. The measurement results confirmed the usability of the dielectric loss factor and leakage current for the diagnosis of insulator pollution. The dielectric loss factor showed more promising results than the leakage current.