Analysis of Leakage Current of an Ice-Covered Insulator during Ice Accretion

This research relates to the characterization of the temporal evolution of the leakage current (LC) during ice accumulation, measured on three energized different ice-covered insulator types including two porcelain station insulators and one line insulator string. Each insulator was submitted to a wet-grown ice accumulation. The results clearly demonstrated the influence of the insulator type, and particularly its shed spacing, on the temporal evolution of the LC. Also, the study of the LC reveals that the transition between partial discharge regime and partial arc regime can be easily detected, as well as the beginning of the ice bridge formation. These results are of great interest for the development of a monitoring system for standard station post insulators in cold climate regions