An investigation of aging characteristics of polymer housed distribution surge arresters by accelerated aging test

The purpose of this paper is to verify the aging characteristics of domestic polymer housed distribution surge arresters. In this study accelerated aging test equipment was developed to simulate field condition of the distribution polymer housed surge arresters. Polymeric housing of distribution surge arresters should be degraded by environmental stress and the interface between housing and inner module can be affected by moisture ingress. This moisture absorption should increase leakage current and make tracking damage at the interface. Proposed aging test equipment can simulate UV, temperature, humidity, voltage, salt fog and rain and it can monitor total and resistive leakage current of arresters. In addition we carried out field exposure test at the outdoor test yard and characteristic analysis of field operated arresters. And then electrical performance of arresters, insulation condition of housing material and surface condition of the housing were compared.