Chemical analysis of insulator contaminants and reliability improvement of T&D line for smart operation of grid under chemically polluted environment

This paper presents a practical issue of blackout & brownouts which normally occurs in T&D lines under chemically polluted environment and adversely effects power quality of line. Different types and sources of chemical pollutants under different atmospheric conditions are discussed. Chemical factors which regulates the magnitude of leakage current (flashover voltage) and methods of measurement of degree of contamination are discussed. Chemical analysis of various salts (soluble as well as insoluble) and ions on the flashover voltage under dry and wet condition is done to see the effectiveness of salts & ions on performance of line. Based on Hall Effect and magnetic fields, a new approach for improving grid reliability and maintenance work for T&D lines is proposed. Effect of pH on the surface conductivity is also analyzed. It is found that by increasing contamination level there is increase in surface conductivity of the insulator and reduces flashover voltage. It is also concluded that as basic or acidic nature of salt increases, in both cases flashover voltage reduces drastically.