Melting process of non-bridged icicle and its effect on ice flashover

According to the ice morphology captured in field experiment, bridged and non-bridged icicles were proposed. Droplet ejection and its impact on voltage-time distribution and probability of flashover were analyzed under energized condition. During the experiments, impact factors including applied water conductivity, icicle length, combinations of air gap and icicle length were investigated and flashover characters were compared. According to the experimental results, applied water conductivity and icicle length affected the residue ice layer resistance. Flashover voltage decreased by 33% as the conductivity increased from 150μs/cm to 750μs/cm. However, corresponding voltage reduced 10% with icicle length declined from 6cm to 4cm. Bridged icicle absorbed extra energy for ice melting, leading to flashover voltage increase.