OTHER TEST PROCEDURES 197 250 . sant gemh Sai pat 2 standard GSK ong rod be 150 & 2 00] Polymer z tong ro 5 60 ol 0 too a0e ado = lapsed test imo, min Figure 4.28: Comparison of results of rapid flashover clean-fog test method for S-unit porcelain disk insulator and polymer long-rod insulators [lrom Lambeth, 1988]. [1995]. This does not mean that either test is fully appropriate for a particular local condition. A number of modifications of test procedures have been, evaluated in order to either reduce cost or improve representativeness, This hhas been particularly important as polymer insulators have been developed. for high-voltage lines, since for some their response to shorteduration clean- fog tests gives an overoptimistic estimate of their long-term performance in polluted conditions. 4.8.1. Naturally Polluted Insulators Artificial wetting of naturally polluted insulators is a hybrid test approach that controls the most important aspects of the wetting rate while allowing the insulators to respond to outdoor exposure [CIGRE 33.04.01, 2000]. This approach is especially appropriate for desert conditions, where there is a pro gressive accumulation of deposit with time and little influence of washing. In temperate conditions, it may be difficult to judge the most appropriate times to remove insulators from exposure, and a day of inclement weather can completely change the pollution levels. 4.8.2. Liquid Pollution Method A “methylcellulose” method [Le Roy et al, 1984] strives to improve the repeatability of the clean-fog test method by using a wet rather than a dry pole lution layer before the test. The contamination slurry consists of water, chalk, methylcellulose or kaolin, and a suitable amount of NaCl. The test voltage is applied within a few minutes of slurry application, just alter the insulators stop ripping. With no drying period, there is no longer any need for a wetting phase. Leakage currents will build up within a few minutes and will either dry cout the layer, giving a withstand, or proceed quickly to flashover.198 INSULATOR ELECTRICAL PERFORMANCE IN POLLUTION CONDITIONS: Notege Dust Ska (NaCl: Kool 1:3] oe I TTT] [TT] .. Fog fain 2mmimin Pain Wt Drying [nse Drying Energiting [ AD=TOWsting oa 4 60 8 Time, min lund etl [1995] foal eel 120 min) Ye et a, (2003) otal eyte 80 min) Figure 429: Typical Time sequences in dust eycle methods 4. . Dust Cycle Method Eklund et al [1995] and Ye et al. [2003] have described experience with an insulator test method that attempts to address the various biases in slurry application to produce a solid pollution layer on ceramic versus nonceramic surfaces. Typical cycle of the dust cycle method (DCM) are shown in Figure 429, ‘Application of continuous service voltage to an insulator in its service ori- entation produces a pollution deposit that is characteristic of a local climate, In contrast with solid-layer methods, the cycle in Figure 4-29 would typically lead to a cycle-by-cycle increase in bottom-layer ESDD while the top insulator surfaces would remain relatively clean from the rain cycle, ‘Normally, the DCM is carried out on a reference insulator to establish the number of cycles needed to cause flashover for a particular simulated environ- ment. Then, the same test cycles are repeated to rank the performance of alternatives, Leakage current measurements play an important role in evaluating the results of DCM tests. Some materials, such as RTV silicone coatings on por celain, show a progressive increase in leakage current with every cycle. Others (such as silicone insulators) have a highly repeatable and consistent increase and decrease in leakage current every time [Eklund et al., 1995] 4.8.4. Dry Salt Layer Method ‘As described by Engelbrecht et al. [2003], the dry salt layer (DSI) method is designed to reproduce the accumulation of marine pollution on nonceramic insulator surfaces near the seacoast. An injection system generates humid salt particles and injects them into the air flow of a specialized chamber. The fine salt particles are then blown by a uniform wind of 47 m/s past the energizedOTHER TEST PROCEDURES 199 <— Deposit hase —> _<——woting phase > é ——e al hi 80 8 i 60 pe LJ ce i ® ey ye | ~ 2 100 Lil 1 E ° I : om 4 6 #0 100 120 140 160 180 Time from test start (minutes) Figure 4-30: Typical time sequence in dry salt layer method (from Engelbrecht et al, {2003)) insulator under test. A typical DSL test including a timed deposit phase at 80% relative humidity and a wetting phase, also at normal service voltage, is shown in Figure 4-30. The DSL method leads to leakage currents of up to S00mA on a hydrophobic insulator bushing, without flashover, matching observations of ineservice performance. In contrast, the high conductivity of spray in severe saltefog tests [IEC 62217, 2005} inhibits the occurrence of large leakage currents. Peak levels of 0.13-0.2mA with 40-80kg/m' of salt were observed on the same test object [Engelbrecht et al., 2003}. 4.8.5. Cold-Fog Test Method Artificial tests in winter conditions could adapt either salt-fog or clean-fog test methods to evaluate the role of leakage distance and insulator shed. shape on pollution performance. There has not been much interest in adapting the saltefog method because the extremely low freezing temperature of seawater (0°F or -18°C) near the coast only occurs in areas of limited development. Chilling of insulators to 0°C was recognized by Cherney et al. [1983] as one method that could be used to improve consistency of wetting. This approach gave essentially the same flashover results as other wetting methods at