AC Flashover Performance of 10 kV Novel Composite Insulators under Icing Conditions in Natural Environment

Recently, a novel lightning protection composite insulator, combining an arrester and an insulator was developed for 10-kV distribution lines. This paper aims to study the AC flashover performance of the novel composite insulator. Firstly, the structure of the insulator was introduced. It is divided into two parts: the insulation section and the arrester section. Then, AC flashover tests of different icing thickness were conducted at Natural Icing Test Base. Further, the empirically derived equation for calculation of AC flashover voltage was obtained. The findings indicate that low, medium, and heavy pollutions caused different types of arcings. This can be used for designing insulators for various pollution levels.