| In cold regions, atmospheric icing can decrease the electrical insulation strength of outdoor insulators used in power transmission networks and lead to insulator flashover and the consequent power disruption.; The overall objective of this Master's thesis is to study the flashover phenomenon on ice-covered insulators together with the influencing parameters, allowing to improve the existing mathematical model for predicting the critical flashover voltage of long insulators of up to 4 m (the full scale of post insulator for 735 kV systems). This study contributes to the understanding of the flashover and arc propagation processes, by determining the arc maintenance conditions.; Three post insulators of certain type were used in this study to make an insulator assembly, normally, used to support the high voltage transmission lines of up to 735 kV. A series of tests were arranged at CIGELE high voltage laboratories in the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi (UQAC). These tests were carried out to find the minimum voltage required to maintain an arc across a certain air gap length. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
