Polymeric or silicone rubber insulators are extensively used for high-voltage transmission by electrical utilities due to advantageous features like lightweight, better contamination performance, etc. The performance of silicone rubber insulators exposed to low temperature conditions with continuous application of electric stress is of utmost importance as these insulators are being used under such climatic conditions in the country. In the present work, long-term experimental investigations have been conducted for 1000 h at 0 °C and for 1500 h at − 20 °C with application of electrical stress to simulate near-field conditions. A special experimental arrangement has been established for the investigations. Leakage current was monitored at regular intervals, and further material evaluation techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), mechanical strength measurements, etc., were conducted before and after the experimentation to verify the surface degradation on the polymer insulators. Some interesting results obtained during the experimentation for normal and polluted conditions along with the analysis carried out are presented.

中文翻译：

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了解极低温条件下输配电绝缘子的性能

聚合物或硅橡胶绝缘子由于具有重量轻、污染性能更好等优点，被广泛用于电力公司的高压传输。 硅橡胶绝缘子暴露在低温条件下并持续施加电应力的性能至关重要因为这些绝缘子是在该国这样的气候条件下使用的。在目前的工作中，在 0 °C 下进行了 1000 小时的长期实验研究，并在 - 20 °C 下进行了 1500 小时的长期实验研究，并应用了电应力来模拟近场条件。已经为调查建立了特殊的实验安排。定期监测泄漏电流，并在实验前后进行了进一步的材料评估技术，如傅里叶变换红外光谱 (FTIR)、扫描电子显微镜 (SEM)、能量色散 X 射线分析 (EDAX)、机械强度测量等，以验证表面聚合物绝缘体的降解。介绍了在正常和污染条件下的实验以及进行的分析过程中获得的一些有趣的结果。