Impulse Flashover Tests at Edgar Beauchamp High Voltage Test Facility, Dixon, California, in Support of Cutler Insulator Failure Investigation
Abstract
This report describes an investigation into safety core insulator failures at Naval Radio Transmitting Station, Cutler, Maine. The failures are believed to be the result of lightning strikes to the antenna. Impulse tests showed that flashover occurred along the surface of the insulator when the voltage rises very fast (high dV/dt), resulting in damage to the insulators. Scale model tests were conducted to determine if different corona ring configurations could keep flashover away from the insulator body. Results indicated that the insulators could be protected from lightning-induced impulse flashovers with the appropriate corona ring configurations. Replacing or modifying the corona rings on the existing insulators would be much less expensive than replacing failed insulators. The authors recommend that the U.S. Navy pursue design and testing of a modified corona ring assembly for the Cutler safety core insulator assembly that will significantly increase the surface flashover threshold, thereby enabling reliable operation with the existing insulators.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA456144
Entities
People
- G. Dann
- P. M. Hansen
Organizations
- Naval Information Warfare Systems Command