INSULATION CHARACTERISTICS OF NANOSILICA-FILLED RTV SILICONE RUBBER COATING MATERIAL FOR HGH VOLTAGE OUTDOOR INSULATOR APPLICATION

• Main Author: Danu Nalendra, Agustinus
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/87111
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Porcelain insulators in coastal areas are often disturbed due to the accumulation of salt pollutants carried by wind from seawater evaporation. RTV silicone rubber (RTV SiR) is commonly used as a coating to enhance insulation performance and hydrophobicity and maintain these properties even in highly polluted conditions. Coating materials use nSiO2 as filler to modify polymer performance, such as improving mechanical and electrical properties. This study evaluates the insulation properties, in terms of hydrophobicity, surface resistivity, and relative permittivity of RTV SiR coating material with varying concentrations of nSiO2. The study finds that 4 wt% nSiO2-filled RTV SiR coating provides the highest surface resistivity, making it the optimal composition for coating application of high voltage outdoor insulators. Leakage current tests under artificial conditions (dry, clean fog, and salt fog) are conducted to verify the insulation performance of the modified RTV SiR coating. The results show that the coated RTV-SiR + 4 wt% nSiO2 insulator significantly reduces the leakage current magnitude and THD when compared to uncoated insulators. The leakage current THD of the coated RTV-SiR + 4 wt% nSiO2 insulator with a polluted surface under all types of fog conditions showed the smallest THD percentage of all insulator samples. In addition, the cross product of leakage current magnitude and THD is also calculated to determine the condition of the insulator. The cross product results show that the coated RTV-SiR + 4 wt% nSiO2 insulator is better at reducing it under dry fog conditions. This research highlights the effectiveness of nSiO2-enhanced RTV SiR coatings in improving the reliability and performance of insulators in polluted environments.