On the Chemical Composition and Hygroscopicity of Aerosols Deposited on the Insulators of Italian Power Lines
Source abstract
Abstract
The reliability of the national power grid is a key issue in modern society. Atmospheric aerosols are the main cause of the reduction in the performance of insulators and the increase in the possibility of flashovers, resulting in power line failures. Under high ambient humidity, the water-soluble compounds of atmospheric aerosols collected on the insulators’ surface can dissociate in ions and form a conductive layer, which may lead to flashover events. With a view to investigating the processes that drive these phenomena, the chemical composition of aerosol deposits on insulators in Italy was determined by ion chromatography analysis and thermos-optical and X-ray techniques. In addition, a synthetic aerosol with the same analyzed chemical composition was generated in a laboratory and deposited on PTFE filters and glass specimens allowing us to determine the deliquescence and crystallization relative humidity and the conductive effect in an aerosol exposure chamber. The results evidenced the presence of a hazardous inorganic ion layer, which generates a sharp phase transition of the aerosol deposit as a function of the ambient relative humidity; this layer poses a dangerous threat to the reliability of the power grid, increasing the probability of flashover events where the conductive layer facilitates the flow of electrical current across the insulator surface, potentially causing power outages or damage to the power lines.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: High voltage insulation and dielectric phenomena · Aerosol Filtration and Electrostatic Precipitation · Lightning and Electromagnetic Phenomena
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
GEMMA and POLARIS Research Centres, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Della Scienza, 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico–RSE S.p.A., Via Rubattino 54, 20134 Milano, Italy
Terna S.p.A., Via A. Benigni, 00156 Roma, Italy
Brembo S.p.A., Viale Europa 2, 24040 Stezzano, Italy
Funding
Research Fund for the Italian Electrical System · GEMMA Center · European Union—NextGenerationEU
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