High-voltage insulators can experience frequent flashovers, disrupting electrical transmission and causing severe outages. This can be caused by pollution or contamination, especially in coastal areas with frequent industrial emissions. Over time, pollutants accumulate on the insulator's surface, forming a conductive film that absorbs soluble salts. This film allows leakage current to flow, leading to electrical discharges and surface arcing, creating a dry band and causing pollution flashovers. To safeguard these insulators, you can apply High Voltage Insulator Coatings, among other techniques:

What drawbacks come with having frequent flashovers?

Pollution flashovers reduce the efficiency and durability of insulators, resulting in frequent outages in areas with a higher risk of contamination. It is easily triggered by moisture and pollutants, so surfaces should be cleaned regularly. Furthermore, if one insulator experiences a flashover, the others are likely to follow suit, affecting the substation's performance.

How do you stop flashovers from happening?

While it is impossible to reduce the region's pollution density overnight, insulators can always be protected from pollution. The suggestions below will give you some ideas in that regard. 

One of the most effective methods of reducing contamination is to coat the insulator's surface with a specially developed silicone elastomer, which helps confine impurities and contaminants. The coating's superior hydrophobicity significantly reduces leakage and flashovers. However, the job can be quite labor-intensive and requires professional expertise to be completed accurately. Moreover, you can also hire them to apply animal mitigation covers & silicone coatings, which are great for protecting electrical insulators from both wildlife and pollution.

The insulators can be treated with water under high pressure to remove any impurities and pollutants that have accumulated on the surfaces. You should always hire professionals for the job because washing the insulators requires numerous safety precautions. You should also hire professionals to clean the insulators' surfaces regularly with specialized chemicals. The insulators can be gently blasted with pulverized limestone without causing damage to the glazing. It also eliminates the need for de-energizing, which allows non-toxic dust and impurities to be blown away by air under high pressure.

The constant leakage current through the glaze heats the insulator's surface, removing any moisture content. Aside from that, it shunts dry bands and provides an alternative route when they form, reducing surface adhesion. In coastal areas and other areas with high moisture levels in the air, the semiconducting glaze significantly reduces the likelihood of flashovers. 

In the end,

Contamination is one of the most serious threats to high-voltage insulators, increasing the frequency of flashovers and reducing overall substation efficiency. This can be avoided by applying a semiconducting glaze, regularly cleaning and washing the insulators, coating them with silicone elastomer, and applying Flashover Insulators RTV Coating. All of these tasks should be completed by seasoned experts, so find a dependable team with years of experience to complete the project successfully. 

Midsun IKM, based in Vienna, Austria, offers high-quality products such as Wildlife Outage Protection Products, RTV, anti-corrosive coatings, and special coatings to protect high-voltage insulators from pollution and wildlife interference.