Abstract
Electrical trees are artifacts resulting from aging of polymeric insulation in high electrical fields. Whilst there is some debate concerning the mechanism by which they grow, there is no doubt that their growth can lead to the ultimate failure of the host insulation. Studying electrical trees is mainly confined to measurement of associated partial discharges and observing the physical growth of the tree structure optically. This paper reviews developments in observations of the growth of trees in the laboratory. In particular, consideration is given to the benefits of generating three-dimensional replicas of real trees from X-ray computer tomography (XCT) and serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM), and how these can facilitate better understanding of tree development mechanisms. It is concluded that both two- and three-dimensional imaging are required, and these need correlating with partial discharge measurements to develop models of tree growth and effective asset management tools.
| Original language | English |
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| Number of pages | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2019 |
| Event | IEEE International Conference on Electrical Materials and Power Equipment - Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China Duration: 7 Apr 2019 → 10 Apr 2019 |
Conference
| Conference | IEEE International Conference on Electrical Materials and Power Equipment |
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| Abbreviated title | ICEMPE |
| Country/Territory | China |
| City | Guangzhou |
| Period | 7/04/19 → 10/04/19 |