Monitoring of insulator pollution discharge in overhead distribution network based on acoustic emission technology

Abstract During the continuous operation of the distribution network, dirt often accumulates on the surface of insulators. Once encountering a humid climate environment, it may cause accidental discharge, leading to the occurrence of flashover pollution accidents. In order to effectively monitor this issue, this study adopted a monitoring method based on acoustic emission technology. This article introduces the discharge process and acoustic emission phenomenon of insulators in overhead distribution networks under pollution conditions. By using emission signal detection devices, acoustic signals generated during insulator discharge are captured. And the wavelet denoising algorithm was used to process its signal, based on which the discharge characteristics of insulator pollution in the overhead distribution network were extracted. The emission amount of insulator pollution in the overhead distribution network was determined according to the set threshold, achieving monitoring of pollution emissions. The results indicate that the proposed method can accurately monitor the discharge of insulators in overhead distribution networks, provide scientific basis for timely maintenance measures, and improve the operational safety and reliability of distribution networks.