Characterization of the Effect of Different Flame Clusters on Gap Leakage Current Under 10Kv Line

In recent years, wildfires in the corridors of transmission and distribution lines have occurred frequently, posing a serious threat to the stable operation of the power grid. To study the influence of flame cluster number on the leakage current characteristics of gaps in 10 kV lines, experiments were conducted on the discharge characteristics of a 12 cm wire-board gap under different vegetation flame cluster conditions. The variations in leakage current amplitude under different capacitive current conditions were analyzed, clarifying two discharge forms under flaming conditions. The results indicate that the leakage current in single and multiple cluster vegetation flame conditions is inversely correlated with capacitive current and shows a negative correlation with the ash content of vegetation. Under capacitive currents of 1A and 5A, breakdown occurs in the gap under straw flame conditions, attributed to the highest ash and burning particle content in the straw. This demonstrates that temperature is not the primary factor affecting gap breakdown under straw flame conditions, with ash content being dominant. The findings provide technical references for using electrical signals from lines to warn of wildfires beneath and analyze the causes of incidents.