Approach on the Applicability of Leader Progression Flashover Criterion to the Simulation of Streamer Development Process in Long Gap Discharges

Lightning is the main cause of power system line tripping. Studying gap discharge mechanisms under lightning impulses and establishing accurate flashover criterion models are crucial for evaluating transmission line lightning protection performance. The leader progression method has been widely recognized for its comprehensive consideration of the physical process of long gap discharges. The streamer and leader development are included in the model, but there is no research on the accuracy and applicability of the simulation of streamer development for this model. Therefore, this article calculates the streamer development time of various leader progression models proposed by different scholars under different rod-plate gaps, and compares and analyzes the accuracy and applicability of different leader progression models in simulating the streamer development process in rod-plate gaps. Finally, based on the results of the comparison and analysis, this article points out the deficiencies of existing models in simulating the streamer development process. The aforesaid research provides an important basis for subsequent research on adding models that conform to the physical process of streamer discharge development to the leader development flashover criterion.