Basic Study on Effect of Corrugated Barrier Structure Made Using 3D-Printer on Surface Discharge

Creeping discharge of high voltage apparatuses, such as insulators and bushings, were suppressed using barriers on the insulation surface for miniaturization and high reliability. A more complex structure of insulation resin is possible due to the development of three-dimensional (3D) printing. More effective barrier structures for suppressing creeping discharge can be fabricated using this technology. Therefore, insulation structures by 3D printing are expected to be widely applied to high voltage apparatuses. We evaluated the partial discharge voltage (PDIV) and the flashover voltage (FOV) on the surface of insulation fabricated by 3D printing. A corrugated surface barrier was 0.5 mm in height and interval, but the widths differed, i.e., 0.5 and 1.0 mm. The PDIV and FOV on the surfaces were evaluated compared with the reference sample without the barrier structure. We found that the PDIV was higher as the sample with a large barrier width and the FOV of the sample with a barrier width of 0.5mm was highest. The findings of this study will contribute to customize the insulation characteristics according to an insulation design.