Development of HV Live Line Testers for Porcelain Insulators Using LoRa Communication by Hokyoung Lim

Among the recent trends in the global electricity supply industry is a continuous increase in the voltages used for long distance transmission. Accordingly, the number of insulators needed in suspension strings has also been increasing. In Korea, for example, a total of about 10 million suspension insulators – porcelain, glass and polymeric type – are used on 765 kV, 345 kV and 154 kV lines, with some 99% of this population being porcelain. Generally, defects in porcelain insulators occur due to possible structural limitations in material strength, insulation strength or mechanical strength. Since these types of deficiencies can directly contribute to transmission line failure, there has been a need for ongoing research to improve monitoring of in-service insulators with a view to detecting damaged suspension insulators before they fail. A variety of different methods have been used to diagnose the condition of porcelain suspension insulators, including measuring voltage and field distribution, ultrasound inspection and testing insulation resistance. However, there remains need for a test methodology that combines high reliability and improved efficiency. This presentation introduces a new diagnostic system developed by Korea’s TSO, KEPCO. The LoRa wireless communication, real-time performance tester is expected to play a major role in improving diagnostics for porcelain suspension insulators in Korea and elsewhere.