Development of self-cleaning/ice phobic insulators

在气候寒冷的国家，绝缘子上的结冰会给电力系统带来许多严重的问题，这在魁北克南部、安大略省、纽芬兰以及美国北部的一些州等许多地区都可以看到。覆冰绝缘子上的闪络是这些地区经常出现的现象。闪络的另一个主要原因是污染。防止高压绝缘子表面结冰和污染的另一种方法是生产具有减少结冰和污染粘附性的超疏水绝缘子。该项目旨在改善加拿大和世界各地寒冷气候和/或污染地区的高压户外绝缘子的性能。本项目的主要目标是通过两种策略使用一种有效的方法来制造自清洁户外绝缘子：1)在绝缘子模具的表面使用多种方法，如化学腐蚀、阳极氧化、等离子体和激光处理，以创建各种微米和纳米图案模板。然后，这些模板将在直接复制过程中使用，在该过程中，硅橡胶的表面形态将在注射过程中复制。2)在硅橡胶中加入微米和纳米颗粒，以形成合适的微米和纳米织构。这些颗粒的类型、大小和丰度以及注射工艺参数将进行优化，以实现真正的超疏水绝缘体。将开展模拟研究，考察聚合物熔体在微纳尺度下的复制能力和流动行为。此后，将评估开发的超疏水绝缘子在结冰和污染加剧的条件下的憎冰性能和自洁性能。

In cold climate countries, ice accumulation on insulators causes numerous serious problems for power systems, as has been witnessed in many regions including southern Quebec and Ontario, Newfoundland, as well as some northern US states. Flashover on ice-covered insulators is a phenomenon that has been frequently observed in these regions. Another main cause of flashover is pollution. An alternative means of preventing the accretion of ice and pollution on the surface of high voltage insulators would be to produce superhydrophobic insulators having properties that reduce ice and pollution adhesion. This project aims to improve the performance of high voltage outdoor insulators in cold climates and/or in polluted regions in Canada and around the world. The main objective of this project is to use an effective approach to fabricate a self-cleaning outdoor insulator through two strategies:1) Use of multiple methods such as chemical etching, anodization, plasma, and laser treatment on the surface of the insulator mold in order to create various micro- and nano-patterned templates. These templates will then be used within the direct replication process in which the surface morphology of silicone rubber will be replicated during the injection process. 2) Incorporation of micro- and nanoparticles into the silicone rubber matrix in order to create the appropriate micro-and nano-texture. The type, size, and abundance of these particles as well as the injection process parameters will be optimized in order to achieve a truly superhydrophobic insulator. Simulation study will be carried out to investigate the replication capability and flow behaviour of polymeric melt inside the micro- and nano-scale features. Thereafter, the developed superhydrophobic insulators will be assessed in terms of their ice phobicity and their self-cleaning properties when placed in icing as well as elevated pollution conditions.