Comprehensive simulation of snow crystal deposition and electric field characteristics of composite sheath improved porcelain cantilever insulator in a wind and snow environment

The installed porcelain insulators on existing railway lines in China are prone to“snow flash”in winter.In order to prevent the occurrence of“snow flash”and improve the reliability of the insulators,a composite-porcelain insulator is designed.A multi-physics coupling simulation model is built based on numerical simulation methods of the electromagnetic field theory and computational fluid dynamics.Taking average electric field intensity on the surface of the insulator as the characteristic parameter of the electric field distortion degree and the snow crystal collision coefficient and distribution coefficient as the characteristic parameter of snow crystal deposition,the characteristics of snow crystal deposition under different wind speeds and wind direction angles and the electric field characteristics under two snow cover types are analyzed.The simulation results show that the average electric field intensity of composite-porcelain insulators is 10.4%and 13.8%,respectively,lower than that of porcelain insulators in vertical and horizontal wind snow covers,which can effectively reduce the degree of electric field distortion.The collision coefficient of snow crystals on the surface of the composite-porcelain insulator sheds is 16.0%higher than that of the porcelain insulator,and the collision coefficient of the trunk and the fittings are lower 20.2%and 11.9%than that of the porcelain insulator.There is almost no change in the distribution coefficient of the insulator sheds.