Modeling leakage current of ceramic insulators subject to high pollution levels for improving maintenance activities

This paper presents a useful model to determine the washing periods and to indicate the pollution levels of electrical insulators. The behavior of leakage current, which is one indicator of the presence of pollutants on the insulator surfaces, was characterized through a regression model. We quantitatively examine the behavior of leakage current and the way electrical components are polluted. The data for environmental variables and leakage current in an electrical substation are analyzed and a model is identified that well represents the leakage current behavior on the insulators. Through this model, some predictions of the pollution effect can be made using analysis tools that enable the identification of the effects of leakage current on the entire network. This method can be used to obtain leakage current models on electrical substations located in highly polluted zones.