Impact of Wind on Pollution Accumulation Rate on Outdoor Insulators Near Shoreline

The present paper is an experimental investigation of the impact of wind speed on the pollution accumulation rate on outdoor insulators near coastal areas. Outdoor insulators near shoreline suffer from rapid saline accumulation due to heavy wind coming from the seashore, which is more dangerous in foggy weather conditions. A method was developed in laboratory to evaluate the impact of wind velocity and direction on the pollution accumulation rate on outdoor insulators and subsequently to determine a suitable mitigation method. In order to replicate seashore conditions on outdoor insulators an experimental setup was designed and installed inside an environmental chamber and was equipped with a wind generator and shoreline specification salts (NaCl, CaSO₄), as well as a kaolin powder injection system. ESDD and NSDD were measured on the top and bottom of insulator surfaces at different wind speeds. Useful observations were made, measuring wind speed and salt deposit density on energized and non-energized insulators. It was found that pollution accumulation rate increases as speed increases up to 8 m/s but that it decreases when the wind speed is higher than 8 m/s. Moreover, the pollution accumulation rate was different in energized and non-energized states.