Electric Field Simulation of Polluted Insulator on
EMU Roof
1st Buchao Jia 2nd Shuang Liang
CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive and CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive and
Rolling Stock Co., Ltd. Rolling Stock Co., Ltd.
changbo_ncepu@163.com sxjczqz@163.com
2020 IEEE Student Conference on Electric Machines and Systems (SCEMS) | 978-1-7281-5622-4/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/SCEMS48876.2020.9352435
4th Bo Chang
North China Electric Power University
2055458947@qq.com
Abstract—When the EMU operates in the natural
environment, it will inevitably be eroded by pollution and rain,
which greatly increases the probability of flashover. In this
paper, the FQJG2-30-16-400-M composite insulator is taken as
the research object. Under the condition that its surface is
covered with water curtain, dry pollution and wet pollution,
the electric field analysis is carried out by using the COMSOL
Multiphysics finite element analysis software to analyze the
electric field distribution on the insulator surface. The
simulation results show that the electric field strength of the
insulator in the part of the fittings rises due to the capacitive
effect of the fittings at the high voltage end. When the surface
of insulator is covered with pollution, the electric field
distortion at the root and tip of insulator umbrella skirt is
more serious. When water drops appear on the insulator
surface, the field strength near the water drops increases
obviously. When there is a water curtain on the insulator
umbrella skirt, the electric field distortion at the tip of the
water curtain is more serious than that at other parts of the
same umbrella skirt. By changing the size of the pollution
conductivity, the influence of the conductivity on the electric
field is explored. The results show that the pollution
conductivity has little influence on the electric field strength
because the pollution conductivity is generally large.
Keywords—lashover, pollution, potential, electric field
strength, conductivity
I. INTRODUCTION
Pillar insulators are one of the most important external
insulators in EMU traction power supply system.Composite
insulators have excellent insulation performance. However,
EMU’s insulators are generally located outdoors and are
greatly affected by the environment. In rainy, foggy,
sand-dust and snowmelt days, the surface area of insulators
is seriously polluted, and their insulation performance will be
greatly reduced [1]. In actual operation of the EMU, about
90% of the post insulator are related to the pollution
flashover accident[2], the dirt deposition is the precondition
of pollution flashover occurred[3], the electric field and
electric potential distribution of insulator surface and its
nearby have important effects on insulator pollution
lightning pressure, partial arc caused by strong electric field
will accelerate the aging of composite material, space
electric field around its relatively normal local distortion will
happen. The parts with severe field intensity distortion will
form a local arc[4], and the local arc will further develop
through the whole insulator and form surface flashover.
Therefore, it is particularly important to study the pollution
characteristics of the pillar insulator of the EMU[5-7]. Studies
have shown that the pollution flashover characteristics of
insulators are related to the types and distribution of
978-1-7281-5622-4/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE
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3rd Qizhe Zhang
North China Electric Power University
sxjczqz@163.com
5th Shenghui Wang
North China Electric Power University
hdwsh@ncepu.edu.cn
pollution[8-11]. The author divides the fouling into the
following cases: water curtain forms on the surface of the
insulator in fog; After the surface fouling layer is soaked, it
forms wet fouling; When the EMU continues to run, the
leakage current flowing on the surface of the insulator will
dry the wet dirt, forming a drying band. In rainy days, the
rain drops from the skirt edge, forming a bridge[12-13]. With
the increase of running time, the conductivity of insulator
surface pollution may also change. Therefore, it is necessary
to analyze the electric field in these cases[14-15].
II. MODEL INSULATOR
In this paper, the model of FQJG2-30/16-400M isolation
switch insulator produced by Wenzhou Yikun Electric Co.,
Ltd is selected. Number the test insulator skirt. Fig.1 is a
schematic diagram of the number of an insulator umbrella
skirt. From the high voltage end of the insulator to the
ground end, the skirt is arranged in the order of No. 1-9.
Insulators have two kinds of skirt, large and small. The upper
and lower surface areas of each skirt are shown in Table I.
+LJK
YROWDJH 8SSHUVXUIDFHRI1R
XPEUHOODVNLUW
/RZHUVXUIDFHRI1R
XPEUHOODVNLUW
8PEUHOODVNLUW1R
8PEUHOODVNLUW1R
8PEUHOODVNLUW1R
8PEUHOODVNLUW1R
/RZ
YROWDJH
Fig.1. Schematic diagram of insulator umbrella skirt number.
TABLE I. SURFACE AREA OF INSULATOR UMBRELLA SKIRT
Large skirt on the upper area 186.89˄cm2˅
Large skirt on the lower area 205.89˄cm2˅
Small skirt on the upper area 98.15˄cm2˅
Small skirt on the lower area 119.08˄cm2˅
The 2D model of the top insulator ignores the influence
of pantograph and contact net, and only calculates the
electric field distribution of the insulator and its surrounding
area within a relatively small range for the insulator itself.
The details of the insulator, such as the shape of the insulator,
gold ware and umbrella skirt, can be considered in detail.
See Fig.2 for the two-dimensional axisymmetrical model of
the clean insulator. The insulator simulation model based on
the mechanism of pollution flashover discharge is shown in
340
Fig.3. The pollution layer uniformly covers the surface of the A. The Electric Field Distribution
umbrella skirt for 1mm. It can be seen that the electric field intensity of the
The potential distribution of insulators under the insulator is low in the middle, while it is high at both ends of
operating voltage of the power grid should satisfy Poisson's the insulator. Moreover, with the increase of voltage, the
equation: fittings at the high voltage end are prone to partial discharge.
ఘ೎
The electric field distortion of the rubber clean insulator on
‫׏‬ଶ ߮ ൌ െ (1) the skirt and the root is more serious. The electric field
ఢ೎
intensity rises at the voltage end of the insulator due to the
In the formula, φ is the electric potential, ߩ௖ is the space
capacitive effect of the end metal.
density of the free charge, and ߳௖ is the dielectric constant.
When ߩ௖ ൌ Ͳ, the Poisson equation becomes the Laplace
equation about electric potential: 


ଶ
‫ ߮ ׏‬ൌ Ͳ (2)

HOHFWULFSRWHQWLDO9PP
In the formula, φ is the potential.







High voltage end of
upper fittings 


Air boundary at infinity

mandrel       

FUHHSDJHGLVWDQFHPP

Fig.4. Electric field distribution of clean insulator.

Umbrella skirt surface



low voltage end of 

HOHFWULFSRWHQWLDO9PP

lowerr fittings
ㄟ 


Fig.2. Insulator 2D model diagram.




      

FUHHSDJHGLVWDQFHPP
Dirty layer
Fig.5. Electric field distribution of insulator covered with dry pollution.


HOHFWULFSRWHQWLDO9PP



Fig.3. Simulation model of polluted insulator. 


III. INSULATOR SIMULATION UNDER DIRTY CONDITIONS

The rated voltage of the EMUS insulators running in the
network is 25kV. In the simulation analysis, the potential of 

the high-voltage end of the fittings is 

25kV u 2 35.355kV . The finite element analysis       
software of COMSOL Multiphysics is used for electric field FUHHSDJHGLVWDQFHPP
analysis. The parameters of materials are shown in Table II.
Fig.6. Electric field distribution of insulator covered with wet pollution.
TABLE II. INSULATOR SIMULATION PARAMETERS

relative dielectric Electrical conductivity/

As the voltage continues to increase, the leakage current
material on the surface of the insulator will dry the moisture on the
constant ˄S/m˅
highǃlow voltage surface of the insulator. Due to the small diameter of the
1e8 1.5e7 cylinder, the leakage current flows through a large amount,
hardware
Silicone rubber 3.5 1e-12 which is easy to form a drying band (see Fig. 9). The current
air 1.0006 5e-50 density at the upper and lower diameters of the skirt is higher
rain 81 0.01 than that at the skirt. The insulation resistance of the dry
dry dirty 2.8 1e-10
wet dirty 35 1.03
band is larger than that of the wet band, which is easy to be
mandrel 5 4e-12 obtained by Ohm's law. The dry band is more hot, which in

341

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turn further accelerates the formation of the dry band nearby
the dry band. The distribution of drying band was simulated
at the rod diameter. The length of drying band and wet band
was 2mm. The simulation model is shown in the figure
below.

Fig.10. Distribution of water droplets on the surface of the umbrella skirt.

dry
dirty wet
dirty

Fig.7. Distribution of drying band.

Figu.11. Electric field distribution on the surface of water droplets.

Obvious electric field distortion appears on the interface

between the water droplet and the umbrella skirt. With the
increase of water droplets, and under the action of electric
field force and gravity, flashover between the water droplets
is prone to cause flashover of the insulator.
In rainy weather, it is difficult for water droplets on the
surface of the insulator to accumulate, and rain water will
fall from the tip of the umbrella skirt to form a short-distance
bridge, thereby shortening the effective creepage distance of
Fig.8. Electric field distribution of insulator forming dry area. the insulator. In severe cases, it may even bridge adjacent
umbrella skirts, causing a flashover accident. The relevant
parameters are as follows: the length of the bridge is 3mm
 and the width is 1mm. The electric field simulation is shown
 in the figure below.
&XUUHQWGHQVLW\$P
















          
&UHHSDJHGLVWDQFHPP

Fig.9. Leakage current distribution on the surface of No.1 umbrella skirt.

There are obvious electric field distortion between the
dry band and the wet band. When the local arc occurs, the
end of the dry band is the end of the local arc. With the
further expansion of the dry band, the local arc will also
expand, thus causing surface flashover.
When an insulator operates in a humid environment,
liquid droplets will appear on the surface of the insulator.
Two-dimensional simplification analysis is adopted for the
droplets without loss of generality. The relevant parameters
are as follows: contact Angle of 90 degrees, droplet radius of
2.5mm. Add 8 droplets at equal distance to the upper surface
of No. 1 skirt, as shown in Fig. 10. See Fig. 11 for electric
field simulation.
Fig.12. Electric field distribution of insulator covered with wate.
It can be seen that the electric field distortion occurs at
the root of the skirt at the tip of the bridge, but the electric
field distortion at the tip of the bridge is obviously greater.
With the increase of the bridge, a connection channel may be
formed in the adjacent skirt, thus greatly increasing the
probability of flashover.
B. The Effect of Different Conductivity
Electric field distribution is the key factor that causes
surface flashover. In order to explore the influence of
electrical conductivity on electric field distribution. Four
different conductivity ratios, 1e-12S/m, 1e-9S/m, 1e-3S/m
and 0.1S/m, were selected. Compared with the electric field
distribution of clean insulators, low pollution conductivity

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has an impact on the electric field distribution and distortion.
As the electric conductivity is greater than 1e-12 S/m, the 
influence of pollution insulator conductivity on the electric

HOHFWULFSRWHQWLDO9PP
field distribution is very small and is basically ignored. 



 


HOHFWULFSRWHQWLDO9PP








       

FUHHSDJHGLVWDQFHPP


Fig.16. (lectric field distribution of insulator under 0.1 S/m conductivity.


      

IV. CONCLUSION
FUHHSDJHGLVWDQFHPP
When the surface of the insulator is covered with
Fig.12. (lectric field distribution of clean insulator.
pollution, at the high voltage end, the insulator covered with
wet pollution is on the upper side of the clean insulator. At
the low voltage end, the electric potential of the clean
 insulator is higher than that of the insulator covered with wet

pollution. When the surface of the insulator is covered with
HOHFWULFSRWHQWLDO9PP


dry dirt, the potential distribution of the insulator is similar to

the change of the clean insulator, indicating that the potential

distribution is related to the pollution conductivity.
 The electric field intensity of the insulator is low in the
 middle, but it is high at both ends of the insulator. Moreover,
 with the increase of voltage, the accessories at the high
 voltage end are prone to partial discharge. The electric field
       distortion of the rubber clean insulator on the skirt and the
FUHHSDJHGLVWDQFHPP root is more serious.
Fig.13. (lectric field distribution of insulator under 1e-12 S/m conductivity. The insulation resistance in the dry band is larger than
that in the wet band, which in turn further accelerates the
formation of the dry band, thus easily causing surface

flashover.
HOHFWULFSRWHQWLDO9PP

 When the insulator surface is covered with pollution, the


surface electric field intensity of the skirt changes

significantly, and most of the electric field distortion occurs
at the root and tip of the skirt. With the increase of pollution

conductivity, the influence of the change of conductivity on

the electric field distribution of insulators becomes less and
 less. In fact, even for pure water, the conductivity is 0.1S/m,
       so it can be considered that the change of conductivity of
FUHHSDJHGLVWDQFHPP
insulator surface pollution has little influence on the electric
Fig.14. (lectric field distribution of insulator under 1e-9 S/m conductivity.
field strength.
ACKOWNLEGEMENT
This paper is from the science and technology research

and development project of CRRC corporation Limited.The
HOHFWULFSRWHQWLDO9PP


author would like to thank Qizhe Zhang, Bo Chang and
 Shenghui Wang for their help and support in making this
 work possible.

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