Composite insulators in long-term outdoor operation undergo ageing due to the coupled effects of environmental factors. Accurately assessing the performance and ageing status of insulators that have been in service for many years is of great significance for the operation and maintenance of transmission lines. In this paper, a composite insulator that has been in service for 16 years on a 220 kV transmission line in Linyi area was investigated. By conducting multi-scale characterization analyses of the silicone rubber materials of different positions of the composite insulator umbrella sheds, including surface morphology, thermal properties, mechanical properties, electrical properties, and chemical structure, the spatial distribution law of the ageing degree of the silicone rubber material was investigated. The results show that after long-term service, the ageing degree of the composite insulator material exhibits spatial distribution characteristics. In the silicone rubber umbrella sheds of the composite insulator, the ageing degree of the large umbrella sheds is higher than that of the small umbrella sheds, the ageing degree at the high-voltage end is higher than that at the low-voltage end, and the ageing degree on the outer side is higher than that on the inner side. In addition, the differences in heat flow and thermogravimetric loss characteristics of the silicone rubber material at different umbrella shed positions are relatively small, while key parameters such as microstructure, hydrophobicity, chemical groups, electric strength, and creep compliance can effectively characterize the ageing degree of the umbrella sheds and significantly reflect the spatial ageing differences.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |