High voltage insulator contamination level monitoring with x-band microwave radiometer

This paper introduces a novel method for monitoring contamination levels on high voltage insulators based on microwave radiometry. The microwave radiometer described measures energy emitted from the contamination layer and could provide a safe, reliable, contactless monitoring method that is effective under dry conditions. The relationship between equivalent salt deposit density and radiometer output is described using a theoretical model and experimentally verified using a specially designed X-band radiometer. Results demonstrate that the output from the radiometer is able to clearly distinguish between samples with different contamination levels under dry conditions. This novel contamination monitoring method could potentially provide advance warning of the future failure of wet insulators in climates where insulators can experience dry conditions for extended periods.