Background

Improving our understanding of the failure mechanisms of insulation and designing improved insulation are both critical to the further development of our power systems and the reliability of insulation systems in rail networks and manufacturing industries.

For many years the engineering behind our power transmission and distribution networks has remained unchanged. One reason is that the reliability of electrical insulation systems, also found on our rail infrastructure, has proved extremely high. Much of the existing infrastructure is now very old, well beyond its design life.

Radical changes are now being implemented in power systems, largely driven by the desire to facilitate renewable low carbon energy supplies. Moreover as electricity replaces gas for heating homes, and electric vehicles replace petrol and diesel powered cars, more electricity will be consumed requiring greater densities of power transmission, particularly into our cities. These requirements necessitate higher electrical stresses on insulation and higher temperature ratings, whilst maintaining reliability. 

This research is sponsored by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Grant: EP/M016234/1