Modification of DC Flashover Voltage at High Altitude on the Basis of Molecular Gas Dynamics

The effect of altitude on thermal conduction, surface temperature, and thermal radiation of partial arc was investigated on the basis of molecular gas dynamics to facilitate a deep understanding of the pollution surface discharge mechanism. The DC flashover model was consequently modified at high altitude. The validity of the modified DC flashover model proposed in this paper was proven through a comparison with the results of high-altitude simulation experiments and earlier models. Moreover, the modified model was found to be better than the earlier modified models in terms of forecasting the flashover voltage. Findings indicated that both the thermal conduction coefficient and the surface thermodynamics temperature of partial arc had a linear decrease tendency with the altitude increasing from 0 m to 3000 m, both of which dropped by approximately 30% and 3.6%, respectively. Meanwhile, the heat conduction and the heat radiation of partial arc both had a similar linear decrease of approximately 15%. The maximum error of DC pollution flashover voltage between the calculation value according to the modified model and the experimental value was within 6.6%, and the pollution flashover voltage exhibited a parabola downtrend with increasing of pollution.