Cleaning High Voltage Lightning Arresters

[JasonJ]

I'm new to eng-tips and was just hoping for a little help on finding a link for cleaning High Voltage Lightning Arresters. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Zogzog]

Welcome to the forum, you need to be specific with your questions here, here is a general link to your general question.

http://www.netaworld.org

You will find standards for maintenance of arrestors there. A more specific question will get you a more specific answer. There are some great minds with alot of experience here.

Scott Peterson
Training Manager
Power Plus Engineering

http://www.epowerplus.com

 

[wbd]

You need to be specific in your question. Are you looking for cleaning methods, such as using Collinite No. 237 High Voltage insulator cleaner on de-energized and grounded equipment?
Or are you looking for methods of cleaning while the equipment is energized, such as corn cob blasting?

 

[JasonJ]

Sorry for the non-specific question wbd and thank you for the response. I'm writing a generic Maintenance Policy Manual for the many power plants my company represents and I need to add some info about cleaning Transformer Lightning Arresters to our Transformer Maintenance section. I am having trouble finding info on any cleaning procedures for de-energized or energized equipment.

 

[wbd]

okay, basically the best way is to perform the cleaning with the equipment de-energized, LOTO and grounded. You should clean the insulators/bushings/LA's with a high voltage insulator cleaner like Collinite 237, following the instructions on the can. Not much to it.
I would also check the tightness of all connections, including the base bolts and look for signs of overheating. If these are large LA's, they could be Doble testing at the same time the transformer and transformer bushings are. The LA's on the transformers can be cleaned the same way the transformer bushings are.
Hope that helps.

 

[unclebob]

If your arresters (or bushings) are very dirty you can use methanol or isopropyl alcool. I've seen guys using vinegar... Otherwise, use clean dry cotton rags to remove dust/dirt.

 

[Zogzog]

You need to restore the coating by using Colinite or my favorite, beaver butter.

For developing a RCM program you really should download the NETA MTS, it tells you how and when to conduct PM on power systems. You can also reference the 2006 NFPA 70B.

 

[dewone]

For the tuff dirt. I use collinite No 240 with a scotch brite pad, then buff with clean rag to a sparkleing waxed finish.
You can reach Collinite at 315-732-2282 (Happen to have can on my desk now)!

 

[cuky2000]

Surge arrester may be treated as an insulator for cleaning purpose. Below is a condensed information from IEEE Std 957-2005 for illustration purposes.

http://cuky2000.250free.com/Insulator_Cleaning_1.jpg

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Check if the enclose test could guide you:

Describe your actions sequentially to restore the station (temporarily and permanently)

Inspect the potential device insulator for sing of flashover and other damage damages such as insulator puncture, crack in the porcelain, oil leak or any other physical damages

If not damage is found, proceed to clean the potential device with water followed by a wipe down with isopropyl alcohol to remove any dust or salt deposit.

After the cleaning, the system the system is ready to be restore and get the line back in service

For longer term, there are several options available to protect the potential device from flashover:

o Water washing.
o Surface coating such as silicon grease, high resistance glazing, hydrocarbon grease, room temperature vulcanizing (RTV), etc.
o Install corona ring the made uniform the voltage distribution along insulator.
o Replace the unit with higher-leakage insulator or no ceramic insulator unit.

Due to the variety of options and methods a study is recommended to determine include a live cycle cost of best protective action to maintaining the expected level of reliability and system availability.

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The need for cleaning arrester/insulator depend on the frequency and risk level of flashover that is directly associaty with pollution level, contaminat deposit, environment conditions, lightning activity, overvoltage, creepage distance etc.

If there is severe problem of contamination/flashover, the enclose link may have application:

http://www.doble.com/products/insulator_pollution_monitor.html

 

[JasonJ]

Looks like some good information from all. Thank you everybody and if anyone else reads this thread and can add any thing else valueable please post it.